Stekki No.16

素敵 STEKKI

Photography & lifestyle magazine

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Editorial

by Alfie Goodrich

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hotography is a great joy to me partly because a great part of that joy is that photography can be easily shared and enjoyed with others.

edition that brings you photos from a recent one-toone workshop I did with a student - Jonathan Hewitt and a talented young model called Taylor.

In the 14 years I’ve been living in Japan, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful people: students, creative collaborators, subjects.

Taylor had approached me on the ModelMayhem website some time ago and when I was looking for a model to put in front of Jonathan for a studio session, Taylor seemed the perfect choice.

In the past 12months, I’ve done more one-toone teaching than group workshops. As I write this, at the beginning of the Corona Virus Pandemic, I’m thinking now is perhaps not the best time to have had the idea of getting back to doing more.

But it is a good idea and I’ll be aiming to do more from now on. As soon as we can all get back to normaility.

More about my future plans for workshops at the end of this special edition of Stekki.

Which has, itself, been a long time coming.

I started this magazine almost eight years ago and it’s time I made more of them again, more regularly.

So, without further ado, welcome to the 16th edition of Stekki magazine. A special

Turned out she was the perfect choice.

Jonathan will tell you about the workshop in his own words, later. I’d just like to say a few more words before I turn you over to the photographer and his model.

Studio photography has always represented a significant challenge for me. Flash photography even more so. After learning the basics at college 30 years ago, it was a long time before I got comfortable with flash and studios again.

Digital photography helped me do that.

Photographing people is one of the things I like the most but I’m usually more

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likely to be found doing it on location than in the studio.

But there’s no doubt it’s easier to learn and learn a little quicker about lighting in the controlled atmosphere of the studio than on location.

Jonathan and I have done a few classes together over the past few years. And I’ve seen him become more confident, relaxed and in tune with the camera in that time. He likes lighting and we’ve done thngs outside and in his home. The shoot with Taylor was the first time we’d been together in a proper studio.

My role during the session was to help with lighting setup, offer suggestions and answer questions. Jonathan did all the shooting.

I’ve post-processed all the photos you see here in the magazine. Which I believe has helped Jonathan understand the potential of the shots he himself got.

It was a great session. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Taylor and helping Jonathan get some great shots.

So, take a look and I hope you enjoy....

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01 My workshop with Taylor

by Jonathan Hewitt

The day was primarily an exercise in light. My interests had in the past been predominantly available light portrait photography however over the last few years I’ve become interested in lit imagery as well. The shoot had a number of objectives as we walked into the studio: gaining experience with lighter colored backgrounds (I’m already comfortable with dark); minimalist lighting; gaining more experience in a studio setting and of course to hopefully achieve some great shots.

I was also using a new camera I’d had little experience with and wanted to spend some time becoming comfortable with it and Alfie was an awesome guide in all these objectives.

I hadn’t worked with Taylor before and couldn’t have asked for more, with such an incredibly natural and relaxed model it really was a great day. She

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immediately understood the objectives and produced a wonderful and creative set throughout the afternoon. Working with Taylor was a pleasure and I look forward to doing so again in the future as she intuitively interpreted the style I was aiming for; extremely talented!

Alfie was the awesome guide for the day, helping me become more familiar with the new camera, proposing ideas for positioning and teaching a series of new techniques for me on the lighting which was, as mentioned, a key objective. A great teacher!

The actual set was relatively simple, using a single strobe with a semicovered, vertically set, light box. For me it was particularly interesting on the effect of positioning in proximity to the white background and using it to the advantage of the feel of the final results. All the images here were shot effectively in daylight with a simple curtain reducing some of the direct sunshine. Â

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02 About Jonathan Englishman in Japan, came for two years and ended up staying. Lived here now for a long time.

He picked up a camera when he was a teenager (Cosina CT-1A, as he recalls) and he’s enjoyed recording the world around him ever since.

Currently specializing in portrait work.

Based in Tokyo.

Find some of his work here: https://www.instagram.com/ jonathanjapan/

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03 About Taylor “Hi. I’m Tay and I am a freelance model based in Tokyo.

“I have done fashion, artistic, lingerie, and nude photography, and I am open to many creative concepts.

“I am looking to build my portfolio and meet many different photographers to work with in the future.” https://www.instagram.com/ lovetaybae/ https://www.modelmayhem.com/ lovelytaybae

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04 Workshops Learn Photography in Japan Alfie does a lot of one-to-one teaching and he’s often doing small workshops and group photowalks for the JEARA (Japan Education of Art Association).

situation calms down and life gets back to normaility again, there’ll be more group workshops and photowalks. Not just in Tokyo but across Japan.

Over the years he’s done a lot of group workshops, all over the country, through his Japanorama business and in collaboration with the likes of Hasselblad and ProFoto.

For details of his one-to-one lessons and to get in touch, visit: www.alfiegoodrich.com/photographylessons-in-tokyo-japan/

Recently, though, there have been less of these. Once the current Corona Virus

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