In this article, I'm going to talk about the shots that went behind Natalia Taylor's newest video (Viewable here)

I'll share some additional images that went into each region we wanted to shoot and explain the techniques I employed for this shoot. Let's begin with Japan:

Japan - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

Japan - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

Japan - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

For this outfit, the emphasis was on cute poses. I wanted to emphasize the subject, so I used a small amount of vignette on the shots, and when touching up colors for the garden area, I wanted to keep the exposure bright and playful by keeping the highlights relatively hot.

Next, we have the United Kingdom:

United Kingdom - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

United Kingdom - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

United Kingdom - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

For the UK, we wanted to portray sophistication. I also focused on the framing to emphasize the old bus in addition to contrasting with Natalia's outfit. Lighting direction was particularly important in the top shot, and the side lighting created a nice dramatic outline on Natalia's silhouette. I also used a slight dodge gradient filter in post to emphasize the lighting to create a more dramatic shot.

Next up is Russia:

Michael NealRussia - Natalia Taylor

Michael NealRussia - Natalia Taylor

Michael NealRussia - Natalia Taylor

For the Russia shots, we wanted everything to be traditional and fierce. Positioning was important here because our location was relatively tight and the lighting (being indoor) offered a little less to work with. Positioning helped to shield elements that didn't fit the aesthetic we wanted (such as a candy machine in a couple of shots.) Additionally, in post, I converted to grayscale to help bring out contrast and separation between the model and the setting, and I metered for the backlight when shooting to avoid blowing the white and highlights and detracting from the model.

Next up is Brazil:

Brazil - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

Brazil - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

Brazil - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

For Brazil, I think: Color and contrast. The black staircase we chose really help to set off the red accent pieces and red dress. The lighting added dramatic flair, and movement captured helped to add an additional element to the shots. We took a two-tone approach by shooting some images against a colored wall, and also contrasting with a simpler setting against the black stairs and gold accent pieces to tie everything together.

Next up is Australia:

Australia- Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

Australia- Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

Australia- Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

For Australia we wanted elegance. Shot against a simple gray wall, the shots allowed the colors to tie in nicely with the flowing blue dress and the golden blonde hair. In the landscape orientation shot, I wanted to leave room for copy in case that would be added later, and for the other two shots, I focused on movements, using a fast shutter speed and proper metering to capture poses that would draw the viewer's eye and attention to the subject.

Lastly, United States:

United States - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

United States - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

United States - Natalia TaylorMichael Neal

Reaching the end of the day, we wanted to utilize the golden hour for these shots, and I cut the sun's reflection from a building window across the street in several of the shots. Here I wanted to focus on that zone of lighting while also capturing poses and quick movements that would fit the more laid back style of the denim downtown.

This shoot was a ton of fun and a great challenge in shooting so much content in different styles. Be sure to check out the video linked in the intro to see more about the shoot, and the thoughts that went behind it.