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Exotic Glamour, Beauty & The Nude Workshop, Virgin Islands, #30

Date: Nov. 8-13, 2012 (Early Bird Pricing!)
Venue: U.S. Virgin Islands
Details: The first Virigin Islands worskhop sold-out in less than 2-weeks! Most of the VI workshops for the past eight years sell-out almost a year in advance! Here’s your chance if you missed out in the past eight years! Only 12 Photographers and six Models for this workshop. First-come, first-serve!

This is year eight in the Virgin Islands and our 14th year conducting workshops! This is also our last Virgin Islands workshop for 2012 and if there is another in 2013, it’s at least a year away!

This is our 30th Virgin Islands workshop. The dates are Nov. 8-13, 2012. Fly in on Nov. 8th (Thurs.) into St. Thomas (Airport code STT) then we ferry you over to a smaller island where it’s a private, camp-style workshop–open to all levels of photography, from beginners to advanced–your departure day is Nov. 13th, (Tuesday) unless you choose to stay longer in St. Thomas on your own. Nov. 12th is our private shoot day. While not mandatory, on our private shoot day, we encourage it to work with your favorite models on a “one on one”  hourly basis.

These workshops promise more than the best workshops ever done–this is not a foreign country, this is the U.S. Virgin Islands! No currency conversions, no foreign language, no crazy inflated value-added taxes or worries about the food and water or your camera equipment held in customs till you pay the “bribe.” Currently, for U.S. citizens, a U.S. passport it not required, provided you present a government issued identification card, such as a driver’s license. Non-U.S. citizens require a passport.

We’ve got a place that rocks! The location was featured on HGTV and Brad Pitt even filmed parts for one of his movies on this secluded island. It’s not your “typical tourist hotel” trap found in other workshops–this is a private paradise 10-minutes from St. Thomas giving us great sunsets, sunrises, private infinity-pool shots with the ocean blue/green waters and golden sunsets in the background.

Complete with bbq’s, outdoor activities and a dinner on the beach after sunset, this workshop is better than the best workshops ever held! We even had one photographer sign-up for ten Virgin Islands workshops and another for five plus two Moab photography workshops, so all photography slots sell fast! We have a high return rate of previous attendees!

Limited to 12 photographers only! That’s right, we’ll shoot six beautiful models in groups of two photographers per one model, the whole time you’re there–you will photograph every model. There is no room for more than twelve photographers, period. Prices will eventually go up if not booked early! We’ll be staying on a private island off St. Thomas in a “camp-like” style environment as we enjoy the use of three houses with full facilities including internet connection DSL, refrigerator, stove, satellite TV, and phone plus we’ll serve breakfast and provide lunch options.

This package includes lodging during the workshop and most drinks and food–there is two optional evening dinners at your expense as we provide some of the dinners. Your responsibility, get there! Fly into St. Thomas. From there you’ll have the greatest time photographing models without hotel distractions, tourist distractions, etc…total focus on what we’re there for, the glamour, beauty and the nude photography of beautiful women. This is outdoor photography in a tropical setting!

This is a first-come, first-serve, non-refundable workshop. The workshop attendees will not be staying in a hotel, we’ll be staying in fully equipped houses that are cottage style, complete with satelite TV, DSL, refrigerator, stove, etc.–your house on a private island. Early-bird price is $1499, save $500 today before prices go up to $1999. Please use the button below to pay securely with PayPal.

Use this special button to reserve your “Early Bird” price at $1499 today, regular price resumes to $1999 before you know it! Save $500 now! Rates will go up after first four attendees sign-up, so save now Guarantee your slot!

Lighting is provided for sun-overpowering shots, though you may bring your own lighting too. We’ll have some California Sunbounce scrims and reflectors, again, you may bring your own too. Make-up and hair provided for the models too.

Rolando will cover many topics, from basics, fundamentals and concepts that you can use in glamour photography and other genres of photography. Emphasis on lighting, posing, and the ability to see and feel the light. You’ll get hands on instruction and demonstrations. Overpowering the sun with flash will be a big focus along with beach and pool shoots.

Rolando will walk you through, step by step showing you the in’s and out’s of the image, at the same time, every photographer will have his or her time to photograph lovely, photogenic models from sunrise to sunset. The emphasis is to take photographs not pictures. Plus much, much more!

Three full-days of shooting and one optional day to book private shoots! Private shoots are optional and will be scheduled reasonably for a small additional charge–this money goes straight to the model–first come, first serve. Shooting will be from sunrise to sunset–just like if you’re on assignment for publication. The workshop attendees will stay in three “home-style” cottages with kitchens, baths, refrigerators, etc., on an exotic island. DSL internet connection is available too along with satellite TV–though who will have time to watch TV? (grin) Time is allocated to enjoy the hot tub and swimming pool during non workshop hours–yes, have fun in the sun, work hard, and capture great images!

All proceeds are non-refundable, but we will allow you to transfer your seat should you have to change your plans with at least a 90-day notice. You must do the transfer on your own as we will not refund anyone due to the small size of this workshop.

Over 6,000 students have attended Rolando’s workshops and speaking engagements in the past thirteen years–Rolando is the only current glamour workshop instructor with national speaking credentials, a glamour DVD, photography book author, photo magazine staff writer with national and international tearsheets. Rolando also discovered the April 2006 Playboy Playmate for Playboy–she attended the April 2006 VI workshop as an actual model too! This workshop is open to all levels of photographers, from beginners to advanced–Rolando will take time to work with new photographers and will answer your questions before, during and after the workshop. No one is leaving the island until it’s over!

The workshop is intense, but designed for everyone. Breakfast and lunch are available every day upon arrival. Evening supper will be furnished two of the five days. Three days of supper will be your responsibility as we’re giving you the choice of staying on the island or going to St. Thomas. Refreshments will be provided. You can also venture off to St. Thomas for lunch on your own.

The price is for workshop and lodging costs and most meals, you are responsible for all travel. The price includes three solid days of shooting with models. We break the twelve photographers in teams of two, so you always work with a partner but never have to wait in line. Models are rotated daily to allow for major shoots with one model at a time per day–you will photograph all six models. We reserve the fourth shooting day for private shooting for a small additional fee, this is an optional day after your three solid days of shooting, for your favorite models. This system works so good we’ve had many repeat customers to the VI workshops.

Make-up will be provided and images may be used in off-line, personal and web portfolios, however, you can, for an additional $80 (paid to the model by the photographer, only once and covers all three days), secure an unrestricted release (except for adult pay-sites or membership sites), full use, including nudity. Releases are provided, and securing releases are optional and not mandatory, but highly encouraged.

First Come, First Serve Basis–limited seating–Reserve Your Slot Now!

A minimum of seven people must attend otherwise the workshop will be canceled and refunds will be immediately provided. Rolando has never canceled a Virgin Islands or exotic photography workshop in the past 13 years. Feel Free to email Rolando Gomez should you have any questions at rolando(at)rolandogomez.com with a CC copy to gophotog(at)gmail(dot)com and include your contact information and best time to call.

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The Triangles of Photography

Often when you hear a photographer talk about a triangle in photography, they are referencing the correlation of exposure, or how the ISO, lens aperture and camera shutter-speed affect one another to create the correct exposure in a photograph. However, the word “triangle” in photography also applies to posing, specifically the great “three triangle” pose for a single subject, and the triangles formed in posing groups of people.

When posing a single model, three triangles are often seen when a model is standing tall, her body facing the camera, and the legs are close together forming a triangle from the base of the feet to where the knees meet, then from where the knees meet to mid-thigh, then mid-thigh to the bottom of the torso. This is often seen when a beauty pageant contestant stops and faces the judges on the runway too. However as in this photograph of Tess, you can use the arms and legs to form three triangles in the sitting position. (Note: If you look closely, the body itself forms one large triangle and the points of the triangle touch the points formed by the “rule of thirds” used for proper composition and framing.)

Tess uses her arms and legs to form three triangles in the sitting pose resulting in a visually pleasing image.

Tess uses her arms and legs to form three triangles in the sitting pose resulting in a visually pleasing image.

When photographing groups of people, great wedding photographers tend to space the front row so the people in the back row are directly behind each side of the person’s shoulder joint in front of them, thus ensuring that each person’s head forms, from each row, points in the triangle in groups of two or more rows of people. Portrait photographers also utilize this technique when photographing families of three or more.

When posing groups of people, form two rows and position your subjects so they form imaginary triangles with their head position.

When posing groups of people, form two rows and position your subjects so they form imaginary triangles with their head position.

Bill Hurter, editor of Rangefinder magazine states it best in his book, The Portrait Photographer’s Guide To Posing (Amherst 20004), “The triangle is one of the most pleasing and dynamic forms in all of photography. Because the triangle is a series of three lines, two of which are diagonal, it has the result of providing direction and visual movement in a portrait. Creating triangles and exploiting natural triangles in posing is one of the most basic skills of a good composition.”

Triangles in art composition was often practiced by some of the great painters, including Rembrandt, and as photographers, we all know Rembrandt lighting is one of the most popular forms of lighting in which a triangle of light forms below the eye. As a general rule in Rembrandt lighting, the triangle of light should be as long as the nose, but no wider than the eye.

While the triangle is easier to spot when replicating Rembrandt lighting, as it’s visually there surrounded by shadows on all three sides, in posing, it tends to be more perceptual and created by the arms and legs of the body when photographing one subject, or by the heads of bodies when photographing groups of two rows or more. Rembrandt lighting itself obviously is one of the elements in the triangle of exposure, and the triangle of exposure is evident in every correctly exposed photograph.

Finding and capturing triangles in posing is more difficult for photographers because we must direct our subjects in posing, however if we can focus on that direction through proper communication, it gives us the ability to move one step higher toward the top of the pyramid of photographers and our subjects will be pleased with the results.  Well that’s it for today, please don’t forget our men and women in uniform that defend our great nation, along with the sacrifices of their friends and family, God Bless! Rolando

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Keep the Body Narrow and Parallel to the Camera

I always like to look at my models as being geometric
planes
. If a person is standing facing the camera, the
model’s body creates a rectangle. However, that rectangle is
actually three-dimensional. If you were to measure the fur-
thest body point away from the camera to the closest body
point to the camera, you could determine the depth of the
form.

Studio Lighting, Modeling, Photography, Digital, Workshops, Posing

Now, if the model were to extend her arms outward on
each side, keeping them parallel to the rest of her body, the
width of her form would change, but the depth would not.
If, however, the model were to extend her arms so that one
was in front of her body and the other was behind her body,
the width of her form would not be changed, but its depth
would increase dramatically-it would probably at least dou-
ble from the original width.

[Read more...]

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Posing, the Body Language of a Photograph

Over the past six years I’ve taught almost 200 glamour, beauty and nude photography workshops, seminars and lectures from Maui to the Virgin Islands, in Europe, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United states and one of the most recurring questions is, “How do you pose a model?” Normally I’ll answer that question with a demonstration on how I pose the body in three pieces, from the hips to the feet, the torso and from the neck to the head—and of course everything of the body in those pieces.

As simple as that sounds, it would take a book to focus on the posing fundamentals, concepts and principles for successful photographs of models. This book should illustrate how the proper lighting, clothing and image direction help the scene and pose form a powerful photograph. There should be at least one chapter on correct communication to achieve the proper pose along with another chapter on how proper composition, cropping and compression within the image help justify the pose. [Read more...]

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