Olivia Bell Photography

Winter Sunlit Portraits (Photo Series)

Olivia Bell — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:04:32 +0000

After I came home from photographing Sasha doing my Jump #55, I realised I hadn’t utilized the location properly… I hadn’t done any portraits!

So the following day I asked Rosanna (my other sister) if she wanted to come with me, as she wasn’t with us the day before.

We quickly grabbed our gear and ran out of the house to make sure we captured the light before it disappeared – it’s amazing how quickly it does disappear. Just as you think it’s light, it’s suddenly dark…

But we were fine as it turned out. The light was still really strong and I actually had a hard time working with it. I really wanted to have an overpowering backlight, but with that comes challenges… like not being able to see if the subject is in focus. And you can’t use auto-focus because the camera just goes in and out, and in and out of focus!

After a lot of finger-crossing we got home and this is what I got!

I hope you like them – enjoy!

Processing & Equiptment

For these photographs I used my beloved Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and my very faithful Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens. I love this combination!

For the processing I used Lightroom 3, and I used my very new, but very good Rainbow Lightroom Preset.

If you have any questions, leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer any query you may have.

- Olivia Bell

Snow Jump and Snowy England (Photo Series)

Olivia Bell — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:53:46 +0000

I thought it was time to do another jump photograph for my 100 Jump Photographs Project, although I wasn’t quite sure what.

So whenever I’m unsure, I find the best thing to do is to get up, go out and see what I find.

Well, I have to say I was pretty thrilled with what I found. While driving along one of my favourite country lanes, I noticed a layer of snow! It had snowed two days before, but it was very light and almost forgettable. However due to the location, which was a lot higher than my usual locations, the snow had lingered.

The ground was very hard – but this particular hill is made of old grass, so it was still quite soft in comparison to the rest of the land.

We did a few jumps, a behind the scenes video of the jumps, and then I grabbed some shots of the landscape. Busy busy!

They are all below – I hope you enjoy them. Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!

The Jumps

Jump #55 of #100

Jump Outtake

Jump – Behind the Scenes Video

The Landscape

And lastly the landscape shots – I just love this location, it always has the most beautiful light, so long as the sun is out it is so incredibly bright and beautiful.

The Beginning of February (Photo Series)

Olivia Bell — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:05:08 +0000

February has finally arrived, and so have the little white flowers I love. Snowdrops!

I love the beginning of February, the winter suddenly starts to get lighter and sunnier, and it is full of birthdays too! My mothers birthday is on the 5th, mine is on the 8th and my sister, Sasha’s is on the 21st. So we eat a lot of cake in February too!

This is definitely one of my favourite winter months. I love seeing the first sign of life, and the promise of spring – now I can’t wait for all the snowdrops to bloom, and then for the crocuses. So many exciting, new photographic opportunities.

I’ve already been out 3 times and it’s only just February! I hope you like this little series.

Watch out for more!

Snowdrops

Processing of these Photographs

These were all processed in Lightroom 3 using Vibrant Colours Lightroom Preset - which is absolutely amazing for autumn and winter processing!

London at Dawn and Dusk (Photo Series)

Olivia Bell — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:40:18 +0000

Last week I was in London for a conference which was fantastic, but it also gave me an opportunity to enjoy London ‘at dusk’. Usually if I’m in London I’m only there for a few hours, and they’re rarely when it’s dark!

Having spent the last 8hrs at a conference I was itching to get home, but I really enjoyed spending sometime behind the camera, instead of glued to a chair…!

I hope you like the series – leave a comment below if you have anything to say. I’d love to know what you think.

London at Dawn

London

Warm Winter Afternoon – (Photo Series)

Olivia Bell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:22:53 +0000

Having not picked up my camera properly for about 2 weeks I began to get very itchy.

I kept meaning to go out, but then I got busy, or the weather was bad, and then I finally got so fed up I jumped up and said to my sister, come on lets go outside!

It was JUST before the sun disappeared int he valley – so we had to run to catch the last bit of light (although you could hardly see it as the sun was so weak), but we managed to get some lovely locations where I was able to create a haze around Sasha by pointing directly into the sun.

Processing

As usual I processed all the photographs in Lightroom 3, and for these particular photographs I processed them using Vibrant Colours “Airy Warmth” version, Lightroom Preset.

The black & white processed photograph was processed using Black & White Lightroom Preset Pack with some adjustments to create the pink and blue tones.

Modelling Tips

If you want modelling tips to learn how to pose for photo after photo without having poor results, checkout my previous blog post: Question “How do I look better in photos?” or go and see my eBook on The Bell Sisters, Modelling Tips eBook

My Lightroom Journey (Rainbow Lightroom Preset)

Olivia Bell — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:57:21 +0000

When I first started using Lightroom I found it very difficult, and would close the programme many times out of pure frustration.

Do you know what I mean? Sometimes something is so annoying you just have to quit what you’re doing and walk away… hoping that something will change when you come back to it.

I didn’t really know what I was doing, but whatever it was, I knew it wasn’t right. It was seriously ugly! So I would use the default Lightroom Presets to try and get some decent results – but still no luck.

I can honestly say I’ve never hated Lightroom so much… but somehow, and don’t ask me how… I kept going. Call it stupidity, or madness… but I continued to try and use Lightroom to create beautiful post-processing.

Hours, and hours and hours of practising turned into weeks and months of using it and I began to “get it”. Do you know what I mean when I say I had a lightbulb moment? Well that’s kind of what happened. Somehow all the hours I put into Lightroom finally paid off and I began to see the result I was aiming for all those months ago.

A few years on and Lightroom is just a dream to use. If I know of a photographer who doesn’t use it, I do my best to convince them to give it a go!

I absolutely LOVE Lightroom. I love the feeling of opening it, and importing new photographs to process – I get excited every time I open it now, instead of utter dread because I know the results will be… well, to put it politely, horrible!

My Newest Outcome – Rainbow Lightroom Preset

So quite a number of years later I want to share with you, my newest Lightroom Preset.

In case you didn’t know, after huge demand for Lightroom Presets, I share and sell my processing techniques as Lightroom Presets on The Bell Sisters: http://www.thebellsisters.com/pages/lightroom-presets

Meet “Rainbow”

All of my Lightroom skill and knowledge has gone into my very, BRAND new Ligthroom Preset Pack called “Rainbow”:-

http://www.thebellsisters.com/products/rainbow-lightroom-preset

It has been absolutely incredible - processing my dull coloured photographs has been a blast! It’s such fun to see how dramatically you can process your photographs if you do it correctly.

Here are my newest before and after results. If you use Lightroom, then I highly recommend looking at Rainbow Lightroom Preset to see if it will help you and your photographic processing.

Question “How can I look better in photos?”

Olivia Bell — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:12:38 +0000

I receive emails on a daily basis about all sorts of things – many of which are questions about photogaphy and modelling.

Today I received this one which I thought I’d share with you.

It’s a great question, and also quite a common one – I hope it will help you and answer some queries you may have.

The Question

“Whenever I have photographs taken of me, they always turn out to be very ugly. I know how I think I look but what comes out is the complete opposite!! Any suggestions on how I can look better in photos?”

My Answer

This is funnily enough one of the most frustrating things I found myself.

I remember years ago having photographs taken of me, getting really excited, waiting for the photographs to be ready so I could see them, and then… feeling really disappointed.

None of the photographs looked like ‘me’ – it was usually because my posture was bad, or because my eyes were sleepy or my smile looked ridiculous!

Learn how to “manipulate” the camera

One absolutely basic thing you need to understand is that you have to manipulate the camera to make it, make you, look like YOU.

Read that line a few more times until you understand what I mean.

The funny thing about the camera is, technically it’s supposed to capture exactly what it is pointed at – however due to the 2D effect it has we have to manipulate the camera so we create a 3D effect and we look ‘normal’.

This may sound complicated but it really isn’t – once you know how to pose and position yourself in front of a camera, then you’ll see it’s actually very easy – when explained properly!

Modelling Tips

So, call it whatever you want, but essentially if you want to look better in photographs, and you’re standing in front of a camera, then you are modelling.

Don’t think of modelling as the industry – just positioning yourself in front of a camera and working yourself in a way to bring out the most ‘you’ that you can.

To learn how to model as quickly as possible, then I suggest reading Modelling Tips for Models & Photographers.

You can read the reviews for it from other Models, Photographers and Magazine Editors.

Modelling Tips for Models & Photographers is a digital PDF file which can be downloaded in just a matter of minutes once you complete the checkout process and you’ll be learning in just minutes from downloading!

Once you’ve read Modelling Tips

Once you’ve read Modelling Tips eBook you’ll find it a lot easier to stand in front of the camera – you will find you’re more comfortable in front of the camera, particularly because you know what to do with your hands, eyes, face, body to make you look like ‘you’.

If you read the eBook and put the tips into practice, and then keep practising you will find modelling SO much easier. You will be comfortable and confident, just like I am when I do go in front of the camera.

You’ll also find, that if you see photos of yourself, and they’re no good, you will know what to correct instead of just hoping that something will happen!

No more “Lucky Shot”

No more ‘lucky shot’ – if you put Modelling Tips into practice you will have photograph, after photograph that you LOVE because you know what to do in front of a camera.

More importantly, you’ll have fun instead of feeling disappointed every time you have photographs taken!

Buy Modelling Tips for Models & Photographers today and start practising now.

The Bell Sisters, New Year 25% OFF Sale

Olivia Bell — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:40:21 +0000

If you’ve been following my photography for sometime then you will most likely have seen I share my Lightroom Presets and Photoshop Actions with photographers around the world.

All of my photography processing is available for download on The Bell Sisters, a website created by my two sisters and I.

To celebrate 2012 we are offering 25% OFF on all of our products.

The Bell Sisters -- Use LOVE2012 discount code to save 25%

The offer ends on January 3rd, 5PM GMT time. It applies to all our products; Aperture Presets, Lightroom Presets, Photoshop Actions, Photoshop Elements Actions, Prints, Wallpapers, and eBooks.

Just apply LOVE2012 at the checkout point to save yourself 25%

Go to the website now: www.thebellsisters.com

Happy New Year!

- Olivia Bell

Christmas 2011 in Photos – All Wrapped Up

Olivia Bell — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:45:58 +0000

I love Boxing Day almost as much as Christmas Day.

They are both wonderful days filled with excitement. Christmas Day is just a non-stop, go-go day full of excitement, fun, giving and delicious food. Where as Boxing Day is quieter and thoughtful, which I absolutely love to utilize for some thinking time. It also gives me time to just enjoy and reflect on Christmas, and the lead up to it, which is always hectic.

Breaking away from the routine of life, which I love anyway, gives my batteries a good recharge and I often find gives me inspiration for the coming year.

Christmas 2011 in Photos: Time to Play

On Christmas Eve I realised I hadn’t taken advantage of the beautiful Christmas decorations and Christmas presents waiting to be given and unwrapped. So I quietly sat down by the Christmas tree and spent over an hour absorbed in it.

I can’t remember the last time I spent such a long time just focusing on getting a feeling across – the Christmas festiveness and excitement. Particularly working with flash, which is unusual for me.

I just adore natural light, so using flash really challenges me and can at times make me quite grumpy!

However I finished up photographing the decorations, presents etc to realise I really enjoyed using flash and I was thrilled to find the photographs came out even better than I expected.

A Christmas Portrait

So, as you’ve already seen, I went all out with the presents – I photographed, photographed and photographed… and just as I thought I’d had enough, I decided to do an indoor christmas portrait!

At the end of the day, as much as I love natural light, at 6PM inside in the winter, it is non-existent, so flash really does have an upside!

How was your Christmas?

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas – what did you do? How was it? Leave a comment, tell me what you did!

Free Desktop Wallpaper: Christmas Holly

Olivia Bell — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:16:48 +0000

It’s not quite Christmas yet (although we wish it was – hurry up!) we wanted to share the love a little…

So here comes this free Desktop Wallpaper – we wanted to share it with you before it’s too late to enjoy it.

Our way of saying “Happy Holidays” – we hope you have a wonderful holiday, whatever you’re doing, wherever you are in the world, make sure you smile!

Download the Wallpaper

If you like the look of the Holly Wallpaper, then go to my other website, www.thebellsisters.com to download it!