Header photo: Images by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

Peter Reeves is a part-time photographer based in Warwickshire, United Kingdom, with more than 29 years of experience.  

After recently sharing his photoshoot (featuring model FonicOfficial at Image Red) with the PurplePort community, Peter Reeves generously gave us his time for a quick interview to go into more detail about the shoot.

Check out the fabulous images created during the photoshoot, and find out what inspired Peter Reeves for the shoot, how he planned it, the camera gear he used, and more.

FonicOfficial in blue by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

FonicOfficial au naturelle by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

SHARE A SHOOT with PurplePort Photographer Peter Reeves

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

I came across the wonderful Francheska, aka FonicOfficial, when I first joined PurplePort back in July 2023. Her images do kind of stand out!

Francheska’s Japanese-inspired characters were a revelation to me. Her originality in both concept and presentation was a true eye-opener, and it meant Francheska was put onto my model shoot wishlist with immediate effect.

The concept for our shoot was simply “Bold Colour & Madness”. And I do mean madness in the nicest possible way.

Inspiration was a mix of sources. Big, bold, graphical compositions with dark, well-defined shadows and saturated colours are a big trend in commercial advertising photography at the moment. As my background is firmly in this line of work, these trends do have a large pull on my thought processes.

FonicOfficial's mermaid madness! by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

What did you do to plan the shoot?

My habit is to carry with me an artist’s A5 sketch pad, ring bound, with lovely heavyweight paper, and a soft B pencil. I am constantly seeing things that make me jot down a lighting effect, a pattern or shape, or a big concept for further investigation.

In this way, I slowly develop a personal library of sketches, ideas, and words that all go into the cooking pot, ready to be served on shoot day.

I asked Francheska before the shoot which colours she would be bringing and her answer was classic FonicOfficial: “All of them!”

FonicOfficial goes green by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

A couple of weeks before my FonicOfficial shoot, I did a shoot with a favourite model of mine, Georgia Brown, and I tested a couple of lighting set-ups, hoping to give myself options that I could utilize with Francheska.

On top of this, I do have the habit of using PurplePort’s image search to see how other photographers have captured my model.

This is both useful and dangerous!

Useful because you want to try to find that original angle or composition rather than just repeat what others have already achieved, and dangerous because if you find some great shots of your model, you worry if you will be able to better them.

But with photography, I am very competitive, and I believe I have the talent to succeed. Conceited? Moi?

FonicOfficial with attitude by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

How did you arrange the shoot?

I seem to remember that I was shooting at the studio Image Red in Tamworth when Brian, who owns the studio, told me that “Fran” was booked to do a studio day.

“FonicOfficial?” I asked.

I put my name down there and then for a two-hour slot.

What was it like shooting at that location?

The shoot took place at Image Red studio in Tamworth, Staffordshire. This is my home studio and where I have been made to feel welcome by its owner, Brian, from day one.

I have shot at the studio often enough to know what I can achieve in two hours. The lighting kit is Bowens 500 heads (reliable, heavy-duty, proven kit and a favourite of mine), plus various light modifiers.

FonicOfficial - purple portrait by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

Downstairs is the main studio, comprising a large white scoop with matching white ceiling and walls, facing a black-out studio with matt black walls, ceiling and floor.

Upstairs is another white studio, but without a scoop and with a high ceiling, making it ideal for using a top lighting set-up or for suspending a hoop for your more acrobatic models to swing from!

FonicOfficial - high-key blue by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

My plan was to shoot only within the black-out studio, meaning I would be able to better control any bounce and spill light, which may desaturate Francheska’s beautiful outfits, concentrating my viewers’ eyes on Francheska’s creations, her shapes and expressions.

It was actually a cold November day when we did the shoot, so I put the heater right next to Francheska for the duration. If I’m cold standing there in my polo shirt, my model must be freezing in only a set of bra and pants!

Tip number one: a warm model is a happy model!

FonicOfficial - gotta love the boots! by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

Tell us about the gear you used.

My camera is your standard studio workhorse, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which I use with a grip, as 99% of my shots are vertical, and a grip just makes it that little bit easier on your wrist.

The lens for this shoot was the world’s most boring choice, the Sigma Art 24-105mm f4. It’s easy to use, the focusing is quick, the range is fine for my style, it’s very well made, and the results are perfectly good. What more do you need?

The camera settings are practically glued into place, as they are my standard settings for almost every shoot. Everything was shot at 1/160th at f/11 at ISO-100. Why? Because I can! I also happen to like to have some depth of field in my shots.

FonicOfficial by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

For lighting, the hard light set was lit from the camera right by a single Bowens 500 Pro head, complete with a standard reflector, plus grid, plus barndoors to control the spread of light.

This was aimed at Francheska’s face, allowing a fall-off of light down her body, utilizing our old friend, the Inverse Square Law. Plus, Francheska was rim-lit by stripboxes mounted on Bowens 500 heads on either side, positioned to her rear three-quarters, pointing back towards her.

Now comes the clever part: I set my camera’s white balance to tungsten (3200K) and fitted my main light with a full CTO (Colour Temperature Orange) lighting filter. This means my model will have the correct colour where the main light hits her, but all the shadows and highlights from the rim lights will be blue. This was obviously why I picked her blue lingerie set for this first look: blue on blue?

For the remainder of the shoot, I went to a soft light set-up, employing a large softbox to the camera left, slightly above and pointed down towards my model, with the same two rim lights. I reset my WB to my custom 5300K, and we were away.

For those of you who are really observant, you will notice I had a small stripbox mounted on another Bowens head, on a floor stand in front of Francheska, looking up towards her face. This was not a bright light, and the main light always overpowered its effect, but I added it to control the contrast on her body and to add the catchlight in her lovely eyes.

Cheeky FonicOfficial by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

What's your favourite image from the shoot?

The shoot with Francheska was a wonderfully productive collaboration. I’m sure if you ask Francheska, she will be as stumped as I am in picking a favourite.

The images that I have so far shared seem to have gone down well, but the stand-out image does appear to be the close-up portrait of Francheska growling at the camera.

I guess I succeeded in finding an original angle of the much-photographed sensation that is FonicOfficial.

FonicOfficial up close by photographer Peter Reeves and model FonicOfficial taken at studio Image Red

Thank you, Peter Reeves, for sharing your creativity, experience and images with us. We loved learning all about your photoshoot with model FonicOfficial at studio Image Red!

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

Here's where you can find more of Peter Reeves' work

PurplePort: Peter Reeves

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