Mixed Hawaiian Fashion Model Photography On Lava Rocks
December 12, 2005
I was glad to do a photoshoot with an exotic model who’s mixed ethnicity (including Hawaiian) was only one the ingredients I enjoy mixing into a fun photography session.
Tamara only has a handful of photoshoots under her belt which means she is natural without already learned typical cookie cutter poses and self doubt.
The stunning location for the following photos is the high cliffs of Portlock just before sunset which is between the affluent neighborhood Hawaii Kai and the famous tourist spot Hanauma Bay.
Creating a background is a rewarding task at this location in the form of the striated lava rock walls and the unobstructed view at the Pacific Ocean.
The tall palm tree and the stretching model repeat the same shape in this photo making visual sense to the viewer.
Casual photo with nice warm colors which compliment the surroundings and stylish Coco Chanel designer sunglasses. This is a great time of the day for taking pictures, the setting sun is not too bright or too hot. At the latitude of Hawaii though this magical time is rather short lived; the same goes for sunrises as well.
Another version, I shoot at least a dozen of every promising setup often ending up with “too many” good photos making the editing process difficult.
The sun is about the touch the horizon as it can be seen in the reflection of the sunglasses. This is absolutely gorgeous warm light. The striated lava rocks is an excellent non-intrusive background.
A nice casual pose yet again from a different vantage point; I enjoy the color harmony between all elements in this photo especially when it comes to the model’s tanned skin and the lava rocks.
I am including several variations of the same setup just to illustrate that it is worth the time to really explore a setup and shoot it in as many different ways as possible. It’s a great feeling when the last photo of the bunch turns out to be the keeper justifying the effort and creativity that was put into the sesion.
Using a wide angle lens includes a lot more background and creates dynamic lines.
Perhaps a heavenly modeling photo as the clouds provide a painting like backdrop. As long as the model naturally flows with her surroundings the “poses” will be natural and balanced. The beautiful warm side lighting is provided by literally the last minute of sunlight.
I really enjoy composing close-up portraits; I really like all the elements in this photo, the mood and the background as well. As the sun dipped into the Pacific Ocean, beautiful soft light was provided which was perfect for an intimate portrait.
