Boudoir | MiKS Media Photography

When things don’t go as planned and Fuji comes to the rescue.

by Mac Sokulski | Nov 4, 2015 | Art, Boudoir, Fuji X, People

On the onset of this little write up, just want to warn that the images attached to this post are not really safe for work 🙂

Had a great opportunity to shoot with Kate again. She’s an amazing model to work with. Her understanding of poses, and light is second to none. We planned an outside setting for the shoot, but it being autumn in Alberta, the weather did not cooperate. That’s one thing that went wrong.

Second I wanted to try flash photography with film, and not having a proper light meter… you know the rest. It simply didn’t work. Eyeballing the light and manual camera settings is for pros, not people like me. So that’s another thing that failed. Not completely, but it wasn’t as good as I have envisioned.

Thirdly, my Fuji XT1, which I brought as a backup to the film cameras, decided to be stubborn and refused to work with my lights. I use radio poppers as a remote transmitter, and because some silly setting inside Fuji menu it just refused to work. There is certain criteria you have to have for Fuji XT1 to operate strobes. The camera cannot be on silent mode, it cannot have electronic shutter enabled etc. etc. WHY?? The flash should work anyway. You might get terrible results, but it should still work. Nope, not this time.

Even though it refused to work with speed lights, it got it’s magic back, being able to work in very low light situation very very well. The combination of the the excellent Fuji 56mm f1.2 lens and great high ISO performance of Fuji XT1, finished the session successfully.

There was a lot more things that failed, like putting the film in the camera backwards, not being able to focus properly etc. etc. Yes lack of experience… it was a great learning session though. Thankfully Fuji came to the rescue. Oh and one little tip… when in doubt push the film while developing. It’s not easy to recover underexposed images.

Fairies – Conceptual photography with Fuji X

by Mac Sokulski | Oct 10, 2014 | Art, Boudoir, Fuji X, People

Do fairies exist? I wanted to find out with my camera. The results are a little different from the norm. The session proved to be a lot of fun specially when working with a professional model. Kate was just plain awesome! She knew exactly what to do, how to pose … it was perfect. The fuji cameras I was shooting with did not disappoint in the least. The two lenses I was using, 56mm f1.2 and the 23mm f1.4 were great for the task and worked really well. I also had a Canon 580EX flash on hand, but that’s coming up later…. Enjoy!

Smokin’ – Conceptual Portrait Photography with Fuji XT1

by Mac Sokulski | Jul 24, 2014 | Art, Boudoir, People

When I started with my photography, years and years ago, I was never keen on photographing people. I was once told that my images, although very nice, looked like post cards. They never featured my friends or family, only the nature and landscapes surrounding us. I wasn’t deterred by it, and kept making images the way I liked. One day, that changed. I wanted to try something new, something different, and wondered if I would be able to make images of humans. After a while I found that I actually liked directing and coming up with ideas for a model to do. I always was intrigued with strange ideas, that were possible to shoot. I was never good at painting or photoshopping, so I never had any inclinations creating images that way. There are much better artists that come to mind, like Renee Robyn. I settled on trying to get my ideas in camera, using conventional methods. Women, fedoras, and cigars. I guess one might say that this isn’t an original idea, but then again there aren’t a lot of original ideas left :). I just wanted to put my little spin on this, and I think it came out quite good. It’s still not exactly what I wanted and imagined, so I will have to re-shoot this concept or continue the story 🙂 . Of course this was shot entirely with Fuji XT1 and X-Pro1 cameras with 2 lenses, a Fuji 56 f1.2 and Rokinon 85mm f1.4. I like the length of the Rokinon lens, but the Fuji is so much superior in every regard, and it has auto focus. Of course both lenses were set to the widest apertures for maximum depth of field. Fuji lens performed perfectly, fast, sharp and beautiful for portrait photography. Rokinon wasn’t bad, a bit soft wide open, but overall very good lens for the money. Here are some images from the session.

Miss J Enjoying the Sun – Edmonton Boudoir Photography

by Mac Sokulski | Aug 14, 2013 | Boudoir

I, whole heartedly, believe that any woman is beautiful and sensual, and will work wonderfully in front of a camera.

I have to warn you from the start, this post will have a lot of images. I usually try to post the best from any session, but this one had so many winners, that I had really hard time picking the ones to show you. It was one of the most rewarding boudoir sessions Kasia and me did together. The weather was cooperating beautifully as well. Our setting was outside in the shade of two apple trees. Sun filtering through the leaves, and absolutely gorgeous woman. It’s a simple formula, and works very well 🙂

The whole session was a lot of laughs, and at one point even our little cat decided to join in for the fun. The best part was after the session, when we were all sitting and reviewing the images, and Miss J was in shock. She could not believe she looked like she did on the images. I think that’s most rewarding for a photographer, to see the clients eyes light up when seeing their images.

Don’t get me wrong, boudoir photography is not as easy as it sounds 🙂 Each person is different, and certain poses work for one type of person, and will not work with another. Being the photographer, one has to see what will work, and what will show off the beauty and sensuality of any woman. The great thing is that as a photographer you don’t have to rush. It’s not an event where everything is timing. You can take your time, compose the shot and take it. The best tip I can give you as a photographer, is to engage the her in a conversation. Let her smirk, laugh, blush when you tell her how beautiful she looks. All these little moments make for wonderful images.

Enjoy!

The great outdoors – Boudoir Photography

by Mac Sokulski | Jun 26, 2013 | Boudoir

Choosing an outdoor location for your boudoir photography session can be a challenge. Not only you have to be wary of the general public, who usually like to gawk, but also be wary of mosquitoes and other biting bugs. Gawkers are a normal thing, since it’s hard not to look at a beautiful woman, but the bugs can be a bit problematic, since they leave ugly bite marks on your skin. Outdoor boudoir sessions are a lot of fun with tons of ideas that are rather difficult to shoot inside. Since the light is very important, they are best to do in the early morning or in the evening. During those times the sun light takes on a golden color and it is not as harsh as during the early afternoon hours of the day. So with a little planning, an outdoor boudoir session can be very successful. Here are some images from our latest session with Miss N. Enjoy!

Masked – Boudoir Photography

by Mac Sokulski | Jun 19, 2013 | Art, Boudoir

When it comes to boudoir photography I really love using masks. They add an air of mystery, seduction, and maybe a little … je ne sais quoi.. 🙂 This particular piece I found right before Halloween, in a costume store.
When it comes to props during a boudoir session, they can enhance the look, or completely destroy it. It’s all about how they are being used. One thing to keep in mind is to never over use them. They should never distract from the subject. In our boudoir sessions we seldom use props, unless they will enhance the session, or will create a certain mood that the you ,as a client, wants. Sometimes props can be really simple, like his favorite shirt or a tie. They can also reflect your personality, like your favorite cowboy hat, or boots. Another great idea that may involve props, is to step out of your comfort zone a little and maybe do something risque, like having your boudoir session done… outdoors. 🙂 Like this one. Enjoy!