# Body Paint Shoot - Snake Theme



## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

Comments welcome as always. 






Snake Jam 8 by CGipson Photography, on Flickr




Snake Jam 4 by CGipson Photography, on Flickr




Snake Jam 5 by CGipson Photography, on Flickr

More posted in the Members Only Nude section!


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## tirediron (Jan 6, 2013)

Not exactly my taste, but well executed Charlie!


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## Mully (Jan 6, 2013)

Cool ...very well done


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

Mully said:


> Cool ...very well done





Thanks, Mully! It was kind of last minute.. but it was a lot of fun!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

tirediron said:


> Not exactly my taste, but well executed Charlie!



hahaha... when one of the artists called and let me know about the shoot.. I was like " Snakes, and naked women? Hope it isn't going to be sleazy!" lol! Great people... had a really good time!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

Another one from the shoot...




Snake Jam 13 by CGipson Photography, on Flickr


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## Parker219 (Jan 6, 2013)

Wow, these are really cool! More and LOWER on the girls. 

Number 2 is by far my favorite. I think that could go in a magazine or be published with no problem.


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## thetrue (Jan 6, 2013)

Was this a commissioned gig? Who comes up with this stuff? Looks like you had a good time, and some pretty interesting shots came from it!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

Parker219 said:


> Wow, these are really cool! More and LOWER on the girls.
> 
> Number 2 is by far my favorite. I think that could go in a magazine or be published with no problem.



Parker, Thanks! I appreciate it.. the models were very fun to work with!   (can't go lower here.. but there are nudes posted in the members only section... sorry best I can do, unless you check my Flickr! <hint hint>!)


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

thetrue said:


> Was this a commissioned gig? Who comes up with this stuff? Looks like you had a good time, and some pretty interesting shots came from it!



No.. not commissioned! just for fun. A group of local artists set it up... It was fun! We even went out to dinner with the models afterwards (they did put SOME clothes on, but not much... LOL!)


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## amolitor (Jan 6, 2013)

Is this a single light setup, or a window? These all feel very dim, and they'd have benefited greatly from pretty much any of the standard extra lights. The lack of fill is the only thing I can really get behind, the deep shadows work pretty well with the snake-people theme.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

I took a black background wanting to do some low key stuff. The only spot I could grab to setup in was abut 6' wide, and 8' long... so it was really tight. I was using a 60" brolly with a 150Watt Mono... camera left. And a large Reflector camera right. Couldn't set up the rim lighting or hair lights I wanted.. just didn't have room.  So yea.. single light... and I kept them a bit dark to go with the theme.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

Another one that I posted in the Nude Section.. but with Digital Pasties, so should be ok! lol!



and another shot of the albino


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## thetrue (Jan 6, 2013)

Very interesting people around your parts I reckon.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

thetrue said:


> Very interesting people around your parts I reckon.



Almost every city has an Arts Community... they are indeed interesting people! lol! The models like to go out party'ing wearing the bodypaint after the shoot... and usually nothing else if they can get away with it. Fun people...


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## thetrue (Jan 6, 2013)

I'm going to find these art people around here now!!!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

hahaha... cool! There is always something going on...  checkout your local meetup.com also....


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## MK3Brent (Jan 6, 2013)

The only thing I feel like mentioning, and is something I find myself doing a lot myself, is in #1. 

#1, has a slight d.o.f problem. Since you're capturing the whole snake theme, the actual snake in the shot is lost in OOF area. (happens to me from time to time when shooting 2 or more people together and I shoot at 1.8 or something dumb for some reason.) 

Other than that, looks fine to me.
I like the subject, and body paint. 
Never photographed things like that before.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

MK3Brent said:


> The only thing I feel like mentioning, and is something I find myself doing a lot myself, is in #1.
> 
> #1, has a slight d.o.f problem. Since you're capturing the whole snake theme, the actual snake in the shot is lost in OOF area. (happens to me from time to time when shooting 2 or more people together and I shoot at 1.8 or something dumb for some reason.)
> 
> ...



Thanks.. yea, that happened on few when I was not being careful. It was kind of crazy.. too many people in a fairly small studio! lol!


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## amolitor (Jan 6, 2013)

After noodling on these some more I think you made an error in trying to take basic portraits of non-basic people. With such a limited light setup, the portraits are not going to be very successful anyways. I would have gone with harsher light, placed to deliberately create unflattering and grotesque shadows. These people are going for a wild animalistic thing, work with that. Light hard from the side to make long weird shadows, hit them with a snoot so they appear to be appearing out of the dark, or are lost in a hole, or whatever. Of course, I love the snoot, so that's just me.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 6, 2013)

The intent was to show off the Artists work... not shoot weird photos! You think these look normal? I purposely shot them with more shadow to at least provide them something a little different. They had a multi light setup that I would use more for standard portraiture... and that is what they got there. 

I have never seen you post any of your work, that would illustrate what you speak of, care to do so?


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## jbkm1994 (Jan 6, 2013)

Well said Tirediron!


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## Desi (Jan 7, 2013)

Hey Charlie, that looks like a lot of fun.  I like the first quite a bit.  Nice lighting and DOF.  I see the snake immediately after her face.  The image achieves a sense of mystery.

"snake jam 13" is pretty cool too.  She looks so much like her snake.  I just wish she were being more serpentine.


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## invisible (Jan 7, 2013)

Fabulous concept, Charlie! Very creative. Having seen the images both here and on the NSFW gallery, I'll pick the second one here as the best.


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## amolitor (Jan 7, 2013)

cgipson1 said:


> The intent was to show off the Artists work... not shoot weird photos! You think these look normal? I purposely shot them with more shadow to at least provide them something a little different. They had a multi light setup that I would use more for standard portraiture... and that is what they got there.
> 
> I have never seen you post any of your work, that would illustrate what you speak of, care to do so?



now Charlie, don't get all defensive and testy like some noob. If you just wanted to be kissed and coddled, you should have said so.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

Desi said:


> Hey Charlie, that looks like a lot of fun.  I like the first quite a bit.  Nice lighting and DOF.  I see the snake immediately after her face.  The image achieves a sense of mystery.
> 
> "snake jam 13" is pretty cool too.  She looks so much like her snake.  I just wish she were being more serpentine.



Thanks Desi! The first one is one of my favorites also... I also like the first of the nudes I posted, the Albino with her scarf / sweater! I love her expression in that one. There were some good artists there... they took about 6 to 7 hours to do each model.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

invisible said:


> Fabulous concept, Charlie! Very creative. Having seen the images both here and on the NSFW gallery, I'll pick the second one here as the best.



Federico, thank you! One of the artists organizes this type of thing occasionally, and I may have to start going more often! It was a lot of fun!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

amolitor said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > The intent was to show off the Artists work... not shoot weird photos! You think these look normal? I purposely shot them with more shadow to at least provide them something a little different. They had a multi light setup that I would use more for standard portraiture... and that is what they got there.
> ...



I am not being defensive at all, Amolitor! It is just that (as I have mentioned many times) you always have an opinion (which is fine), but you never post photos to back up that opinion and the advice you give! The photos I have seen.. I wasn't that impressed with... and would love to see some of your "real" work!


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## amolitor (Jan 7, 2013)

Well, you and are will have to simply continue to differ on whether or not an opinion _about_ photographs needs to be backed with _with_ photographs. I am on the record with my claim that taking photographs and talking about them are unrelated, while you appear to feel the opposite.

Glad to hear you're not feeling defensive about an alternate opinion. Dissent and discourse is how we learn, a whole bunch of "great work!" posts makes one feel good, but doesn't actually help much.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

amolitor said:


> Well, you and are will have to simply continue to differ on whether or not an opinion _about_ photographs needs to be backed with _with_ photographs. I am on the record with my claim that taking photographs and talking about them are unrelated, while you appear to feel the opposite.
> 
> Glad to hear you're not feeling defensive about an alternate opinion. Dissent and discourse is how we learn, a whole bunch of "great work!" posts makes one feel good, but doesn't actually help much.



Talking and not DOing? There are many critics that do the same.. they talk about movies, books, food, etc.. and yet have no idea how to make a movie, write a book, or cook a decent meal, and yet they often destroy the actual creative types that actually do produce these things. In my opinion, they are useless people in parasitic professions.. that produce nothing but ill-will and BS!

Having an Art Education (if you even do, I don't know!) does not make one an ARTIST.  

When one speaks authoratatively on an online forum... the Noobs don't know whether they should actually listen to that individual or not, so most do... because they often lack the knowledge to tell the difference between a real authority, and a "not so real" authority! This can be very misleading to the average person just starting out. This is my main problem with the "All talk, and no DO" types! 

The only "credentials" we have here.. are the photos we take and post.  That is how we "prove" that we are capable (or otherwise) photographers,  and that what we say may be true.

Those that just want to just Talk and Discuss photography? Fine... but I hope that most will take them with a grain of salt, since they have not "proven" that they can take what they talk about, and produce anything meaningful!

We will probably continue to disagree on this subject. I have known too many "Experts" that started blogging... that can talk all day, but never produce a thing (even though they know so much about it!) Knowing just theory, with no practical experience behind it... that is not really that useful.

Not trying to be disrespectful to you, or anyone in particular! Just responding to your post!


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## Parker219 (Jan 7, 2013)

amolitor said:


> Dissent and discourse is how we learn, a whole bunch of "great work!" posts makes one feel good, but doesn't actually help much.



Not if you dish out dissent and discourse just because you go against the grain with what most of the people in this thread think.

You said "I think you made an error in trying to take basic portraits of non-basic people. With such a limited light setup, the portraits are not going to be very successful anyways. I would have gone with harsher light, placed to deliberately create unflattering and grotesque shadows."

Do you know how QUICK you would have jumped on him if he had harsh light on these subjects? lol...You would have been all over pointing that out.  

Stop making things up to TRY and knock someones photos because you think they will "learn" that way. If they did a good job, you do know its okay to say that right?  

Obviously based on the responses in this thread, he did a great job!


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## 12sndsgood (Jan 7, 2013)

I think there pretty cool. I really like the makeup job on the first girl in the set. i'm wondering how long it took them get get everyone in makeup. im guessing a lot of airbrushing was used.  


These types of shoots happen all the time, most models ive talked to want to do the wild and crazy shoots like this.


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## amolitor (Jan 7, 2013)

Parker219 said:


> Do you know how QUICK you would have jumped on him if he had harsh light on these subjects? lol...You would have been all over pointing that out.
> 
> Obviously based on the responses in this thread, he did a great job!



Actually, I generally like harsh light. I'm not really sure how you're coming up with guesses as to what I'd say. Also, and I venture to guess that this is something Charlie and I would agree on, "popular" isn't the same as "good".

Anyways, I think that's enough time spent defending my ideas. This is about Charlie's pictures, and I've said my piece on those and that's what matters, so I am out.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

12sndsgood said:


> I think there pretty cool. I really like the makeup job on the first girl in the set. i'm wondering how long it took them get get everyone in makeup. im guessing a lot of airbrushing was used.
> 
> 
> These types of shoots happen all the time, most models ive talked to want to do the wild and crazy shoots like this.



Thanks! It took around six to eight hours per model. Two of the artists did airbrush only.... one did brush only, and the other two did a combination. It was a good time! The models loved it!


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## e.rose (Jan 7, 2013)

Pretty awesome!


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## mishele (Jan 7, 2013)

Great stuff, Charlie!! Looks like it was a lot of fun too.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

e.rose said:


> Pretty awesome!



Thank you, Miz Emily! It was fun!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

mishele said:


> Great stuff, Charlie!! Looks like it was a lot of fun too.



Yes.. it was a good time! Thanks! I suggested a "Hellraiser" theme for a future shoot! That was vetoed.... but some handcuffs and whips may be possible in the future! lol!


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## Robin_Usagani (Jan 7, 2013)

I have seen these meetups.  How much control do you have when it comes to lighting, background, and posing Charlie?  Every time I feel I want to do it, I changed my mind.


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## mishele (Jan 7, 2013)

That sounds like a fun shoot.... Hope you can behave yourself during it.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

Robin_Usagani said:


> I have seen these meetups.  How much control do you have when it comes to lighting, background, and posing Charlie?  Every time I feel I want to do it, I changed my mind.



The main backdrop was setup already.. although I did make some adjustments there for them. I took my own backdrop and lighting, and setup out of the way of the main. We started rotating models about every ten minutes or so... but you could do whatever there was time and space to do. I took a lot of gear (7 lights, 6 lightstands, a light boom, multiple modifiers, etc.. and would have used it all if there had been room, lol!) As it was, due to a model being late.. I had to use a small alcove that was barely big enough to shoot in. So I did what I could. But the models were game for anything.... very good bunch!

Of course, that was THIS meetup... some may be more structured!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

mishele said:


> That sounds like a fun shoot.... Hope you can behave yourself during it.



Always! Since I consider my style of behaving, to be MISbehaving!   My Girlfriend was there... she had fun too! I helped the artists at time before the shoot.. and my girlfriend said I had to operate on the  "Half Inch" rule... which was to stay at least a half an inch away from any naughty parts! It was pretty hands on... lol! I was good!


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## mishele (Jan 7, 2013)

She's a good woman!! Hold on to her..:mrgreen: Put a damn ring on her finger already...lol


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## Robin_Usagani (Jan 7, 2013)

cgipson1 said:


> mishele said:
> 
> 
> > That sounds like a fun shoot.... Hope you can behave yourself during it.
> ...



You were half inch away from the dude naughty parts Charlie?


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

mishele said:


> She's a good woman!! Hold on to her..:mrgreen: Put a damn ring on her finger already...lol



Not gonna happen! lol!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

Robin_Usagani said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > mishele said:
> ...



Ok, Ok... I did not assist with the dude, although I would have if it had been needed. This was art, after all!   My GF would probably not have cared if it had been the guy.. but since it was some of the pretty ladies, she was a little more worried! lol!


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## bingbang (Jan 7, 2013)

Quite impressive. First one is my favorite, both for the elaborate make up and the attitude. The second albino is also very nice to me.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

bingbang said:


> Quite impressive. First one is my favorite, both for the elaborate make up and the attitude. The second albino is also very nice to me.



Thank you! The artists were terrific! They did some lovely work!


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## Rick58 (Jan 7, 2013)

I don't know Charlie. First witches, now naked women snake charmers...What's next? ale:


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## cgipson1 (Jan 7, 2013)

Rick58 said:


> I don't know Charlie. First witches, now naked women snake charmers...What's next? ale:



The different and unusual are never boring! lol!


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## GrahamPhisher (Jan 8, 2013)

crascy, i dont like snakes  but i like the first, second, n last one on the first page


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## joylyn (Jan 8, 2013)

Since I am a Noob as you all call us newbies I was alittle scared to post haha  . I loved the set and I am so happy that you have posted these examples of your work since I for one called upon you to critique my work .


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## cgipson1 (Jan 8, 2013)

GrahamPhisher said:


> crascy, i dont like snakes  but i like the first, second, n last one on the first page



Glad you like them, Graham! Thank you!


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## cgipson1 (Jan 8, 2013)

joylyn said:


> Since I am a Noob as you all call us newbies I was alittle scared to post haha  . I loved the set and I am so happy that you have posted these examples of your work since I for one called upon you to critique my work .



Hey Joylyn,  Never any reason to be afraid to post really... just take take good, leave the bad (the trouble sometimes is knowing the difference)! I am glad you liked them.. I had fun taking them!


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## 12sndsgood (Jan 8, 2013)

half inch rule.hmmmm  my wife just keeps telling me over and over how lucky i am lol.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 12, 2013)

Just got these in from another photographer that was there! (yes.. I have copyright!   ) (Digital Pasties in place to protect the easily offended!)

I was having fun!  lol! Can you tell?




Of course, I got busted "admiring" the "artwork" also.. wouldn't you know! lol!


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## Desi (Jan 12, 2013)

clear violation of the 1/2 inch rule


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## cgipson1 (Jan 12, 2013)

Desi said:


> clear violation of the 1/2 inch rule



But they were touching ME.. I was NOT touching them! See... just have to know HOW to play the game! lol!


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## TenaciousTins (Jan 12, 2013)

That's some pretty crazy artwork...the artist is very talented!

And you have a good GF...now why won't you put a ring on her finger?


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## TenaciousTins (Jan 12, 2013)

And FWIW, I grasped the intent of the photoshoot (to display the artwork) because of how the photos were set up and presented...so boo to those who are critiquing that...I think they were well presented for the intent.


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## cgipson1 (Jan 12, 2013)

TenaciousTins said:


> That's some pretty crazy artwork...the artist is very talented!
> 
> And you have a good GF...now why won't you put a ring on her finger?



I have been married twice.. and probably won't ever do it again. Both times when it ended,  I had to start over financially from scratch, and I won't do that again. Too old for that to happen! And I don't consider marriage necessary, and she knew that from the first date on.....


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## cgipson1 (Jan 12, 2013)

TenaciousTins said:


> And FWIW, I grasped the intent of the photoshoot (to display the artwork) because of how the photos were set up and presented...so boo to those who are critiquing that...I think they were well presented for the intent.



Glad to hear it...  !


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