Nadia Cheema Photography Blog

Out with the Old and in with the New - New BLOG!

2011-11-29T20:33:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow readers,

As usual I am behind on my updates. I do have a good reason this time though.... I've been updating and replacing the old(s) with the new(s). I now have a new site along with a new blog.
New blog can be found here
Which now means that I will not be using Blogspot any longer.... I won't be shutting this blog down ... not for some time anyway, but I will be moving to the new one. So please do make note of the new address (www.nadiac.com/blog). You can either bookmark it or create an RSS feed of it. You can also get to my blog through my new site. Yes lots of new things!!!

I'm going to make an update on my new blog. Some announcements and other random updates.

Cheers and hope to see you there! :)

Beauty Photography Workshop

2011-09-13T20:52:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year! It's school time everyone and this year I've decided to host my own workshop. I've been receiving a lot of comments and requests on doing up my on workshop so I decided to host a subject that I'm best at.... Beauty.

I started Fashion photography by first doing Beauty. I found doing beauty photography was quite challenging since you're not only capturing every single detail, but also trying to convey a feeling in that one single frame. For those who aren't sure what a beauty photography is... it's a method used both in commercial/fashion photography and for model portfolios. It's a closeup shot that shows anything from makeup styles to jewelry worn or adorned by the model.

People who are wanting to take this workshop don't need to be or going into Fashion photography. It's a good skill to use in portraiture as well. You'll learn what to look for in terms of body placement and building a connection with your subject.

You can click on the image for times and dates:

Photography: Nadia Cheema

MUA/Hair: Kelly Armstrong

Model: Jessica @ PUSH

You can contact me at nadia@nadiac.com for further details and info.

I look forward to both hearing and meeting you :)

Back from another trip - NY!

2011-08-10T17:35:00.000-04:00

I just recently got back from a 5 day trip to NY. Manhattan to be exact...and it was great.
Main reason I had gone was to visit the McQueen show before it ended. The exhibit was aptly named Savage Beauty...which is exactly what it was. It was graceful and beautiful yet cruel and vicious at the same time. I was in such a thrall that I wanted to literally stay there for the whole day and keep staring at all the amazingly gorgeous pieces that Alexander McQueen has ever created. His heart and soul was in every piece and what more can a art and fashion lover could ask for. I found the show to be extremely inspiring. Just reminds me why I love shooting fashion so much. It's not just about photographing a clothing on a model, but to show off the fabric and colors and all the wonderful textures that come with it. To photograph a complete picture where it makes the person who's looking at that image go 'wow!' and wanting to keep looking at it. That's what I strive for in my photographs.... I want people to keep looking at a photograph taken by me. I want to be so enamored by it that it is engraved in their mind. What I've been grateful to know is that I have been achieving this thus far. I've had followers state that they can't help but stare at my works. Thank you :)

I also wanted to share that I've recently updated both my site and my blog header.
Here are some teasers:

Photographer: Nadia Cheema

Stylist: Luis Zulayhka @ PUSH

MUA: Marcia Garnes

Model: Alex @ PUSH

Assistant: Adriana Garcia

Photographer: Nadia Cheema

Stylist: Luis Zulayhka @ PUSH

MUA: Keirsten Morris

Model: Jordan @ PUSH

Assistant: Adriana Garcia

It's my first time really shooting men and I have to say that it was very challenging, but fun at the same time! Everyone was great. I look forward to shooting more men in the future as I enjoyed the challenge very much and have to say very pleased with the results.

Stay tuned for more images as there have been more shoots and a fall fashion shoot publication coming up.

Off to Paris!

2011-06-18T10:30:00.018-04:00

So... I haven't blogged in a while.... a good while actually.
I'll be going off to Paris very soon. I'm leaving Sunday night and will be back on the 27th. Very excited. I'm going mainly because I've never been and want to. Strange thing is the amount of people that have been congratulating me thinking I'm going there for a job. A job would be nice, but why not just go for the sake of it? I think Canadians are conditioned to think that one should not bother traveling unless it's vacation time. I guess you could say I'm going on vacation, but to be honest I just feel like traveling and wanting to go to places I've always wanted to visit and explore a bit.

I'm going with a friend who randomly told me one night that she's going. So I randomly asked 'Can I come?', she said 'Sure!!!'. I wasn't expecting that ..... and this was just about 3 weeks ago.... so I decided why not?! So here I am...writing to you to tell you I'll be off to Paris :D I'm packing light and just taking a small Canon S95 camera with me. It's a 10 megapixel camera that also shoots raw should I feel the need to photograph something. I don't normally take pictures when I go off to somewhere. I want to look with my own eyes and not through a viewfinder constantly. This way I remember the actual trip and places and scents and tastes.... you get the idea.

I managed to find a flat to rent at a very short notice. Luckily it's in Les Halles, which is pretty much a central area in Paris and almost everything is within walking distance. My landlady seems very nice and enormously friendly! She's gotten great reviews and after I get back from my trip I'll be blogging about my trip and what my stay there was like. I've been fortunate enough to establish a connection there through a friend here in Toronto. Great friends are hard to come by, but when you do have them it just makes life that much better. Thank you friend! I'm very much looking forward to my trip :)

I also wanted to provide other updates as I've been lacking sorely with providing news.
I was featured in May on a blog called Fusion of Effects. Marcus Kan is the creator of the blog and does a fantastic job with showcasing up and coming photographers, illustrators, designers, etc. All mainly related to fashion. I recommend that you add this blog to your bookmark! Thank you Marcus for the feature and interview :)

Through Marcus Kan I was able to get one of my photograph's featured on Swide Magazine run by Dolce & Gabbana. The article was based on Lace in commemoration of introducing Dolce & Gabbana's Lace Sunglasses. Here's the image that was used in the article:

Photography: Nadia Cheema

MUA/Hair: Greg B. @ PUSH

Stylist: Luis Zulaykha @ PUSH

Model: Katherine Hastings @ PUSH

I was able to muster up a quick shoot with a fantastic team provided by PUSH agency. Absolutely great team!

Another shoot I had recently did was done by some old and new friends who put our heads together and came up with a vintage inspired shoot with some antiques used as props. Here are the images:

Photography: Nadia Cheema

MUA: Rhia Amio

Hair: Keirsten Morris

Stylist: Cisya Paramita

Model: Gabriela Otis @ PUSH

Assistant: Antoinette Scott

Aside from just doing creatives I also did a lookbook for a local designer named Carrie Hayes. She's a fantastic designer and very inspirational to shoot for. Lookbooks tend to be normally on a plain background where you have a model wear the clothing desired to be photographed. You're basically showing off the clothing. Well Carrie was kind enough to give me some freedom with the shoot. She wanted the lookbook to have a slight editorial feel to be. Yay!!! I can do that! Here are some of the images:

Photography: Nadia Cheema

MUA/Hair: Vanessa Jarmen @ Page One

Stylist: Cisya Paramita

Designer: Carrie Hayes

Model: Jillian Kelly @ PUSH

We photographed 5 looks in total. You can see the layout and the rest of the photographs on Carrie Hayes' site. It's the first collection in the lookbook that will show up when you enter the site.

Another news to add on top of so many other things.... I was asked if I could present discussing Beauty photography for a local photographers all-in-one summer workshop named Rob Davidson. He's an absolutely talented photographer and teacher! I have learned a great deal from him and when he asked that I speak I was honored and nervous as hell. Key is not to show it...and apparently I did well not showing it. I hide it well I guess. I presented both workshop nights, Tuesday and Thursday. It was a great experience and the response was great. This has motivated me to throw my own Beauty Workshop in August. Once I get back from my trip I'll be planning towards that.

Here are some quick images from the workshop. I decided to keep everything clean since the core reason of the workshop was to display some lighting examples, tools used and providing direction to the model and how to interact during the actual shoot.

Model: Nicole Baptiste @ PUSH

Model: Sarah Newman @ PUSH

None of these shots have been retouched except for basic work in Lightroom. The key idea in the workshop was to shoot as if you were shooting film. Get as much as you can in the shot and always remember what you are selling. You're not selling the model, but the clothing, accessories, concept, etc. You are all-in-all selling fashion! I wanted to thank PUSH for kindly providing us with models for the workshop and Keirsten Morris for doing Makeup and Hair on set. Response after the workshop was just phenomenal. I couldn't have asked for anything better. Therefore, do keep an eye out for the August workshop announcement.

Well...phew!.... I'm going to say that's it for now. Cheers everyone :)

RedBubble

2011-01-06T16:06:00.000-05:00

I've decided to open up an account on RedBubble.com to help sell some of my fine art prints online on a more worldwide basis.

For those of you who don't know what RedBubble is about...it's basically an online based 'shop' where you get to create your own personal store to help showcase your work online. You setup the profile and upload high res images of your best artwork. Be it paintings, illustrations, digital art or photography. Any medium of art is most welcomed....even mixed mediums. You upload your images and they take care of the back end work. Back end work includes printing, mounting and shipping. If you don't feel that you are quite ready to manage the printing and logistics of your artwork this is one venue to use.

Mind you....you will still need to promote your work yourself. The whole point is to show your work to the outside world. No matter how fantastic of an artist you are will not matter till you actually show your work. You will receive constructive, positive and/or negative criticism. No need to shy away because art is very subjective and take it with a grain of salt. If you feel someone's suggestions are worthwhile listening to then do so otherwise still acknowledge what the other person is saying, but in the end it's up to you whether you'd like to follow it or not. Be confident and continue to practice. Picasso painted an abundance of mediocre art. He painted everyday, but out of all that mass amount of works only some were absolutely brilliant. Now keep in mind... he did paint everyday...so that 'some' is in his case...quite a bit of brilliant paintings! Don't think that you'll be able to produce fantastic work every time. Fine art is producing and showcasing your best, which means you are expected to create a plenty of mediocre work that very few or no one will ever see. It's a part of growth...so embrace it wholly. You'll greatly benefit from it.... trust me ;)

I will be providing custom sized resin coated prints which will be showcased on my Etsy shop once I have it all figured out. I do have a shop open on Etsy.com under NadiaCheema profile, but nothing is there yet to view. It will be the same artwork as shown on RedBubble, but resin will be applied on the prints... and I have to say.... the images do look beautiful. Much more so with the resin. It gives it a beautiful contrast and pop and the details stand out much more.

All of my fine artwork is available for purchase. Please feel free to either go through RedBubble or contact me directly at nadia@nadiac.com. I will be posting these as Still Life on my site as well. Stay tuned for more as this is a work in progress!

Feature in Magazine - Papercut Mag

2010-12-23T17:40:00.002-05:00

It's a good day today..... my team and I did a shoot over a month ago that was quite the production and involvement by many. It was an underwater inspired shoot, but not quite being submerged ;)

The number of people involved though was quite impressive considering it's a creative based shoot. Model, stylist, MUA/hair and four assistants. That's right FOUR assistants!!! And thank goodness they were all there. It couldn't have been a success without them. There was just so much work involved and it took us 9 hours just to complete 4 looks. What took the longest was all the co-ordination. You'll see what I mean when you see the actual series of photos.

There's a reason why we did this shoot though. It wasn't only to see if we could do it and grow from it, but also for publication purposes. Yes.... this shoot was done as a submission based idea. I've never submitted before and don't know any real procedure behind it, but decided to go ahead and try. I mean there's so many photographers out there that do it.... so what's the difficulty and hesitation? I know what my real hesitation was. How do I get my work noticed amongst so many emails that coming flooding through a creative directors and editors emails on a daily basis. How can I make mine stand out amongst the masses? My real intention by doing these submissions was more on a recognition basis rather that actually having any of the photographs be published and, if possible, receive feedback.

Well.... my journey begins as a virgin submitter. We did the shoot, I polished and prepped it for final submission then sat and pondered. Pondered so much that I didn't move and .... I think... basically marinated in my own old clothing. I blame my brain for over thinking and not actually doing anything. I mean.... it's not going to happen on its own. I need to be the one to do it. What's their to loose really? I won't get a response back. That's the worst case scenario when you think about it. If I don't hear back from a magazine then you try again next time and keep trying without... well...seeming like a stalker. So what was my first move.... I got up and took a shower then changed my clothes to feel fresh and rejuvenated. I think tried to figure out a way to see what magazines are out there and how to contact them. What's the default approach whenever we seek to find something on the internet? Well... we Google it! So that's exactly what I did. I googled. I have to say.... I was very disappointed. Google had failed me for the first time since I discovered it initially in my semi-mental state. I couldn't believe it. What do I do??!!? If google can't help me who can? Umm.... being overly dramatic here. In actuality finding online magazines using google wasn't the easiest method. Reason being is because the listings that it outputted didn't... well it lacked quite a bit. After googling the supposed info and not receiving anything majorly helpful I sat back and once again pondered as to what to do. Sat and thought... thought about it ... thought about it some more and decided "I'm bored... let's check what's going on Twitter land!". Went onto my twitter account and read up on recent tweets when it dawned on me.... browse online mags through twitter!!! Lo and behold... it worked! Huzzah!! After vehemently searching through twitter and being linked from magazine to another from its original source I was able to get info on over 30 different types on online mags around the world. Hell ya! So I emailed all I could find that I felt should be contacted for submission purposes. Yup... all 30 or so that I found. This little woman was on a mission boys and girls!

Long story short... many of the online mags actually replied back with great feedback! Unfortunately they wouldn't be able to use it for their next issue, but definitely look forward to future submissions by me. That's fantastic!! To be recognized and responded back to is truly fantastic. Definitely motivates anyone to keep working on future works and show it to the world... because truth be told, that's how you'll ever be noticed is by showing your work.

After all that... I was contacted by a magazine that's both online based and print as well.... Papercut Magazine. They actually accepted two of the images from the Underwater series and it's now up on their online based magazine and in print for purchase!

What makes it sweeter is that all moneys accepted will be donated to War Child International. It feels good and gifted. Please do feel free to visit their site and check out all the photographs whose work have been accepted. You'll find my two images on pages 28 and 29. To view the rest of the images from the series please visit my own site at www.nadiac.com. Any thoughts, comments, opinions and/or questions are much welcomed and appreciated :) Also if you'd like to try and figure out how it was all done please do let me know ;)

Thanks to everyone involved and especially my friends who assisted me that day. Couldn't have been successful without their support and contribution.

I have future projects in mind and would like to share three photographs with you that are available for print and will be used as a 'prop' for something soon! These three are going to be a part of a series that again will be available for print sales. If you would like more info please feel free to email me at nadia@nadiac.com. It's an ongoing project and hoping to be done in a few weeks time.

Another piece of good news I'd like to share is a very good friend of mine and close colleague Rob Davidson is now official a guest writer and contributer for the Foodists blog based in Vancouver. His photographs are devilishly delicious and his writing would make Pavlov proud. He's just had his first and new post up on the Foodists blog titled A Foodist Guide to Liberty Village as a restaurant reviewer in Liberty Village (Toronto, King and Dufferin area).   Please do check it out! All photographs and writing by Mr. Davidson himself. As an addition do visit his Epicure In Light blog for recipe ideas and wonderful and very much drool friendly photographs taken by Rob.

As a closing note I'd like to share with you the people involved in the underwater shoot;
Photography: Nadia Cheema
Makeup/Hair: Carly Sellen
Styling: Hungre
Model: Cait (Elite Model, Toronto)
Assistants: David Addington
                    Chris Hazard
                    Urszula Kozak
                    Antoinette Scott

Cheers for now and stay tuned!

Prints available for purchase. Contact me for size and price details.

Dec. 14, 2010

2010-12-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

I am now officially a freelancer..... I no longer work as a full-time assistant to a photographer here in Toronto. So what have I been doing since? Sleeping and resting. Feels bizarre because it's something that I don't do often! Now I feel ansy though.... Which means I'd like to get back to work and do up a 'to do' list.

What did I do yesterday? Well I asked my handsome friend Rob to help me build a glass water table. I purchased some glass pieces cut to size to build a glass water table. I have some ideas in mind that I'd like to bring to fruition over the holidays. Not quite sure what yet, but I have a start to that idea and it's just a matter of following that path to see where it leads to.

A lot has happened in a few weeks, both good and bad. The good parts are what is needed for my future...as for the bad ones... they are best left behind. All I'm going to say is karma's a bitch. I didn't deserve the treatment I had received.

As for now I'm just going to work on my creatives and call on my resources. The shoot I'm planning on doing over the holidays will be available for print sales. It's something I haven't done in a while and I look forward to sharing it with everyone!! I see it very strongly in my mind, which means it needs to be executed and brought forth for all to see.

I'm going to try updating my blog on a regular basis if I can. I have received some requests as to again '....eh! What's up with your blog??? When are you planning on updating it???' I apologize :) BUT here's an update! I have some good news..... all I'm going to say for now is that a magazine got back to me regarding a submission I made a while back. I can't say more till it's out and I see it.

For now though I'd like to share these two photographs that were taken over the weekend. Both of these ladies are lovely at their own right and it was such a pleasure to both meet and work with them. Makeup artist is the lovely Carly Sellen whom I love love LOVE working with! She sees what's in my head and just brings it forth.

Marianna from Elite

2010-11-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a good while since I've done a blog post. Been so busy and tired that I haven't even looked at my blog site let alone think about what to write. Well in all the busy-ness I've decided to start shooting again. I didn't realize how much I missed it. Like a weird drug (?) I wasn't shooting for a while for many reasons.... but one main reason being that I just wasn't feeling inspired and felt like whatever I was shooting just wasn't good enough. A photographer's block so to speak.
Well I'm back!!! And having the utmost pleasure meeting up with a great crew! A fantastic stylist who thinks outside the box and a fantastic makeup/hair stylist who's not only fast, but delivers with beautiful work! We three have somehow just become one ... it feels and the work that we've been executing as of late has been just getting better and better. Therefore, I've decided on submitting my work to various magazines and hope for the best. I am feeling extremely confident in my work and quite proud of it. There will probably be plenty of rejections, but there will be one who says 'yes!' and I know it'll just blossom from thereon. Just a matter of being persistent ;)

In the meantime let me introduce you to Marianna from Elite modeling agency.
Beautiful girl with a great heart! We instantly got along well and are looking forward to working on a creative together. Agency loved the photographs as well and has opened the door to other opportunities that will only lead to better things.

Hopefully submissions will be accepted...when it happens I'll be announcing it here! there ... and everywhere! ... Either way I'll be posting the photographs here for everyone to view when I'm able to :)

Cheers!

Beginning of September

2010-09-06T00:15:00.000-04:00

To want, to need, to get.....

I haven't done any personal creatives in a while. I really do miss it. When I first started I was literally shooting every other weekend....sometimes both Saturday's and Sunday's in a row! Occasional passersby at the studio would comment that I must be living there since they saw me there so often. I couldn't help it.... it was like a drug to me. Of course, it was long nights planning, retouching, assessing, griping, moping, being disappointed, being happy and by the end of it all.... being satisfied with the end product. Till I realized that it wasn't good enough and felt I needed to improve for the next shoot. I slowly, but surely watched myself and my work improving. Maybe it's the trait of being a perfectionist of wanting to improve because the previous work was just not good enough.... oooooor maybe being a masochist and liked the idea of torturing oneself by inflicting challenges on a regular basis. I think I'm more of the latter part. I'm not really a perfectionist, but I do pay a lot of attention to detail...on days I'm not feeling lazy. I'm also a workhorse. I'd say that's more of a family trait from my mother's side to which I'm very thankful for.

SO.... what are my plans for the coming near future????? Why... planning creatives of course! That is the remedy for me prescribed by my own self-person. Time for me to really get my creative juices flowing and allow myself to be open and inspired by all things expose to me and around me. Also, I've been very fortunate to be in touch with people I haven't spoken to in a while and who are extremely talented themselves. They have asked me to work on creatives with them.... I take THAT as a sign from various gods and start utilizing with the opportunity given. Only you can make things work for you because no one else will and nor will they happen on their own. That's my motto and have stuck with it.

The autumn season is arriving (my favorite season!) and with it comes a fresh start of great many things to come. Time to roll up my sleeves and get my lazy ass back to work and become the vessel of some great art work for display to all while working with some wildly and innately talented folks whom without this wouldn't be possible.

Stay tuned as the journey continues... As I tumble through the rabbit hole only to be dumped into some weird world formed by Tim Burtons himself where oddly formed apparitions and creatures motivate me to come up with something .... well I don't know.... just have to wait and see ;)

Cheers for now...

Tumblr

2010-07-03T15:54:00.000-04:00

I've decided to start using Tumblr along with my other various net sites.
Yes....I've given in. What can I say... when you have resources then use them!

My tumblr site address is nadiacphoto.tumblr.com

I will still be blogging as much as I can, but with Tumblr I can at least have a 'photo diary' going of sorts. More visually appealing. I'll be using my blog for thoughts, ideas and general sharing. Also any questions that people might have I'll answer it on my blog. For which I am waaaaaaaaaaay behind!

Cheers and hope you enjoy my journey!

Recap on my life...

2010-06-20T15:21:00.000-04:00

SO.... first off I've wanted to apologize for not updating my blog for so long....
I've had more than a few asking me as to '....what's up with that???!!?' sort of questions.

Well my life thus far has been extremely busy and exciting! The gallery opening was a true success and well appreciated by peers and strangers alike. I've gotten a full-time position as an assistant to a very successful and established fashion photographer here in Toronto, Dan Lim (www.danlimphoto.com). Have continuing to meet great people who are presenting me with some promising projects to work on throughout the year to which I'm very excited about!!! and looking forward to.

I've been using all of my free time to continue to work on my future in photography. I'm exploring many possibilities and keeping my reach wide and open. I am still going to explore fashion and commercial photography, but I know as myself I need to work on some personal projects whenever I am able to. I'm sure it's like that for all artists in all mediums. We just can't help it :) It's what keeps us sane and functional....I guess you could say.

I've been very fortunate to have met with a lovely lady who's level of creativity and vision has refreshed and inspired me to get my own creative juices flowing. We're looking forward to working together on some future projects to which I hope we can do a gallery show with as well. Show it to the public and see where it leads to. It's going to be a work in progress, but the thoughts and feelings that are already being placed upon are well worth the time and effort. Patience is a virtue.

I don't want to state just yet as to what we have planned....although I'm itching to! But it's best to present it in pieces as we work on it....teasers of sorts ;) I promise it's going to be well worth the wait. I will try to keep this blog more updated as I continue to move further in my journey into becoming a photographer. Right now I'm still in the start of my path who will continue to grow and hone her skills. It's truly intimidating at times when you see such great work already out there and you think to yourself 'How am I going to make it?.... how am I to know what my style is?.... am I unique?.... is my work unique?..... where do I start?' These questions fly through my head on a regular basis. It's normal to question yourself, but don't let them overwhelm you and, in turn, drown you. Stay focused, stay strong and ... may sound weird.... stay alert. Look for opportunities and helping hands. Look forward to meeting people and don't shy away from new friendships. You just never know where it may lead to ...

Lately I've been feeling .... I guess you could call it a photographer's block (?) Well after my brunch yesterday with that very same lovely lady the block has lifted and I am very much looking forward to a inspiration filled year. I've decided to work on two books. One for the commercial world....nice clean and what Toronto seeks and another for my own personal work. It's the only way I know I can find balance for myself and not be stifled.

On that note I shall leave you with some shots I had taken in a fashion workshop I was assisting in. It was very quickly put together with no actual setup or ideas. Spur of the moment that I was asked to do and prep for the models and their agents.

Till next time....

Stillness & Motion

2010-04-10T00:49:00.002-04:00

Rob Davidson and I would like to invite folks who reside within the GTA area (Toronto, Ontario) to come visit our gallery show at the Snowball Gallery curated by Alison Snowball.
The show will be up for the month of May (Contact month) starting May 6 to May 30, 2010. Opening reception night is May 6th from 7:00-10:00pm.

The show will be consisting of photographs taken both by me and Rob. My section of the works will be about is titled 'Stillness' whilst Rob's is 'Motion'.

I went on a trip last year for two weeks in Ireland. I didn't actually take that many shots. My mindset was '...I'm on vacation so won't be doing any touristy style shots.....' Well, eventhough I didn't pick up or use the camera often I was enthralled by a park we had visited I think in Galway. Unfortunately my memory is of no good use to me as I don't possess the greatest memory retention in my brain. I will have to find out the name and location of the park.

The park contained an old monastery and, of course, an old cemetery. I was captivated and started taking photographs. You don't quite see this type or 'style' of cemeteries here in Ontario. You could feel the history in that place and I was absolutely loving it. I wanted to capture what I was feeling while being there and deep quietness, eeriness that the place contained. Eventhough it was riddled with tourists the area alone had its own distinct presence. Like any good, shy photographer I went against the masses and took shots ensuring little to no people were in the actual photographs. Another place that we visited was the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Loved it! Of course when we were there and right after we crossed the bridge a fog was coming over to pay us a visit while engulfing the landscape. When I say engulfing I mean the landscape was literally disappearing right before our eyes! And very quickly too. It was a bit scary and extremely beautiful at the same time. At that point we decided to cross the bridge back before the fog overcame us. Too late.... we were caught in the fog. Luckily I could at least see where my feet were stepping on and 5 or 6 people ahead of me while crossing the bridge. The interesting and cool thing was that as the fog came the breeze from it swayed the bridge as we were crossing. As the fog was passing through though it left this cool feeling on our skin with a hint of dewy wetness. I was loving it to the absolute!

Those are the two locations that caught my attention the most and, thus, will be presenting at the show. As for Rob's works..... well you'll just have to come by and find out ;) I promise you....you will NOT be disappointed by what he'll be presenting. A very unique look to a certain sport that may change your perspective on how to perceive it.

I hope to see both old and new faces at the show. Don't feel shy, but do come by and feel free to review, critique and introduce yourselves to us. We look forward to your visit!

Cheers and goodnight....

Recent Beauty Shoot - ICON Models

2010-03-25T21:53:00.002-04:00

Did a recent beauty shoot with a great team. I wanted to experiment using a mirror as a reflector placed at the base of the model. Clamshell lighting or butterfly lighting method. I've seen mirrors used before on beauty shoots to provide contrast. It can be used in different degrees of intensity depending on the size of the actual light source (key light). I wanted to go for a more 'blasted' look where I could really pale out the skin after in PS with very little work. I must state that actual retouching work only took me 5-7 minutes per photograph. Lighting, makeup and skin type were great! Made my editing work much easier. Less editing work...the happier Nadia is.

People involved:
- Models: Sara J and Allana C (ICON Model Management)
- MUA: Rhia Amio
- Hair: Carlos @ Spellbound
- Assistants: Khalid Mutlaq and Robert Boic (such great guys!!)

Yes....two assistants. Funny how that worked out, but I have to say having both Khalid and Robert there was great! They were so helpful and honestly made the workflow much easier for all of us. I can't thank them enough. They also both assisted in blowing the hair around on both models. Two fanners for one model. Sounds strange I know, but to have a proper movement of hair and for directionality it helped having one person using the actual electric fan and another person fanning using a foam core board.
I must say... the models never complained about how cold it became for them while shooting. Such troopers and true professionals. Never showed it in film either. I did take breaks in between shoots to allow them to warm up. I tried to shoot as quickly as I could so as not to torture poor Sara and Allana with all that fanning around. Great work ladies!

This is also where I used the Canon 5D to shoot with and a 90mm tilt/shift lens. Yes a true tilt/shift lens. If you note any blur in the photographs it's caused by using the tilt/shift. It's completely manual focus so it was tricky, but once I got the hang of it I have to say that I absolutely loved shooting with it. Not just for the tilt/shift factor, but also because this lens is tack sharp. I normally like to sharpen the eyes in my photographs, but I didn't have to after using this lens. If you zoom in on a full resolution photograph you can see that even the liquid in the eyes are shown with such clarity that it's truly impressive! Will be doing future shoots using this lens that's for sure.

Unfortunately I don't have any BTS shots from this shoot, but like before I'm going to share with you before and after shots. Hopefully that'll sate your cravings a bit ;) Rest of the photographs can be seen on my flickr site. Only two shots from that shoot will be placed on my actual site.

Out with the old...in with the new!

2010-03-22T20:08:00.000-04:00

Since last year of September '09 I've made some really big changes in my life. Bought a new place, came out of my shell completely, switched over to a Mac system and now.... switching over to Canon!
That's right....I'm switching over to Canon boys and girls. I've been a Nikon user for over 3 years and now am kicking the bucket with it (so to speak) and moving over to become a Canonite....

I have to be honest and state that I have been debating this for over 2 years now, but at the time when I was looking to do it I was going to suffer a loss. More than I was willing to bear. Don't get me wrong though Nikon has fantastic products serving both consumers and pro alike, but for me there were some features lacking that I really need for the way that I work. During the last few weeks I have played with both Canon and Nikon camera to properly compare before I fully made the decision to change over.

I won't state those features on here.... if you'd like to know then just contact me directly. I'll feel like I'd be bad mouthing a company that honestly doesn't deserve it. It's just I find to help make my workflow easier both during a shoot and after Canon is the way. For me it's a tool to photograph with really. I'm not big on Nikon vs. Canon debates. Really it's not worth it. Know your gear and shoot with it. See what the limitations are both in you and the tool being used and work with it. Our predecessors have worked with fully mechanical machines where there was no battery, no LCD screen at the back for instant viewing, nothing automatic at all on the camera!.... and still came out with some amazing and truly inspirational artwork that we now aspire to achieve ourselves.

Camera basics to know and will see on every bodies are:
- ISO
- Fstop
- Shutter Speed
- and on digital cameras.... White Balance

Know those four things and you're good boys and girls. I shoot fully manual and I prefer shooting that way. There are times where I might shoot in Aperture priority if needed, but I find the practice of shooting manual is better for me. Forces me to stay disciplined and take my time when needed or work quickly by having to change one of the settings stated above quickly without having to take my eye off the viewfinder. I shoot much faster that way rather than in auto mode. I know what the results are in the first few test shots then shoot away and change either the shutter speed or aperture whenever needed knowing that the result will still be great. Allows me to adapt very quickly to almost any situation.

The change over to Canon is an easy one like it was going from a PC to a Mac computer (I've been a PC user since I was 12 years old and am now 31...... damn proud of my age!) Knowing the basics allows any person to transition over to something that may seem completely different. Only main difference I must confess I have found is that accessing certain features on the Canon appears backwards to me than on the Nikon. Even the focusing wheel goes in the opposite direction! But that's ok because that's just retraining yourself to know where everything is and you're good to go.

Now the question is.... am I going to still suffer a loss because of the switch over? Ummm.... no actually! I'm happy to say that selling off my Nikon gear has allowed me to cover the costs for a new body and two lenses completely. Thanks to friends and other colleagues I was able to sell the gear off in less than 5 days at the price I had asked for. I even still had the original boxes and papers that came with the initial purchase.

Nikon gear I had:
- Nikon DSLR D80
- Nikon DSLR D300
- Nikkor 24mm f/2.8
- Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
- Nikkor 85mm f/1.8
- Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
- Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
- SB-600 Flash

Gear that I will be getting are the following:
- Canon DSLR 7D
- Canon 50mm f/1.8
- Canon 85mm f/1.8

I may sometime in the future get one zoom lens....and I'm set! All this time that I've been shooting I've found that that's all the gear I need until I'm required to get something else. At that point I'll just rent. No need to spend more money when it's not required to.

To close off this entry I'm going to share with you photographs I have taken of my gear used to help sell the products to buyers..... I have to be honest I got a bit teary eyed. I have produced some great work with them and sad to see them go, but I know the people who have purchased them are going to make really good use out of them. On a different note... by selling off my old gear I almost feel like I'm shedding off my old life and moving onto a new one. Shedding off some old memories and on my way to gather some new ones that I know will bring me great prosperity in my coming future. Out with the old...and in with the new!

Fairy Tale series

2010-02-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

.....Back in November of 2009 my styling team and I got together to do a shoot based on the Fairy Tales series. We decided on three stories....1) Snow White 2) Rapunzel and 3) Red Riding Hood.
We were going to try doing a fourth one (Cinderella), but we didn't have enough time. This shoot alone took so long just the styling alone!

I have to say though everyone did a fantastic job.
Following people involved were:

Model: Asha Di Paola (Ford)
MUA: Rhia Amio
Hair: Fabio Persico
Wardrobe: Cisya Paramita
Assistant: Lorena Lorenzo
Cute doggy: Kuma

Yes.... for the Red Riding Hood story we actually had a black german sheppard play the part of the big bad wolf! Although he's so cute I don't think he knows how to be fierce. He even got spooked by the lovely Asha because of her height! She's 5'11" minus the heels.

It was a veeeeery long day.... we were all tired by the end of it, but it was a successful one. Quite happy with the results. Now unfortunately I don't have any BTS to share with you good people so I decided to show before and afters of some of the shots.

All edits are done by yours truly. I don't like to spend hours on one photograph. I'm not a retoucher by profession.... plus I don't believe in creating 'plasticky' skin. It's just not natural nor real! Asha has great skin to begin with so I didn't have to do much (thankfully!). Plus Rhia did a great job with the makeup so that saved me a ton of work as well.

I'm planning on doing more creatives in the coming months....so stay tuned! I just have some meetings to look forward to and I hope they will help me get further in the commercial world.

Gotta start planning!!

Emily Jane...

2010-02-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to do a test shoot for Ford Models. Emily Jane is a lovely young lady who brought a 100% to the shoot. The shoot was quickly put together with nothing over the top 'creative' as I usually do on my shoots.
Hair and makeup was done by the talented Rhia Amio and styling done by Cisya Paramita.

Shoot was done at a studio run and owned by Rob Davidson. He was also kind enough to take behind the scene shots for me to place on my blog.

So... here are some BTS shots!

Last shot shows the studio in general and the very basic setup for the shoot itself. I'm not big on going over the top unless required to.

Here are some of the edited shots from the shoot itself:

Update - Chimento Gallery

2009-12-31T14:41:00.003-05:00

Online based Chimento Gallery located in Stowe, Vermont have started up a blog where my work is being featured as part of the first entry. You can visit it here. There's also a link at the end of the blog that directs you to my storefront for purchase. Rest of the artists will be provided with the same opportunity.

There are 13 of us sharing the gallery with mixed mediums. Very exciting!

Digital Workflow

2009-12-31T10:02:00.006-05:00

**Before I start I'm going to assume you already are familiar with both Lightroom and Photoshop. I will not go in depth explaining the two programs nor their tools. Any questions please feel free to either leave a comment or email me at nadia.cheema@gmail.com.**

I'm repeatedly asked what's my digital workflow when it comes to processing my images. Well... for me it all depends on the job. Depending on the type of client hiring you you may not need to do much processing if it's a straight forward shoot OR quite a bit in both the shoot and the processing for composition or adding an extra level of creativity. I'm not shy in admitting I do use Photoshop do give my work a little 'umph' in terms of creativity. Adding textures, additional backgrounds or color tone changes. Mind you I do try to get as much as I can during the shoot. I don't use Photoshop to 'fix' or 'correct' any bad photographs I'd ever take. I only use it as a digital tool as an additive. I don't even like to process the skin too much. I like a bit of texture left on the skin.... more realistic.

Two programs that I use the most alongside each other are Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop. My initial processing starts in Lighroom. I import, sort, tag, categorize and basic processing all in Lightroom. Basic contrast, sharpening, white balance correction...etc. I do as much as I feel I need to in Lightroom first and then if I find that I need to do further work I'll export the picture internally through Lightroom into Photoshop. The two programs do read each other so the internal export function (ctrl+E or cmd+E) will allow the photograph to open right into Photoshop. If it's a RAW file that you are going to be working on continuously then it will maintain that property in Photoshop if you export it as a Smart Object from Lightroom. This function exists in Photoshop CS3 and CS4. By exporting it as a smart object the background layer (the very first one in Photoshop) maintains a flexibility of sorts. If you find that the exposure is too low or that the contrast is too high you can just double click on that background layer and it will open the image in Adobe's Raw Converter program. It's a very smart thing that Adobe has now allowed in it's more recent versions of Photoshop. Mind you, you don't have to export it as a Smart Object. It's just a good option to keep in mind if you find you like to tweak and would like to retain that flexibility. I general just export the image from Lightroom into Photoshop directly minus the smart object function. Since I don't do any heavy processing on my images not much tweaking is required.

The most time spent in processing for me is the dodging and burning. That's the one thing I like having control on and, of course, the one thing that has always existed in photography. Both in traditional and digital darkroom. There are various methods and tutorials out on the web that you can read through and try out. What I don't recommend is using the actual dodge and burn tool in Photoshop straight onto the image. If you are going to do that that make a duplicate of the image and place that duplicate in Luminosity mode, which can be found under the Blending options tool. Try to always maintain a non-destructive approach when working on anything in Photoshop. This way if you'd like to redo or omit any changes you can easily take care of that by working with that particular layer in the file. Another way of being able to dodge and burn in Photoshop is by setting a blank layer into Softlight mode in the Blending options tool and 'painting' in with a brush using the black and white paint in the color palette. Just play around with the opacity for different levels of strength and effect.

Now in regards to different types of clients... if it's a wedding client I'll do all the work in Lightroom because the batch process is much faster and I can apply presets to all of the chosen images very quickly. If it's creative/commercial/portraiture work I'll go further into Photoshop for skin retouching and further tweaking using dodging and burning. You can do skin retouching in Lightroom by using the mask tool and reducing the Clarity, but I still prefer working in Photoshop for that. It's my comfort zone and I'm quite happy with that.

Next program that I will be playing around with come January is Phase One's Capture One program. It is something I should and want to become familiar with. I've been doing some extensive reading on it and will now take on the practical route and experiment with it. I make it a habit of reading up on programs and such first before I decide to really muck around with it. It's not mandatory, but for me I find I'm able to feel a familiarity of sorts before diving into an unknown territory. Especially since it is going to be taking up my personal time (which means very little sleep!) so if it is something that will guarantee slower processing in full on turtle mode or is known to be buggy then I won't bother with it. Once I've had an opportunity to really become acquainted with the software I will update and provide examples. Until then Lightroom and Photoshop it is...

OH and btw... Happy New Year everyone!!!

Chimento Gallery - Stowe, Vermont

2009-12-22T08:30:00.004-05:00

I am happy to announce that I've been selected to be part of a Winter Exhibition held online and hosted by Chimento Gallery located in Stowe, Vermont. The exhibit will be held for three months. You can click here to visit the gallery and view not only mine, but other artist works. There are different mediums being presented... not just photography.

They were looking for fashion photographers to take part so I submitted and was accepted. Therefore, you'll see more of my beauty work out of the 10 images that are up from my portfolio. Pictures are up for purchase on the gallery.

This is the first time I've heard of an online gallery and I have to say I find it to be a very interesting idea. Mainly allowing folks from around the world to be able to participate in something like this that will potentially be advertised internationally over the internet. A good way to utilize the net in this day in age. It's a digital world we live in so if you see good opportunities like this I say go for it!

I may not be updating my blog anytime during the holidays so I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays!! Make sure you eat well...because I know I will be.

Update: 'Help Portrait' Event

2009-12-16T17:24:00.009-05:00

I just received an email from a fellow photographer with a link to a youtube video. Video was documented by Taffi Rosen who was also assisted by Corbin Smith.
You can watch the video here or below.

You'll catch a quick glance of me near the beginning. I'm the girl with black hair, straight bangs and... of course... wearing all black. I'm holding a colour card during a test for Struan who, incidentally, is also wearing black with a small black cap.
By the way... I do love colour :) I just can't sport too many colours on my person.

Yay!

Enjoy :)

'Help Portrait'

2009-12-14T03:23:00.007-05:00

I was asked to volunteer on Saturday (December 14/09) to assist for two photographers as part of a charity event. The event was called 'Help Portrait' and it was taken place at Heron Park Community Centre, 4285 Lawrence Avenue East, Scarborough. Basically pro shooters were asked to take the time out of their busy schedule providing photographs for families who would like the opportunity to have photographs taken by professionals on a volunteer basis. I thought this was a great idea and was happy to put in my time in helping out and being part of something so humble of a gesture.

I and another assistant, Neil Van were there to assist two photographers, Struan and Yuri Dojc. It was a crazy day and we were there from 11am till about 6pm. Had to work fast and still stay organized with all the model releases and backing up of all the photographs between each session. Making sure that the memory cards were all in order, families were being looked after along with the photographers. Both Neil and I were pretty much on our toes. Struan and Yuri must have photographed about 30-35 families each. To be honest I'm not sure what the actual numbers are, but photographed a lot of families! I had two piles formed for each photographer and they were stacked pretty thick and high.

It was a great opportunity to watch pro shooters in action under an extremely fast-paced environment. Whenever I had the opportunity I would take a minute to just stand and observe. Absorbing whatever I could and taking mental notes for future reference. There were about 16 photographers there and when I had the opportunity I walked around and glanced at each studio setup within the building. It was interesting to see how each photographer liked to 'work'. Unique in their own way. So much talent in one location.

I enjoyed myself... but then again I'm a geek at heart so being able to watch and learn is something that I thrive in naturally when it's of genuine interest to me. We worked diligently, but had fun at the same time.

A new application that I ended up working with was Capture One. I've never used it before and another assistant working at a studio parallel to us was kind enough to show how to start sessions between each download of the images off the card to help keep things categorized properly. I normally work using both Lightroom and Photoshop. I have to say that I found Capture One quite easy to work with. I think I will experiment further and become familiar with it. Doesn't hurt to know multiple applications that are used digitally within the field. It's good to take some time to actually sit down and go through the program and learn it. I'm mainly self-taught in photoshop and I honestly spent hours going through tutorials online and just experimenting on my own. I eventually created my own workflow that suits my needs when it comes to retouching and editing photographs.

I wish I took some behind-the-scene shots, but honestly it was just so busy that when we did have a bit of a down time I was pretty much tired and decided to place my concentration on making sure things were kept organized.

Check out this video. It was filmed in Dallas, Texas and it provides a great example of what it was like for us on Saturday.

It was a good day overall!!

FPblog Award

2009-12-09T13:31:00.007-05:00

WooHoo!!
A photograph taken in November at the studio was awarded and posted onto the FPblog (www.fashionphotographyblog.com).
Click on link to view site.

This is the photograph that has been posted:

Photography and PP: Nadia Cheema
Model: Asha Di Paola (Ford Models)
MUA: Rhia Amio
Hair: Fabio Persico
Wardrobe: Cisya Paramita
Assistant: Lorena Lorenzo
This is part of a fairy tale shoot, which I'm still working on whenever I have the time. We did three looks; 1) Snow White 2) Rapunzel and 3) Red Riding Hood. So please stayed tuned as I slowly get through these photographs. You can visit my site to view more photographs from the Snow White set.

This is the second time I've been awarded by having a photograph submitted by me to be placed onto the Shot Of The Week area in the FPblog. Thank you Melissa!!!

FPblog is run by Melissa Rodwell, an L.A. based fashion photographer, whose work I admire and respect very much. She has been a true inspiration and I don't hesitate on sharing her blog with others. She shares her thoughts, insights, works and knowledge to the public. A great place of resources for both amateur and pro photographers alike. Especially for serious photographers who are wanting to get their foot in the industry.

Melissa helps by educating us on the business side of photography as well. How to put together a portfolio, what the industry is really like and understanding how it's mainly 90% business and 10% shooting (opinions differ in some cases). She is driven and determined which has allowed me to believe that as long as I keep at it I can achieve success as well. I encourage folks to visit her blog and her site.

That was a quick update :) Now back to work!!

Tools of the trade

2009-12-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been approached and emailed with questions and advice on what I use, how do I do it and why...

First thing I'd like to state to my present and future readers is that whatever I write I am providing that information with my own personal experience and knowledge. All of the research that I do is on my own and receive from others.

Now...onwards to the post.

One of the things I'm continuously asked is what do I carry in my camera bag? What do I shoot with?

Well, here's what I have in regards to equipment:
- Nikon D300
- Nikon D80 (backup)
- Nikon 24mm f/2.8
- Nikon 50mm f/1.8
- Nikon 85mm f/2.8
- Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
- Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
- Off-camera flash SB-600

I prefer using primes in studio or in an environment where I have control over both set and lighting. I use the zoom for events and sometimes outdoor shooting.
Next question I receive most often is why do I use a third party lens? Well for one thing it's cheaper. Secondly... it hasn't disappointed me yet! Both of my tamron's are fast lenses and comparatively sharp to other reputable lenses in the market. I did have to try a few lenses at the store prior to purchasing just to make sure that I was happy with the product. Quality control at the consumer level is key! Take advantage of an opportunity like that if you can.

Differences between the 85mm and 24mm. Why do I have these two lenses? Well...one is wider than the other. I like using the 85mm for head/beauty shots. Even from torso up I prefer using the 85mm. I can use the 85mm for full body shots as well, but if I'd like to be closer to my subject and get more in the frame a 24mm comes in handy.

Here are some examples using the 85mm:

The 85mm is a fantastic lens. It's tack sharp with great manual control for focusing.

Some examples using the 24mm:

With the 24mm I can have the chairs in the black and white photograph be part of the image as opposed it being tiny and unappealing. Even the model is able to have more of a presence in the frame along with the setup behind her. It also enabled me to be much closer to both the set and her to attain a photograph like this.

Onto the tamron's. Firstly here are some examples using the tamron for both a model shoot and events:

It's a good versatile lens that fits my needs. I know some people would like a good range in a zoom lens where they wouldn't want to have to change lenses while out and about. That's going to be pointed out in another post since I've already received a question on it by a reader. So be sure to check in about a week's time!
Back to the tamron.... I've been able to use this for when I'm not able to zoom with my feet because of restrictions and/or limitations by obstacles. Also in a low light situation this lens has been able to perform beautifully and my clients have been extremely happy with the results.

Now this particular image was taken using a Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 lens for the Distillery District in their Fermenting Cellar building for an annual event. No flash was used. I was asked to capture the lighting effect and decor of the room as is. Benefits I find photographing in manual mode is that you can play with exposure. Which is what I did here. I'd like to point out... I didn't use a tripod. I do have one (nothing to extravagant, but does the job when used). I've made a habit of practicing on just using my body as a tripod. I'm a small lady and sometimes I can be easily overwhelmed with the amount of equipment one may have to carry for a shoot. So by not having to use the tripod at times really helps in my case. This was photographed at f/5.6, shutter speed 1/5 and focal point is 10mm. I have sold this lens though. I found it slightly heavy and too clunky for me. Plus I wasn't using it that often so I couldn't justify in keeping it when I used the money I received from selling the 10-20mm towards prime lenses.

If you'd like to see more of these photographs please feel free to visit my flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/azhurian/
I don't hide the EXIF data on my photographs if you're curious as to what the settings were when the photograph was taken. Do keep in mind that all photos are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission. For inquiries or permission please email me at nadia.cheema@gmail.com.

Next post I shall discuss resources for researching. What I've used to help me progress within the realm of photography and mainly portraiture.

Please feel free to comment.... I encourage it!

First blog post ever!

2009-12-06T18:49:00.000-05:00

So...I'm sitting here wondering what to write. I normally don't share my thoughts, feelings or just me in general to the public openly. I've been encouraged to start up a blog. Mainly to help give my business a slight jump start. So...here I am...sitting and wondering what to write. I guess I'll write about what this blog is meant to be for. Photography.

Photography has been my one output for the past three years. My one emotional presence. My way of inner thoughts and and show of creativity.

What pulled me into doing portraiture photography was by viewing other artist's works. Painters, sketchers, photographers...etc. It interested and intrigued me how so much you could learn about that one person by a still image. I've been an observer for most of my life. I sit and watch people as they engage with others. I wondered if I could be able to show that in one image. I asked some folks if I could photograph them. They shied away. Who could blame them. I really didn't have much to show as to my skill and what I could truly achieve. I then decided to photograph myself.

I enjoyed taking self-portraits. I would do it every chance I'd get. It allowed me to really play around and understand the camera. All I had was one lens... a 50mm prime lens. A small room where I could only photograph by sitting down and dark blue walls as my surrounding. A window light for illumination and a black fabric to use as my background whenever needed.
I practiced and learned by making mistakes repeatedly. I'd be exhausted from working during the day, but would still make plans and shoot whenever I could. Photography had become my passion...and obsession. I couldn't stop and it was all I could think about. I loved every minute of it.

I decided to read books and blogs and google whatever information I could related to photography. Learning both the technique and the art behind it. Photography had become a part of my everyday life...and I didn't mind it at all. It had become my companion and my outlet in a way I didn't realize it could be. I was glad I had decided to explore it.

So .... here I am sitting and thinking that this all truly began 3 years ago for me and I'm glad what I've accomplished thus far and continue to. I'm glad for the support and encouragement from my family, peers and folks who come across my work by hearing from others and whole heartedly approach me to tell me who much they find my work to be inspirational. I'm glad to hear that and to receive such a compliment is truly something for me. I hope to continue in this realm and to continue to share it with others.

If you're curious about my work please feel free to visit my site www.nadiac.com.

I shall try to continue with 'blogging' .... so new to me, but I shall try. I'll share my thoughts, works, experience and knowledge here.

Cheers for now....