South Atlanta Flickr Meet | davem photography

This post is a couple weeks late. Been meaning to post but I've been busy with the other side of my business, graphic design and started training for triathlons. We met at Old Towne Morrow, just south of Hartsfield-Jackson Int'l Airport. I've driven by this place and wondered what was there.

It's right behind Southlake Mall and although new in construction, it has a very classic old southern feel. I guess it's primarily retail space, but there's also a restaurant there as well.

There was plenty of daylight and no additional light was needed. We broke up into groups and we started at this white house. The sun  was behind the house and we were able to work in the shade and not have to worry about shadows.

Here are a couple of Aaron. These were shot with a 70-200 at f/2.8.

I then got to work with Aglae. There were these columns and arch that I thought would make a nice composition. This time I used a strobe. I wanted to bring in some of the blue in the sky by under exposing a little bit and the strobe to provide light for Aglae.

I used a 60" Reflective Umbrella with a 580EXII at full power. I haven't used the umbrella in a while and it reminded me what a great modifier it is.

Since we had enough models, we were able to create some couples shots. I paired up Aaron & Aglae for  these next images.

What I like about these kind of meets is how you have to think and photograph quickly. Each photographer has about 3-4 minutes to position, adjust lights and then work with the model(s) to get the shot. I always try and do something different than the photographers that shot before me. Either position the models in another area, change the angle I'm shooting from, or think of a creative way to pose the model. As the other photographers are working with their shots, I'm moving around and looking through the lens and trying to create a different image than everyone else. It's not easy when there are 25 photographers, but you try anyway.

Next I got to work with Cristen. Once again I wanted to use the blue in the sky to compliment her dress. I used the same light setup and tweaked the position until I got a nice wide shot.

The next time around I switched back to the 70-200 at f/2.8 and went for a tight headshot.  I really like how the light wraps around and you get a nice catch light in the eyes.

We started losing light as the sun had already set, which definitely required strobes. I shot with Aglae again and added a second strobe from behind with a blue gel. Not sure if the blue gel helps or not, but I'm glad I added the light. It helped create some separation between Aglae and the background.

By the time I got to the next shot, it was already dark and I was having trouble focusing. I wanted to try a setup that I had been experimenting with for a while but hadn't tried out yet with a subject.

Once again, I shot with the 70-200 at f/2.8.  I wanted to get lights into the image that were completely blurred. As there weren't a lot of street lights, I had to adjust my angle a bit to get these in. I think it works, but I probably should've moved my light a bit more to the right.

I had a great time, got some great shots and worked with some great models. Perfect end to a nice weekend. Looking forward to the June meet-up as it's in a nice location and recreates a more formal shoot.

Thanks to all the Admins from the South Atlanta Flickr group. Great job setting these up and booking some great models to work with.

If you're looking for a portrait photographer in the Atlanta area, visit my portfolio.