In the words of a student of one of these wonderful fashion photography courses and fine art nude photography courses run by Bruce Smith. “Some things you just can’t learn from fashion or fine art nude photography How To Shoot Books, Youtube Videos or DVD’s”
I could have bought all the fashion and figure photography books on Amazon, and not learned what I did in a few days with Bruce, which he himself learned from decades of successful work in the industry. In September 2015 I joined Bruce in a chateau near Bordeaux, France for a four-day, one-to-one workshop in ‘sensual fashion.’
We had two models, an excellent hair and make-up artist, and a photogenic, characterful location. By the end, without doubt, the course had left an indelible mark on my stylistic development and competency as a photographer, for which I’m very grateful.
Bruce is obviously an accomplished photographer and renowned authority, but he is also an excellent instructor and personable coach—an invaluable combination. Much of what I learned from him was through his selflessly attentive coaching: unique feedback about how I performed in the situations he’d set up with the models, location and brief.
Irreplaceable and empowering, he broke down technical issues in straightforward language, and could immediately see and explain what I was doing and how it could be improved.
I grew a lot as a photographer over just a few days. By the end, he shadowed me on shots that I set up. I decided to take the course with Bruce to explore a part of photography I was interested in, but found very inaccessible looking at the sector from the outside.
Previously, I had started to professionalize my passion for photography, and eventually produced documentary photo essays that were later published.
As a journalistic style, this focused on observation and visual documentation of a social issue but wanting to develop in a different area of photography, to have beautiful images and to eventually become commercially viable, I looked to begin developing in fashion and figure photography.
However, my previous documentary photography skills were mismatched for fashion and figure. Any photographer can take a pleasing photo of a model, but it requires difficult development to much higher levels if you want to break through in the industry.
To generate and capture the life and story of a shot in fashion, lingerie or figure photography, which makes all the difference between strong but mediocre shots and first rate shots which the industry expects, demands different skills from which most photographers have or think about, which are neither innate nor obvious.
So, I wanted to learn directly from an expert.
Bruce Smith Fashion Photographer in Paris
After some time with Bruce, I understand these different skills, these powerful nuances, and now have a strong foundation to continue my professional and artistic development in this area.
I learned a lot about line, shape, form and tone—as one does in all photo workshops, but more importantly—and rarely—how to control the situation, the set, natural light and human energy, to produce stunning photographs.
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We never once used a studio light throughout the course, focusing on natural light skills to build a better understanding of available light and how to use it to its best rather than too much emphasis on equipment.
I still have much photographic ‘testing’ ahead of me, but Bruce has guided me on the right path, and immensely grateful. The course setting was beautiful, and offered aspects for both studio and location shooting.
In a restored chateau outside Bordeaux, we shot mornings and afternoons inside and out, and had learning sessions in-between shots, over good coffee. The hospitality was excellent, and made the experience not only highly instructive, but also relaxing and pleasurable.
I have a busy and stressful job elsewhere in the world, so it was heartening to not only learn from a master of photography, but also to enjoy good food and wine, sunshine, woods for running, and a pool to relax by.
The chateau is owned by a young European family, who also live there with a range of pets and animals; the place brimmed with life, and they made me feel part of the family whilst I was there—from scrambled eggs on toast in the morning in the kitchen, right down to wine by the fireplace in the evening.
If you’re serious about starting to break into upper-industry standards of fashion, lingerie and figure photography, are open-minded, and time is precious.
I can highly recommend you learn fashion and fine art nude photography with Bruce in Clerac near Bordeaux, France.
At last after 16 years working on this project its about to begin
In November 2017 I will be traveling to Zimbabwe for the first leg of my teaching children in Africa photography project so they can express their lives through their own eyes with pictures taken by themselves. And hopefully in the future setting a permanent photography school that provides photography training on a scholarship basis to children from all over Africa.
If you are interested in more detailed information please contact me directly via the message link below.
How you can help make this project a success
I am looking for sponsors to help towards the expenses for this trip and for sponsors with digital cameras and some practical equipment needed for the project. If you are in a position to help in any way get in touch via the direct message link below.
To raise the initial expenses for this trip I will be creating portraits of the attendees of a Qoya retreat being held in Zimbabwe whilst I am there in November 2017 but as you can imagine this will only cover a small part of the cost. See how you can help below.
Making a cash donation
You can donate money, any amount that you want, every little bit helps. There will be a rewards scheme as a thank you for your donations that are above £10 by way of gifts of limited edition prints or books with images taken during the project as well as vouchers to the value of your donation towards my photographic workshops, courses and master classes tuition fees.
Help by booking a fashion photography shoot or booking photography training
If you book me for a fashion shoot or private portrait session or you book me for a two day one 2 one photography master class, I will donate 50% of the tuition or shoot fee that you pay towards this first trip to Africa. Please share this with any body that you think would like to get involved.
For decades Bruce has produced amazing work as a commercial fashion photographer and shooting editorial fashion magazine stories all over the world, including some of the most popular and recognized celebrities and fashion brands in couture, bridal wear, lingerie and swim-wear.
Inspired by the phrase, a picture is worth a thousands words, Bruce went through his archive of images to produce a new fine art book “130k Words In Pictures”, a collection of 130 of his best and most iconic photographs. Listen to an in-depth interview with Bruce about the images published in his latest fine art photography book. More fashion photography books published by Bruce Smith
Private commissions for erotic fantasy photography shoots, fine art, boudoir portraiture and nude portraiture sessions can be arranged directly through Bruce or through his art agent.
The above image was taken during one of Bruce’s location swim-wear fashion photography workshops in Malibu, California. Many thanks to California Sunbounce for the amazing location lighting kit, reflectors and Sunswatt diffusers.
A fashion and nudes photography workshop students comments:
One of the shrewdest investments I’ve made in my fashion photography training was a residential fashion photography workshop with the fashion photographer Bruce Smith, author of Pro Digital Fashion Photography and Black and White Plus A Little Bit Of Colour.
Inspired by ground-breaking fashion photography greats like Cecil Beaton, Norman Parkinson, David Bailey, Horst P. Horst, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, Bruce is a master of location, light and story-telling – and is especially known for his great directing rapport with models.
I booked his fashion photography workshop as the ultimate ‘sink or swim’ experience – to stretch my skills to the limit and find out what I could really achieve under pressure, and in the company of other students who I suspected would have far more experience (and kit!) than me. (And they certainly did!)
Bruce Smith, one of the worlds top international published fashion, celebrity portrait and beauty photographers, based in Europe mainly shooting in Paris, Bordeaux, Monaco and London. Fashion and fine art photographer gallery.
Bruce is also a fine art nudes, erotic and boudoir nudes portrait photographer that shoots his fashion, fine art and fashion nudes photography on location around the world or in studios in and around Paris, Bordeaux, Monaco and London. His favorite place to both shoot and hang out is by his Paris studio in Abbess and the coffee houses of Montmartre.
Specialist genres of fashion photography are haut couture, high fashion, bridal wear designer gowns, swim wear, lingerie, portraiture, celebrity portraits, head shots and high fashion. He has photographed many celebrities, super models and fashion models on fashion photography assignments in Paris, London, Milan, New York and all over the world.
Producing fashion shoots at many exotic locations from Alaska to Thailand for advertising campaigns, fashion magazine editorials, look books and catalogues, for fashion designers, couture designers, bridal wear designers, lingerie and swim wear designers and manufacturers.
On most, if not all of Bruce images, he uses very little if any Photoshop retouching, his objective is to get it right in camera. His secret? good skin, good model, good lighting. good photography. Brought up shooting film and never uses the term “we can fix that in post” a poor excuse for bad photography.
Images that leave the viewer with feelings of seeing into and believing in the story created by the photographer and his or her creative team takes a great deal of personal and technical skills.
The best way to learn these personal and technical skills needed to create amazing images of people is to learn these skills directly during live classes, courses or workshops with a people photographer that already achieves what it is that you want to achieve in your own images.
Interested in learning more about these facts, check out the one 2 one photography training in shooting fashion and fine art nudes with published fashion and fine art photographer Bruce Smith the author of several best selling books on how to shoot fashion plus books of fine art nudes, portraits and fashion photography.
My New Book Of Fine Art Fashion Nude And Portrait Images
I booked his workshop as the ultimate ‘sink or swim’ experience – to stretch my skills to the limit and find out what I could really achieve under pressure, and in the company of other students who I suspected would have far more experience (and kit!) than me. (And they certainly did!)
Working with Bruce in a live shooting scenario at privately-owned stately home Prestwold Hall, with top designers, couture fashion pieces and a pro team of models, styling, make-up and hairwas a real eye-opener for me into the planning and mechanics of a successful commercial shoot.
Bruce is an expert in how to put together and manage a productive, creative team. His 35 years of experience in the industry have taught him how to bring all the elements together and plan ahead, but then to think on the fly and solve problems quickly and efficiently when things (inevitably) do not go quite as expected.
I learned so much on this workshop – identifying all the gaps in my knowledge. Finding my own weak spots helped me to gain hugely in confidence, as I knew what areas to work on in the future to help me improve. The most important thing was to trust in myself and have faith in my ideas.
I proved to myself that it is definitely not all about the kit, when my shots were picked up and published by designers Sparklewren, Jacq Brill, and Chantal Mallet and selected by Belinda Chorley of Beyond Burlesque to feature in an ad in Brides Magazine.
It was so exhilarating yet nerve-wracking to be stretched, working alongside other photographers with so much more experience than me. I have continued to be inspired by the meteoric career progress of fellow students including Brazilian-born glamour photographer Eveline Bueno, Brighton & Hove wedding photographer Vicky Lamburn and Kuwait-based beauty photographer and retoucher Adnan Kamal.
Bruce’s tips on idea generation, location scouting, shot-planning, set lighting, vibe creation, flow-posing and rapport-building come with me on every shoot I’ve done since.
