Karl Baxter's Blog

Vintage / Retro Editorial Fashion Nudes With Jane Legg @ Adage Models

2010-07-28T12:25:24Z

I've been neglecting my web site a little of late. quite accidentally really, I've just had shit going on. There's a lot of new work needs adding from tests, campaign shoots etc etc. Over the last few months I've been honing a single light style over a number of agency test shoots to produce a super clean, super crisp and super hard new lighting style. Then this happened :) which uses the lighting, but then adopts a fairly labourious post production technique to soften, colour and grain the images. The shots were taken under hard, bright strobe lighting and shot with an 85mm F1.2L, then heavily softened in post, ironically.

Jane Legg @ Adage Models - MUA Becky Hunting

Gieves and Hawkes Classic Formals Modelled by Matt Ridley

2010-06-14T08:02:19Z

This is an excerpt from a test editorial shot this weekend. I styled this shoot and married Matt's look and the pieces to give a spiv / geezer feel. The post production has obviously been undertaken to marry with the overall feel. Hair and make up were provided by Becky Hunting. A big thank you to Abi and George @ Labb Magazine for lending me the formals at such short notice. Shot at my Cornmill Studios, Stourbridge.

About A Girl - Editorial Feature - Damian Marquez AW10

2010-05-30T07:54:35Z

This was shot yesterday at our Cornmill Studios. Modelled by Laura Whitehurst, Styled by George Eko and hair and make up by my ever present right hand girl Rachael Davies. Pieces were provided by Damian Marquez, customised basics by George Eko and footwear by Nike and stylist's own.

I wanted to see if I could combine the ultra life ethic with a solid piece based fashion editorial - bringing portraiture and fashion together to show the subject and the pieces strongly. The lighting was intended to be brash, ballsy but without "shooting ugly". A lot of the ultra out there, to me at least, sacrifices beauty for the sake of style - hopefully this empowered view of the model and the treatment of her look come across as much as a priority as the clothing was.

Shoot currently available for placement, below is a quick sample spread. Contact me for details.

Sneek a Peek - latest editorial

2010-05-18T08:33:21Z

This is an out take from an editorial spread shot this weekend at Cornmill Studios. The spread itself probably won't see the light of day for quite some time yet, but this piece while lovely in its own right won't spoil the story. Team was Jemma Saare on modelling, Rachael Davies on hair and make up, and me on the clicks and pops.

High Key Beauty Photography

2010-05-14T22:25:54Z

This is Sophia @ Adage - new face for 2010 - make up by Rachael Davies for this year's Young Make Up Artist of the year competition. Shot at Cornmill Studios Tuesday of this week.

Set up was 1 beauty dish, 2 x gridded 7", clam shell reflector and 2 x large rectangular soft boxes for back and edge lighting.

sophia @ adage

Fashion Shoot for Supplementaire issue 2

2010-05-13T10:16:10Z

It seems like an age since this was shot, but Issue 2 of Supplementaire is finally here. I previewed the shoot but wasn't able to show finished pieces prior to publication. I've posted the spread in full to my fashion and editorial gallery. Below is a taster. Many thanks to Supplementaire for publishing the spread, to Sacha for the wardrobe, Becky Frances for the excellent hair and make up and of course Jemma Saare for hanging everything together so beautifully.

Sophia Blakey - Fashion Test Shoot

2010-05-12T21:03:44Z

This is a few sample images from a test shoot with Adage Models' new face Sophia Blakey. We bumped heads for a beauty shoot for the young make up artist of the year competition and shot some commercial and fashion while we were at it. Below: sample fashion images from the shoot. Sophia can be booked through Adage Models. Make up, Rachael Davies. Wardrobe, models own. Shot at Cornmill Studios, Stourbridge.

sophia, landscape fashion head shotsophia @ adage

sophia@adage models . net

Editorial Fashion Shoot with Abi Painting

2010-05-01T20:16:53Z

The control freak that I am means that i don't often test with a new team all at once... I like to change component by component.. new lights means old team, new model.. regular hair and make up artists.. new stylist or magazine? as much else as constant as possible. I'm not one for stepping into the void.. so here we are, new studio, new model, new make up artist and the stylist? well that's me, i suppose, except i didn't bring the wardrobe, or have a scooby what it would be, until it and the model arrived.

Introducing Abi Painting, Shan and my first shoot with female talent in the new studio...The rest of the editorial will be posted here shortly

abi painting - at cornmill studios

abi in portrait

Beauty Shoot with Rachael Davies, MUA and Model Claire Randle

2010-04-29T08:36:58Z

This shoot was undertaken as part of Rachael's entry for the young make up artists of the year competition. Rachael and I work together regularly on one things and another, so I was only too happy to shoot this for her. It's been a few months since I've shot any beauty work and this was the first time in the new studio in Stourbridge. The brief was a "spring look". I shot it high key to work with Claire's hair and skin tone, using a beauty dish, 2 x 7" gridded reflectors as hair lights and a bounced octabox for edge lighting and graduated background fill, plus clam shell silver reflector to soften the butterfly and neck shadows.

It's the most complicated set up I've used in a litle while and fair play to Claire for staying so still and being such a willing subject.

claire randle "spring" for rachael davies, mua.

Current Fashion Editorial Accepted for Publication.

2010-04-27T21:45:25Z

Last Tuesday I shot an editorial with Ricky Gallagher of Adage / Urban Management Milano as a kind of christening party for the new studio. The shoot "rocking the retros" featured classics from calvin klein, ralph lauren and hugo boss and was shot to miror the inky colours of the day.The shoot was styled by George at GTE and make up provided by the fabulous Ami Streets.

I'm really excited that this shoot has legs and has been picked up by Labb magazine for the next issue. There's a further editorial that came from the shoot "I am not the American dream" that has a taster shot in my fashion and editorial gallery, that will hopefully be placed in the next week or two. This weekend I'm shooting a spead with Symmy from Oxygen for submission to Mirage. Sneek peeks will follow shortly.

I'm also looking for the right team for a 125 magazine shoot before then end of may - theme "art" as per 125's submission guidelines, so if you're interested in shooting something 3rd week of may, then please get in touch.

urban milano