Swimwear Photography with Shelby Lee I like to do as many swimwear photography shoots as possible during the spring/summer seasons. As with many of my beach/swimwear shoots, I love to use Point Pelee National Park. It has many beaches on both east and west sides so morning or evening, the light is useable. We just pick the beach based on sunrise or sunset. My model on this day was Shelby Lee, a gorgeous blonde model who needed images for Maxim's Finest contest. Shelby was super easy to work with, had previous modeling experience and was very receptive to suggestions with posing and expressions. I will definitely be working with Shelby again! Lighting the Shoot…
Natural Light Studio Portraits at ApS I recently shot some natural light studio portraits with Natalie. Natalie is a natural beauty, an equestrian who loves the camera. The camera loves her equally. Up until this shoot, I worked with Natalie on location only. In the Studio Natalie and I met at my studio in downtown Windsor, where we proceeded to shoot a number of high quality portfolio images, from headshots to full body portraits using only the light streaming through my studio windows. For some images I used reflectors to bounce the window light back on Natalie to fill shadows. Technical I used my trusty Canon 5D Mark II to capture these images of…
Model Portfolios I sometimes work on model portfolios with both aspiring and experienced models. It gives me a great feeling to know I am in some way helping someone else achieve their dreams. Swimwear With Natalie Natalie expressed interest in working with me after our first shoot together at Brunet Park. As I have been looking for a model with Natalie's features and natural beauty, she would be perfect for a beach shoot. It just so happens that Natalie asked if we could do a beach shoot, so we set up a date and planned to meet at the Marsh Boardwalk at Point Pelee National Park. The Photography Plan My first shoot with Natalie…
Cedar Beach with Natalie Cedar Beach is a favorite of mine for Swimwear photography. Natalie and I have worked together for a number of years now. She is fun, willing to try new things and is super easy on the eyes. Put the two together and we have all the elements needed to create some beautiful images. The Location We discussed the idea of a swimwear shoot and decided on Cedar Beach, located in Kingsville, Ontario. This beach is fairly sandy and has some rocky landscaping that flanks the marina. It is a pretty location for this style of photography. Technical Details I used my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L lens for…
Original Cult - Fashion with Ashley Ashley and I worked on some alternative fashion photography for our portfolios. She had this cool Original Cult convertible dress. We just had to use it for this shoot! Locations We decided to drive around and scout some locations that would suit the look I was going for. For location #1 we started in the far east of Windsor and used the exterior of a public works building. After shooting a set of options there, we relocated to some unused railroad tracks beneath an underpass and captured another set of images. Our third and final location was the pedestrian overpass on Huron Church road. Insight An insight into…
Natural Beauty I met natural beauty Natalie, a young model from Essex County, for the first time when I arrived to this photo shoot. She has this amazing hair and a girl next door, freckled face that just screams photogenic. Natural light I preferred natural light for this shoot because of Natalie's natural beauty and curls. We began around 6:30pm. We walked around the park stopping wherever the light was good. I don't stick in one place too long as I like a variety to choose from. Brunet park We previously agreed that the shoot would be in the tallgrass at a local park. After some scouting, Brunet Park seemed to be the best…
Natural Light Portraits - A Walk with Megan I recently photographed local model Megan Pickersgill at Brunet Park in Lasalle, ON. When shooting natural light portraits, I prefer to forgo artificial light. I look for slightly overcast or cloudy skies, or natural areas of open shade on days when the sun is not diffused by clouds or a tree canopy. For this shoot, I used no light modifiers or flash. I worked angles and exposure to get the best light on Megan's pretty face. The accompanying images were captured with my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L lens. The 70-200mm has amazing depth of field and amazing bokeh. I find that the…
Dreamy Portraits with Katie Jade Durham Katie and I have been working together now and then, ever since our first meeting. We have created a portfolio of works and worked on improving her portfolio since her very first foray into modeling. Katie's first was when we collaborated on some fashion/apparel portraits for a mutual friend's alternative apparel line. This time around the goal was to create softer, more sensual and dreamy portraits in my studio to be used in our respective portfolios. The best way to approach something this style of portrait is twofold. One is to use natural light and second is to shoot with as wide open an aperture as possible. I also wanted to…
Swimwear Photography in Windsor, Ontario at Akey Photography Studio! My studio has been relocated from West Windsor to downtown Windsor. DJ Sarah Sabatini contacted me to do a promotional shoot for her business profile. Since the weather is still cold for beach shooting, we decided to shoot in-studio. We got Sarah in the studio and created a series of images with 3-4 different swimsuits to give her a good selection of choices. Here is one of my favorites, a recent studio swimwear image from the session. Swimwear photography - DJ Sarah Sabatini by Ray Akey
Fashion Portraits with Playboy Plus model and Naked News personality Krysta Lynn I recently picked up the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG ART lens for my Canon DSLR and I have to say it is quickly becoming my go-to portrait lens! This lens is exactly as the reviews said. It is bulky and heavy but it is also everything else the reviews say. It is a fast piece of glass that just feels good and solid in my hands. I have done a few personal/portfolio shoots and worked the Sigma for maybe half of the session. If I'm shooting portraits on location, I find myself so comfortable with this lens and its results that I instantly…
A fresh natural light portrait of Krysta Lynn in a beautiful dress by Guess, captured in my new studio in Downtown Windsor, Ontario. Also new is a lens added to my collection; the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG from the Sigma ART line of lenses. This lens is as heavy as everyone said but it feels great in my hands. The focus ring is large enough for a monkey to maneuver so no problems there. The depth of field is wickedly shallow and the bokeh is absolutely beautiful, melting away even the ugliest background. I am nothing short of loving this lens! Here is a sensual portrait of the beautiful Krysta Lynn. More to come soon! A natural…
This was our first location portraits shoot with Playboy model Krysta Lynn. Krysta is a beautiful, friendly and outgoing model with a will to succeed. She has realized some of her Playboy aspirations and we believe she will succeed in all of her endeavors! I left the choice up to Krysta for shoot #1 to decide where to shoot. Krysta's choice was a location shoot, a green park if possible. I frequently use this park in Lasalle, ON so Krysta and I met there. As I mentioned previously, location portraits with natural light is one of my favorite ways to photograph people. Nothing is more fun than a day with a beautiful subject and not having to worry too much…
Swimwear and casual photography make up the largest chunk of my portfolio. Chelsey and I have been Facebook friends for some time and have discussed shooting here and there but It wasn't until this last week that we finally got a chance to work together. I met Chelsey and her boyfriend at Point Pelee National Park to capture some casual and bikini images of Chelsey. I have used this park many times but always seem to find something different, a unique perspective or composition that appeals to the eye more than the usual.. My plan was to go natural light around the boardwalk and then use my Alien Bees AB-1600 with 22" beauty dish for some beach…
A few days ago, we met Nelly to shoot portraits on location at one of my favorite locations, Point Pelee National Park. While my main goal was to shoot bikini images for submission to swimwear magazines, I wanted to also shoot a set on the boardwalk. The boardwalk is rich in wood and natural background textures so the images always come out stunning. A little bit of Photoshop magic to polish off the set is all that is required for my natural light style. Below are a few images from the boardwalk set. If you like this set, send me a message or comment on and/or share images you like (please credit me when sharing) and I may be convinced…
Location Portraits with a Gorgeous blonde model. We got together after tossing around the idea of shooting some location portraits in a field with a red chair. It just so happens that I have a running series featuring a red velvet chair and suggested we do a small set for that series. So, we met at a local park and captured a whole collection of images including a few favorites that I have included in the gallery below. I will be posting more from this shoot not associated with the chair. :)
A portrait of Katie Lalonde in the tall grass. I had a lot of fun working with Katie on location! So here's another one from her recent natural light shoot. This one in the tall grass at the same park. I will be using this location a lot with clients and models! Feast your eyes on pretty Katie. She is a very friendly and outgoing girl and is also a joy to photograph! Portrait of Katie Lalonde in tall grass by Ray Akey If you would like to book a natural light shoot, call me at 519-562-8603 to arrange a date.
