Your photography questions answered.
 

For the next 48 hours I will answer your photography questions. Going to Prague Wednesday morning and that is the cut off point.

Do not know everything about photography, only been doing porn for 25 years.

Some of my answers may be expensive, but it's your decision to take the advice.

So ask away.

Where are you now?

is it true that crap designs for freesites work better then high quality ones?

is it true that if i take pictures of nude girls with a disposable camera and scan them that it makes me a professional photographer and a pornographer?

I guess ill be the first to ask a serious question
What is the best lighting setup for taking video. Price doesnt matter.

How profitable would a side job of small stock (non-adult) photography be? We have several cameras which include a Bronica Medium format ETRsi, a Nikon F5, and a Sony DSCF-707. All are great cameras, and I've been extrememly pleased with my results.

Now I have ton of pics lying around with no real theme. :( I'd like to maybe set up a small site selling niche created stock photos. I don't have 1000's of pics per category. (mostly abstract, and some nature stuff) So what I'd like to do is set up to take outdoor shots. Some closeup nature, some landscapes, as well as some abstract shit like close ups of keyboards, monitors, computer parts... for corporate type newsletters... or whatever. But is it worth it? I mean I enjoy taking the photos, but is a small stock photo business like that worth the time to categorize and set up a site and maintain it? I've never done mainstream so I'm not even sure if the marketing is the same.

At my computer, in my office, Brno, Czech Republic.

What equipment is using Denys De Francesco?

I thought you lived in Prague? Do you only do photo shoots in Prague?

There was already another topic about this.
Got a canon d60 and 420ex
Even the internal flash is giving a better result than the 420.
Any specific settings i should use and not know about?
The problem is that when using the 420, all the light gets focussed on 1 spot and the rest of the pic is dark while the internal flash lights the whole area. I tried aiming the 420 at the ceiling but then everything gets too dark. Its not a big problem since the d60 flash is very decent but still i'd like to know im doing wrong.
Thanks.

Photography question???? But I would think it depends what you are selling, an amateurs girls site would work that way. Gives it authenticity.

Only on the Internet.

It depends on so many things, like the size of the room, colours within the room. Models, action. A set up with 3-4 1000 watt lights with ?Barn doors? will do most things. You need 2 front, (1 high and 1 low) then a side light and a back light to give ?depth? and hi-lites. Reflectors help, like umbrellas and ?scrims? too soften the light and reduce shadows.

Then a good monitor to check the colours and heat resistant colour gels to adjust the colour. White balancing helps but is not infallible. You just need to keep going back to the monitor until it?s right. Be very careful as you move around. You do not want to be shooting the legs of the light tripods or getting glare or reflected light into your lens.

You said price does not matter, this is a solution to shoot most non amateur porn videos.

What is the best way for me to take a picture of my ass?

thank you. :) ill prolly have a few more questions regarding this in the future (that is if your willing to share more of your wisdom regarding this)

Redshoe
Forget about it, you are up against guys that have studied photography at university, years of experience and have all the contacts. Look at the market you want to go into and ask yourself can I do that on an everyday basis?

Do not know, but it?s not the equipment that makes him good. It?s the years he?s been doing it.

No live in Brno and shoot all over CZ

I think you will find there are two settings on the D60 for flash metering. One is center spot the other the whole pic. Look at the instructions manual.

Ask your boyfriend just before he lubes you up. Lube gives off a bad reflection.

MetaformX
Video is not my thing but I?m happy to help.

Yeah let's hear more about Denys DeFrancesco. Does he do any of his own shooting or is it all done by assistants? Is he Europe's best porn photographer? Why doesn't he sell content any more?

Damn he had some great shit. Still does. I'd rate him the best actually working in pornography.

Bluenudes is still the best nude glamour site.

How does Matrix take such high quality/high res pictures? Is the secret in the lighting or the type of camera they use, or the software they use to touch up their pics?

Charly, is it true that Silvia Saint is retired? and is it true that she got married and had a baby?

no doubt about that

what would be a more cost effective method to lighting for videos?

HI Charly have you seen new HAsselblad H1 - great stuff....I am thinking about new D1s when it comes on market.Are you thinking about digital?Btw Silvia Saint is married and her husband is not happy to see her continue in her carrer

good luck to the douchebag who married Sylvia Saint.

once a whore always a whore.

I think she has retired from hardstuff and videos, I have seen her recent pics somewhere

Chuck,

I read an article you wrote about your move to the Czech Republic. You said that one of the myths in the biz is that Euro girls work for much less money than girls in North America.

So do the Czech girls make the same amount of money for a shoot as an American girl?

http://www.thumbsz.com/shit/charly.gif

Do you consider this as 'funny'?

It?s all down to tastes. For me a great photographer but not such a good pornographer. His solo girl is very good and so is some of his girl/girl. But after a while it starts to look a little posed and he uses a lot of make up on the teen niche. I think he shots most of it himself.

He is doing very well with his membership site and has stopped selling content and slowed right down on shooting for mags. Well that?s the rumors.

All three. But for the price they should be the best.

She does a bit of work, solo and soft girl/girl. No it is not true she got married and has not had a baby.

It depends entirely on what you want to create. A ?Playboy? movie or ?Ben Dover?

Hello Charly,
I am building a studio just outside of London set in 5 acres of countryside, completely private, unapproachable from three out of four sides. On site there is a pool and a suana.

On site there will be access to full photographic lighting, including specialist video lighting - we could also lend some equipment out, F5s, Hasselblad, a couple of Cannon XL1 video cameras, sun-gun, radio mic etc...

How much is this worth to a porn photographer? Is there more money to be made renting this shit out to conventional clients? [presumably the competition is higher] Is there really a porn production market in the UK to tap into?

I know you are from CZ, but you asked for phtography questions, and presumably you've dealt with enough studios in the past.

TIA

no questions but safe trip :-)

Have not used the Bronica for an age, so the Hasleblad is of no interest. Last time we saw Sylvia she did not mention a husband, but did say her boyfriend was unhappy about her modeling. But then people will say anything over the kitchen table when they are drinking my coffee!!!

Pierre Woodman was here last month paying the girls $500-$700 a scene. Gabi Pontello has paid $800 a scene, Laura Angel charged Steve Colby $1700 for a hardcore set. We had John Mason here shooting his amateur sets and the girls were doing 2 scenes for $300. So it all depends. The Germans, Italians, Americans and us Brits have been here a long time.

Do not say you do not know who these people are, know your industry!!

Yes

You should be able to hire it out, but I would go for more than the porn market. I used to live in the UK and am British. How you market it is not an easy one though. Try the Adult satellite companies, agents and magazines.

What camera you use?

Cannon EOS's with pro lens and a nikon D1X. Got two Polaroid cameras and a Bronica.

The most important thing about photography is the lighting and use a pro lens. The most important thing about pornogaphy is picking the right girl.

who's the best nude photographer according to your stantards?

Do you want to share your customer-base :Graucho :glugglug ??

I am selling my slides to Finnish and Swedish magazines, now I am looking for an agent that could take care of other countries on a %-basis. Do you know any good agents :Graucho

I am mostly shooting flashing and nude outdoors and in public. But I also have tons of sets with solo, lesbo, fucking, group etc...

Depends on the niche.

Artsic stuff I like a friend of mine John Mason & the German guy who does B/W

For magazines I like Joannie Alumn's work.

Email me. Got to go for a casting but will be back. :)

I have one, but its probably too broad. Looking at my stuff, what should I work on improving? I use a very low-tech setup, but I am curious what problems actually come through to the final product, from your point of view. If you're interested, hit me up for a password.

What are the best ways to find girls for a photoshoot for a newbie photographer? Advertising, word-of-mouth, cruising strip clubs, etc?

Got to go to dinner now, so will ICQ you later, or ICQ me now and I will look when I get back.

Try advertising in a local free paper or one that is full of classified ads. Forget word-of-mouth, like a girl is about to announce to all her friends "I just earnt $500 posing nude for this guy" and strippers usually are the worst models for a newbie to start with.

How can a newbie like me be down like the CharlyMiester?

You are my hero and just the sound of your name brings me to cheers of joy. :Graucho

What the best way to make positive slides ready for the web?

Scan them?

I am just shooting in the dark here.....

I forgot to mention Helmut Newton, he's the artistic nude photographer that all others are judged by.

What is it I smell in the air?







Dog?










Cat?








No it's BULLS**T

But it was nice of you to say that.

So "Grasshopper" what wisdom can I pass on from the mystical East?

Aaron is right, the Nikon Coolscan 4000 is about one of the best, if you have a lot to do try a hopper feeder as well.

The benefit is you can fine tune the scanning to improve the picture, also scan in much larger than you need then reduce it in size. Don't know why but this gives a better picture.

Some processing labs are now offering scanning as part of the service, but you will fiind it pricey. Plus you still have to sit and correct them individually.

I believe you may be on to somwthing here.

Can you tell me the proper way to illuminate a negro at night when shooting with a basic digital camera?

I always seem to have a problem with getting the black person to show up. As you can see...I even had the fat guy wear a white shirt in hopes that it would act like a reflector.

Where did I go wrong? loaded question.

http://www.ampcontent.com/pics/CherryBucks.jpg

What would you buy for a complete beginner?

What Camera, lights, ect?

I just read an article about Newton a couple of weeks ago. Damn i should have bookmarked it. There was a great quote in it.
I'll look for it and post it here if i find it.

This is a very tricky one and made even more dificult when using a wide angle lens to get all the beer bellies into the picture.

However there are some simple solutions.

1; Paint him white or use white lipstick around his lips and eyes. this will help to hi-lite him.

2; Failing that you need to get the fat guy to get on his hands and knees (Doggy Style I'm sure he knows the postion) in front of the black dude so the light bounces up.

3; Stop buying those disposable cameras.

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh