Header photo: Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

CerithMJ is a hobbyist photographer based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, with more than 10 years of experience. 

Following their recent photoshoot in a hotel with model SamJaz, CerithMJ generously gave their time for a quick interview to share their shoot with us.

SHARE A SHOOT with PurplePort photographer CerithMJ

How did you come up with the concept? Did anything inspire you?

There was no concept per se. I felt like I'd not been making much progress as a photographer this year and was a bit underwhelmed by my work.

I'd never shot in a hotel before, rarely shoot levels above fashion, and Sam specialises in lingerie and art nude, so a lingerie/art nude shoot in a hotel seemed like a good idea to shake things up a bit and try something new.

I'd also been feeling like I was becoming a bit too reliant on the owner of the studio I normally shoot at for help, so I wanted to see what I was capable of on my own.

Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

As Sam was travelling down to Sheffield from a shoot in Scotland with limited case space, we had to use what she had with her, meaning no outfits were planned.

I suppose a concept of sorts emerged during the editing process. I edited a shot to look like instant film just to see how it looked. I was really happy with the result, so edited the rest similarly.

They feel like shots taken by a partner over the course of a lazy afternoon in a hotel. Full of atmosphere, like someone's trying to capture feeling rather than technical perfection. If you want to consider that the concept, I'll not complain.

Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

What did you do to plan the shoot?

I put together a mood board of a few rough ideas using photos I found on PurplePort and Pinterest. 

I didn't want to spend ages planning, though, as we had no idea what the room would be like, so there was a possibility that I'd be wasting my time planning an eventuality that wouldn't be possible.

As it turned out, the internet reception in the hotel was terrible, and my mood board wouldn't load, so we ended up working off what I could remember and the odd snippet that eventually loaded.

Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

How did you arrange the shoot?

I responded to a casting Sam posted on PurplePort. She'd been hired to work at the Tramlines festival and wondered if anyone wanted to shoot with her while she was in Sheffield.

I've been a fan of her work for ages, so I jumped at the chance to work with her. I don't have a big budget for shooting, so I'm always interested in working with models I wouldn't normally be able to.

What was it like shooting at that location?

I'd planned on a natural light shoot and hoped there'd be plenty of furniture/fittings to use, but the room was actually a little on the disappointing side.

The hotel website had us thinking it would be a big spacious room with lots of natural light, but it turned out to be quite pokey, and the windows were all street-level, meaning we had to keep the curtains closed.

The size of the room also limited the spaces we could use, but you can't always have everything go your way, so we made the best of what we had.

Luckily there was a white wall with two light fittings that created some good lighting when Sam stood between them, so we used that for a few sets.

Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

Tell us about the gear you used.

I used my Canon RP and a nifty fifty (Canon 50mm EF 1.8). It was my first time using this lens in particular, as I'd dropped and broken my previous one at a shoot earlier in the year. This was a £40 replacement I found on eBay, and happily it worked as expected.

For some shots, I also used a Lensbaby Omni. I love the blurs and effects it creates. It's fully magnetised and articulated, meaning no two shots are the same. It's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it.

Due to the less-than-ideal light, I shot at ISO 800, F1.8, and 1/60. Sam wasn't moving too much between shots, so we got away with a slower shutter speed, and I usually edit with some grain anyway, so a bit of noise from a higher ISO was fine.

Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

What's your favourite image from the shoot?

I love the lighting, the blur, and the sense of movement in this shot (see image below). It looked good on the back of the camera and when loaded into Lightroom too.

But there was a real "Oh hello, this is interesting" moment when I was editing it, and the final image began to emerge.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I'm a big fan of Jon Downs, so anything I create that reminds me of his work makes me very happy.

Image by photographer CerithMJ and model SamJaz  

Thank you for sharing your creativity, experience and images with us, CerithMJ. We loved learning all about your photoshoot with model SamJaz!

We hope you all loved it too. Don't forget to check out the links below to see more of CerithMJ's work!

Here's where you can find more of CerithMJ's work

PurplePort: CerithMJ 

Instagram: cerithmj

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