model – M.A. Kleen

Studio Luna

I did this series with model Luna Mae in her Finger Lakes studio a few months ago, but didn’t get around to processing the photos until recently. I wanted to experiment with different lighting, but we weren’t able to get it dark enough in there to completely control the light.

Still, I think I got a few decent shots with the red light. This was my first studio shoot – a little too plain for my tastes. I need to have an interesting background; something that tells a story.

Check out my other work with Luna Mae:

Maria on the Lake

Author, model, and actress Maria Libri-Sigle poses at the Island Bay Yacht Club on Lake Springfield in Springfield, Illinois. Even though it was a hot afternoon, she was very patient and made the whole process seem effortless from beginning to end.

I think this was one of my most “professional” looking photo shoots to date. The hardest part was choosing just a few photos to represent the series. Check out her books on Amazon.

Chanda at Greenwood

Model Chanda Crosby poses at Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois, the only scenic location in that city. I love the color contrasts with the rich greens and reds against Chanda’s black and white dress. I’m really happy with how these turned out.

Follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/ma_kleen/

Georgia’s Summer Days

Model and artist Georgia Alderson poses in a 1960s-inspired Boho V Neck Print Romper at Glacial Park Nature Preserve in McHenry County, Illinois. We braved all the inconveniences of shooting outdoors in the summer (including a mosquito infestation) to get this wonderful series.

I wanted to capture a 1960s-style look and feel, using a custom preset in Adobe Lightroom from PhotographyPla.net. I love these presets because they allow you to choose a custom look for multiple photos and speed up the editing process quite a bit. I used three slightly different presets for this batch, and included a “regular” version so you can see what the original colors looked like.

Follow Georgia on Instagram at www.instagram.com/geoa8800/
Follow me at www.instagram.com/ma_kleen/

Leah at Ontario Beach and Marina

Model Leah Hotte at Ontario Beach and Marina, Lake Ontario, in Rochester, New York. This was a beautiful day, just before the sun started to set. I’m not happy with the sunlight on the beach (once again, having an assistant with a reflector would’ve been helpful), but once a thin layer of clouds diffused the setting sun while at the marina, the lighting was perfect. We had fun with this shoot and got a lot of great shots.

Follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/leahhottemodel/
Follow me at www.instagram.com/ma_kleen/

Collegiate Hotte

Model Leah Hotte poses in a colorful purple romper at SUNY Potsdam in Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, New York. This wasn’t our first choice for a location, but the brick building and birch trees provided an interesting backdrop.

Follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/leahhottemodel/
Follow me at www.instagram.com/ma_kleen/

Luna at Mount Hope and Warner Castle

Model Luna Mae at Mount Hope Cemetery and Warner Castle in Rochester, New York. I continued to refine my use of a basic 70-300mm lens for this photo shoot.

One technique I’m experimenting with uses exposure compensation and my camera’s highlights feature to help produce a brighter exposure. With exposure compensation, you can increase or decrease the brightness of your photos (essentially by adjusting the shutter speed). With the highlights feature, the camera shows you what parts of your photo are “clipped“, or so bright the camera can’t reproduce the image (essentially pure white).