Shooting Around New York City

This trip I had a little more time to get some travel photos. There was a mix of weather to play with as there was sunshine, rain, moody clouds and blue sky all throughout the week. Here are some of my favourite shots:

Lower Manhattan and the Empire State Building viewed from the Rockefeller Center Observatory.

Empire State Building from street level.

Sunshine on a rainy day in Chinatown. 

Freedom Tower at night shot from Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 

Rockefeller Center. 

Taxis on 7th Avenue opposite Madison Square Garden. Shot on an iPhone 4S.

Rats of New York shot with Instagram. 

Flatiron Building shot with Instagram. 

Central Park shot with Instagram. 

Lower East Side, my home away from home in Manhattan. 

My roommate and superb city guilde Edward Arrocha AKA Eak The Geek. 

Chinatown shot with Instagram. 

Empire State Building in B&W. 

West 39th Street and the walking man. 

Manhattanhenge. 

Abstract buildings. 

Stand Up For Religious Freedom.

Wall Street. 

Freedom Tower shot from Greenwich Street. 

© Simon Ackerman 2012

www.simonackerman.co.uk 

Summer in SoHo

Since my last trip to New York for fashion week I planned to pay another visit, this time shooting editorials and capturing more travel photos. During NYFW I didn't get to see a great deal of the city itself as I was shooting in runway venues during the daytime and editing back in the apartment late at night. So this trip there was more time for exploration.

Here are a few shots from my first editorial on the first Saturday of June with my new US team.

Model - Anna C @ Leni's Models

Wardrobe Stylist - Rosey Vaughan - Patricia Field / Modalistas


Make Up - Lindsay Cullen

Hair - Julie Schnapp

Photographer - Simon Ackerman

© Simon Ackerman 2012
www.simonackerman.co.uk

Creative Makeup with Harriet @ Source Models

This was my final shoot in the UK before setting off to New York for the 2nd time in 2012.

The main idea was Aqua makeup with a simple headshot to capture it.

Model - Harriet @ Source Models

Makeup - Emma Janine Tatchell

Photographer - Simon Ackerman

© Simon Ackerman 2012

www.simonackerman.co.uk 

Creative Makeup & Photoshop Retouching

Once the final images where all sent to press from the fashion weeks I set about organising some new beauty photoshoots. My main focus prior to this was to set about learning some new techniques in Photoshop. They say the average user only uses 33% or Photoshop's full potential and there is a whole plethora of tools in order to make images look great and the models look really pretty. The use of Photoshop in digital cosmetic enhancement has always been a subject of much controversy. A friend of mine recently sent me an image that showed a before and after image of Madonna, it revealed that post processing can easily take years of the subject and still retain the realism. Retouching in Photoshop can be compared to cosmetic surgery in the way that it can enhance the features, enlarge breasts, nip, tuck, smooth the skin even change eye colour and straighten teeth. You name it, you can probably do it in Photoshop. Here is the first shot from some of the new techniques I learnt, it's sometimes hard to retain a realistic skin texture when so many blemishes and wrinkles are taken out.

 I try to maintain skin pores but sometimes fashion magazines and websites may go for a retouch where the model looks something like a waxwork or a porcelain doll, sometimes the models can look like a CGI character from a computer game.
It's all a matter of personal preference and what the client wants the final images to look like.

Model - Megan Clarke

Makeup - Keighley Mila Valdivielso

Photographer - Simon Ackerman

© Simon Ackerman 2012 - All Rights Reserved 

www.simonackerman.co.uk 

Backstage at Aquascutum - London Fashion Week: Fall 2012

Aquascutum was my 2nd backstage at LFW this season and so I'm told the inspiration behind the make up was 'Little Kitten Eyes'. It's easy to see the idea.  Usually this would have been a behind the scenes opportunity at Jaeger London but Jaeger took a break this season. It was great to capture some beauty head shots and also some candids. I felt Bette Franke was one of the models that pulled off the Kitten Eyes the best. The hair was gelled just at the sides to give a sort of rock chick look, it's a style that has inspired my first studio shoot of 2012 in a couple of weeks.

These shots were also using the same camera set up as Derek Lam and Paul Smith, a Canon 5D Mark II and a 24 - 70mm L f/2.8 with a Mini Softbox LTP.

© Simon Ackerman 2012
www.simonackerman.co.uk

Ginta Lapina at Herve Leger

Latvian model Ginta Lapina always has an amazing presence when on the runway. Here is a shot of her from more of a profile perspective during the Herve Leger show at NYFW. During Fashion Week the shots that are sent to press are usually a standard full length, three quarter length, head shot or detail. Sometimes it's great to be creative and see a a bit of a different perspective of runway images outside of magazines.

I'll add some more images from this great Roman Empire inspired collection soon and also more shots of Ginta Lapina herself.

© Simon Ackerman 2012
www.simonackerman.co.uk

Backstage at Paul Smith - Fall 2012

This was a backstage I had been looking forward to throughout London Fashion Week, I was still suffering from some slight jet lag but the show must go on and the Paul Smith Fall 2012 show didn't fail to impress. 

Something I love about shooting backstage is getting close to the hair, the make-up, the garments and the usually intense build up to show time. Stylists and choreographers tempers sometimes flare but thankfully it all ran smoothly. More models appear to be using iPad's this season to pass the time sat in hair and make-up.

These images were shot using a Canon 5D Mark II, a 28 -70mm L f/2.8 with a mini soft box.

© Simon Ackerman 2012
www.simonackerman.co.uk