About Zhi Lee

Award winning NZ wedding, travel and portrait photographer. Creating images for the enjoyment of others really gets me going. It is through photography that I get to connect with people and express a little bit of creativity.

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Creative

Creative Baby Photography As a Parent

January 4, 2015January 4, 2015
by Zhi Lee

Being a photographer dad has its bonuses. You get a cute little model to work with 24 hours a day, and baby gets her life documented with beautiful photographs.

If there’s one thing I’d say to new parents… take as many photos as you can because you can’t turn back time! Mikayla is now 8 weeks and growing at a phenomenal rate. Just looking back, we wish we’d taken more photos in week 1! We make it a point to mark every week with a unique photo, and we make the time for it. Every Sunday is photo day. Here are a couple of images and their lighting setups.

Intro to Parent Photography

Here are a few points to note about photographing as a parent.

1. Be a mobile ninja. With the added responsibility of feeding your model, bathing her and changing nappies, try to be smart about your post-processing workflow. With the power of wireless transfers and mobile apps, my photos are downloaded directly into my iPhone using the Canon 6D’s in built wifi connectivity. I then edit using Google Snapseed on the phone. Even blogging’s done on the phone while bub sleeps in my lap.

2. Think outside the box. After doing a few shoots, I began to realise they were all “stock standard” … You know – plain background, high key lighting, boring plush toy props. Possibilities are endless around the house when it comes to props. Below we used a netbook, headphones and a tri-pillow (great for propping them up while feeding) to tell an interesting story. Some day Mikayla will be as geeky as her dad. She will love her technology toys and love great music.

3. Be patient. While it doesn’t take much to set up a shot, it can be a bit of a wait till bub is calm and settled. Never do a shoot with a grumpy baby. They don’t look good and you risk making them very unhappy.

Home studio lighting setup — Lighting setup for baby headphones image – Visico 300w monolight at 4/5 power with 80x120cm softbox as key light (right diagonal above), blue gelled yongnuo speedlite at 1/4 power on laptop, yongnuo speedlite @ 1/32 in front to create reflections on laptop

Lighting Setup for Baby and Cupcake - Visico strobe with 80x60cm soft box from diagonal above as key light — Lighting Setup for Baby and Cupcake – Visico strobe with 80x60cm soft box from diagonal above as key light

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Travel

5 Day Black and White Photo Challenge – Days…

November 6, 2014February 22, 2015
by Zhi Lee

In a previous post, I shared tips on black and white photography as part of the 5 Day Black and White Photo Challenge. 5 Days, 5 Black and White photos, nominating a different photographer each day. In this blog post, I describe the techniques used to create each image.

Black and White Asia Travel Series

I decided to pick a theme for the black and white challenge. It happens that I’ve recently been back from a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. Here are a few selections.

Day 2

The layers of toys form an almost orderly chaos. They give lots of texture and add an incredible amount of interesting detail to the image without being distracting. The light bulbs form natural centres of attention. They have been darkened slightly so as not to create to many contending elements. Even though there are a few points of attraction, this image really works for me because there is so much to explore. The expressions on the women’s faces ironically convey a sense of timelessness as they wait for time to pass.

Day 3

Shot from 105mm, more “tele-photo” than a regular portrait, this compresses the image in a way that makes the subject really stand out. A sharper depth of field was chosen so that the canvas in the foreground wouldn’t have appeared too blurry, otherwise it would have been too distracting.

Water folk at Halong Bay, Hanoi. By Zhi Lee — Water folk at Halong Bay, Hanoi. Canon 6D @ 6/6.3, 1/160s, ISO-100

Day 4

The light from the lamp naturally creates a lit up area of interest on and around the female worker. Other parts of the image were darkened slightly, to create a centre of focus around the main subject.

Embroidery Halong Bay, Hanoi — Disabled workers respectfully earning their keep near Bat Trang Ceramic Village, Halong Bay, Hanoi. Canon 6D @ f/4, 1/100s/ ISO-2500. By Zhi Lee

Day 5

I’d say don’t be afraid of using high ISOs, especially if you’re using a full-frame, or even cropped sensor SLR. This was shot handheld. The lines created by the building adds a lot of interest to the image without the need for colour.

La Salle College of the Arts in Singapore. By Zhi Lee — The La Salle College of the Arts in Singapore. A fine campus that has won 3 international architectural awards. Canon 6D @ f/4, 1/25s, ISO-6400. By Zhi Lee

Day 1

Last but not least, the first image of the series. The metal bars lead the viewer into the subject, which is placed on a third from the right. Subjects placed on thirds have extra emphasis according to the rule of thirds.

Aperture: ƒ/4
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Focal length: 58mm
ISO: 1600
Shutter speed: 1/50s

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Portraits

5 Day Black and White Photo Challenge – Day…

November 2, 2014November 2, 2014
by Zhi Lee

I was nominated by George Lim Photography to participate in the 5 Day Black and White Challenge. For 5 days I have to post one monochrome image each day while challenging another photographer to do the same. This is Day 1 and I’m nominating Sean Dick of Evoke Studio.

Monochrome photos pose a challenge in themselves. Being devoid of colour, you’re left with only variances in light to convey your message.

Black and White Photography Tips

Here are some tips when applying a black and white treatment.

Use composition to lead the eye

This applies to both colour and monochrome photography. Leading the eye to parts of the image helps capture the attention of the viewer. In black and white photography, you’re unable to use bright colours to lead the viewer. Fall back to using interesting shapes, tones, textures and leading lines to enhance the composition. In the image below, I placed the subject a third in from the right of the image (rule of thirds), and used the metal beams running from the bottom right to the subject to lead the eye into image.

Pay attention to the quality of light

They say that light makes a photograph. This is more so with a black and white image. Dark areas form the black parts of the image, and bright areas conversely form the lighter/whiter parts of the image. Look for interesting variances in light. Soft light adds a calming quality to the image, whereas harsh/strong light creates a more edgy look.

Use contrast to make subjects pop

Contrasting areas in an image can draw the viewer’s attention. On the other hand, less contrasting areas (e.g. a uniform area of grey) are happy to just sit back and blend into the unnoticed. In the image below, the bright spot from the welding gun naturally draws the viewer’s eye towards it. The weld gun is starkly contrasted with the man holding it. The dichotomy between light and dark around the welder makes this a very strong image.

Aperture: ƒ/4
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Focal length: 105mm
ISO: 100
Shutter speed: 1/400s

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Creative

Planning your photography with a makeup artist

August 23, 2014August 23, 2014
by Zhi Lee

The Thought Behind the Makeup

When putting together a themed shoot, as we did with ours, it’s important to collaborate with the makeup artist on the concept. I had the privilege of working with Lisa Robb who not only grasped the concept, but added her own spin to it. Lisa is a qualified Makeup Artist who’s work ranges from weddings, special occasions and events to fashion shows, film/TV and special effects! Here are some tips from us, and Lisa’s rationale behind the hair and make-up which really made the shoot a success! Thanks to Lisa for contributing to this blog post.

Tips for photographers collaborating with hair / makeup artists (HMUA)

1. Open Communication – Exchange samples for what you are visualising. We exchanged a number of images we got from Google and discussed how to complement each model’s look with hair and makeup. We did this over a few weeks and Lisa even sent me sketches.

2. Agree on the theme – Use a few keywords to describe the mood, lighting and post-processing effects. For our shoot, the keywords were – “dark”, “angel”, “fantasy”, “mystery”, “fallen” and “elegant”.

3. Get to know them – We created a Facebook group for models, videographers, photographers and HMUA to get to know each other. It formed an open forum for discussions and agreeing on the schedule of the day, the storyboard, and who was bringing what props / clothes.

Rationale (by Lisa)

For this Dark Angel shoot I took inspiration from movies like Hunger Games and Underworld. I wanted to create something that was both dark and mystical but also angelic to portray both good and evil.

When developing my ideas for Alisha I wanted her eyes to be the main focal point. I achieved this by making them black and using white eyeliner to enhance their size. I went for black and white contrast to show rebellion and confusion. I chose to make her skin tone pale to show a lack of belonging in this world “Angel fallen from Heaven.”

Model: Alisha Fitzpatrick
Makeup: Lisa Robb

With Katrina I wanted to show her as a majestic creature, with fairy tale characteristics of innocence and mystery.

I wanted her intentions in this world to be questionable “is she good? or is she evil?”I used pearl and black rhinestones to add to the fantasy and bright pink blush around her temples and down her cheek bones to soften her appearance. To create a halo I used a soft fountain braid in her hair and then added random curls and waves to fit with the forest theme.

This is the face chart used for Katrina on the day of the shoot. After being shown examples of what the client is after I will draw up a face chart or two with my interpretation to show we are both on the same track. I will often mix and match aspects of each face chart as well as add or remove features to suit the model, theme and time allocations. I will also list down what colours and products I intend to use. This makes application on the day faster and straightforward.

“A makeup face chart is used by makeup artists to test out or plan a look. They are also used to record a look that has been tried on someone else, like for a photo shoot or bridal trial. Makeup face charts are useful to have because they help you keep track of all the different products and color combinations that were used, in the event that you wish to recreate the look again in the future.” Excerpt from Totalbeauty.com

Model: Katrina McCloy
Makeup: Lisa Robb

Final Results

Model: Alisha Fitzpatrick Makeup and Hair: Lisa Robb Photographer: Zhi Lee — Model: Alisha Fitzpatrick
Makeup and Hair: Lisa Robb
Photographer: Zhi Lee

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Travel

Using strobes with night landscape photography in Akaroa

August 16, 2014
by Zhi Lee

It’s a cold night in Akaroa. Violet and I decided to venture into the dark after dusk.

This would have been a pretty ordinary picture with the inside of the hut unlit.

So we placed an Orbis ring flash on a stand inside the hut to illuminate it – this draws your attention to the middle and makes the image much more interesting! I hope this shows you how you can use flash with landscape photography. Some photographers shy away from using strobes in landscapes because it’s thought to ruin the authenticity of the actual landscape, and hence taboo. But I’d encourage any photographer to break the rules, and try something different!

Levitation Photography – How to make a model float…

August 14, 2014August 17, 2014
by Zhi Lee

To make our model levitate, we placed Katrina on top of a ladder. With the camera on a tripod so that the framing stayed consistent, we took a couple of shots, with and without the model.

In Photoshop, we placed the image with the model, lighting equipment and ladder on a layer on top of the image without the model. This allowed us to carefully “erase” the ladder to reveal the background underneath.

And this is how we did it with a ladder held steady by Don, and our models sitting on top for each image. The softbox gave the model a bit more pop, so they stand out from the busy background. Model: Katrina McCloy Makeup: Lisa Robb — And this is how we did it with a ladder held steady by Don, and our models sitting on top for each image. The softbox gave the model a bit more pop, so they stand out from the busy background.
Model: Katrina McCloy
Makeup: Lisa Robb

Aperture: ƒ/4.5
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Focal length: 24mm
ISO: 200
Shutter speed: 1/100s

Creative

Vulnerable Angel – Katrina McCloy

July 25, 2014July 25, 2014
by Zhi Lee

After our main dark angel shoot, we took to a darker more shaded part of the forest and did some magic with just 1 large 80cm x 120cm softbox. To get a nice reflection on the angel wings, we bright the softbox right in close. A few branches and twigs were cloned out to declutter the image but as much was left in as needed to set the forest scene.

In this image I asked Katrina to get into character and portray a sense of vulnerability, gently holding her wings so she would be elegantly covered. Katrina was a great sport – it was probably about 10 degrees at that time of day. I wouldn’t want to be out in the open unclothed in those conditions!

Aperture: ƒ/8
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Focal length: 80mm
ISO: 100
Shutter speed: 1/125s

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Creative

Hot Angel Photo Shoot – Lighting setups explained

July 22, 2014
by Zhi Lee

A little behind the scenes and explanation of our lighting setup for those wondering how it came together!

A 80cm x 120cm strobe with blue cellophane in front of the outer baffle, prepped cautiously on a ladder on top of the pergola. This gives off a blueish light, perfect for the night lighting we wanted to create. We wanted to create a rim light coming from high above slightly from the back. This would create an angelic effect around the model as if the light were from the heavens.

Testing the top lighting — Here’s the effect of the blue rim light from above the pergola. And our very charming and talented pyrotechnics man Vijay, without whom none of this would have been possible.

Setting up the source of fire — We ripped the top off a garden citronella oil burner which you can get from your local hardware store for about $5. It was perched on top of a ceramic pot. A funnel filled with fine cornflour (the cornflour was passed through a sieve to make it very fine) was placed against the base of the fire pointing upwards.

Dark Angel Photo Shoot - Lighting Setup Take 1 — This was one of our first takes with the lighting and photo setup. Looking good, Sean.

Dark Angel Lighting Setup — Now we decided, we wanted a bit of red in the flames to add a bit of heat and interest. This would also mask the parts of the cornflour dust cloud that hadn’t burned (shutter pressed too early) or had already burned (shutter pressed too late). The WHITE cornflour would be given a RED tint. A speedlight with a red gel was placed at the base of the flame pointing upwards.

Dark angel photo shoot - Behind the scenes with model Katrina McCloy — Shooting through the flames, we managed to create the effect that the angels were actually burning. Model: Katrina McCloy

Dark angel BTS with Katrina McCloy — An outdoor shoot doesn’t come without challenges. Not only was our gear splattered with mud, so were our models feet! Model Katrina McCloy being a great sport!

The Final Images

Creative Portrait lit with Fire and Red Flash Against a Black Backdrop. By Zhi Lee — Yours Truly, Your Creative Man Zhi Lee

Aperture: ƒ/5.6
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Focal length: 32mm
ISO: 100
Shutter speed: 1/100s

Creative

Angel Fallen From the Heavens

July 14, 2014July 14, 2014
by Zhi Lee

Forsaken, banished, forlorn, the dark angel gazes into the heavens, angry but repentant.

This image was lit with a blue softbox above and behind the model, making it seem like lighting from the heavens. A red gel was added for slight accents to add to the surrealness in working with the fantasy theme.

The fire is real, created by dousing rags in alcohol and setting them alight on a wet leaf litter.

Canon 6D, 24-105mm @ f 4.5, 1/125s/ 45mm. Model: Alisha Fitzpatrick Makeup: Lisa Robb Photographer: Zhi Lee Pyrotechnics: Vijay Prema

Aperture: ƒ/4.5
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Focal length: 45mm
ISO: 100
Shutter speed: 1/125s

Creative

Fallen Dark Angel in Forest Creative Shoot – Katrina…

July 9, 2014July 10, 2014
by Zhi Lee

Katrina and I have worked together a few times, once on a body painting project and another in a life art workshop. You might recognize her from these other creative portraits!

Lisa Robb and I tossed around ideas for the makeup and this is what she came up with. Sequins were used to add elegance to that dark theme we were working with.

This is the first image we’re releasing from our Dark Angel shoot.

In order to block out as much of the forest background as possible, we lit Katrina with a 300W Visico strobe + 120cm x 80cm softbox from the left with a small reflector on the right for fill, in a shaded area of the forest during the day. As we were working in a very tight space in the forest, we used a wide focal length of 28mm, which allowed us to get in close to the branches. There were actually so many branches in the way and what you don’t see in the picture is Lisa holding back a bunch of branches in one hand, with a reflector in the other.

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