Kira Hagen Photography

25/10/2024

Mystic music in the magic forest! Anna Gold's ethereal music and stunning fantasy costume by Oh Marisha come to life with a blend of my studio photography, AI, and advanced editing techniques.

📸: Kira Hagen Photography
🎻: Anna_Gold
👗: Costume by Oh, Marisha
🖥️: Background created with Midjourney Official
🎨: Adobe Photoshop & Boris FX Optics

21/10/2024

The photo studio is really starting to take shape. We can finally use the full length of the room!

09/08/2024

Color, or black and white?

25/07/2024

Model call! I need 3-5 people to pose for basic headshot photos (think CV picture or LinkedIn profile pic) this or next Sunday, TFP basis (no shoot fee, free editing on the pictures I pick, additional edits available for my regular fees). Needs to be okay to post on my website with before/ after editing and different price points of photoshopping. Style with be roughly like my new profile pic here, studio lighting on a grey or black background (yes it's a little heavy on the retouch, but I had to photoshop away a hangover). Here's the shooting setup.

19/07/2024

Finally sorted out insurance and can make full use of studio space! Anyone want to join me there on Sunday? I need to do some basic business headshots for portfolio work (TFP if you let me post processing pics/ video online) but am open to anything. I've got new grey and black flat paper backdrops to try too - very professional looking, or good for later compositing (grey is the new greenscreen).

The studio's in Koln Mulheim a couple minutes walk from Keupstrasse U-Bahn or 10 minutes from Wiener Platz. I've got a strong fan and air filter to keep it cool there, too, and we have a minifridge and tea/ coffee setup.

27/06/2024

Burg Satzvey, NRW Germany, simulated infrared
I was on a Three Musketeers cosplay shoot last weekend and snapped this while my models were rehydrating - it was hot! Had too much lighting gear to bring my full spectrum camera, unfortunately, so faked the infrared look later in post. Color orginal processed in Photoshop and Exposure X7.

07/06/2024

Clearing out gear!

Selling a bunch of stuff I need to upgrade or just don't use, including my main event photography cameras (I need a more modern autofocus system that can actually track faces in larp combat situations). I'm going to list all this on Kleinanzeigen but figured I'd give friends a heads-up first. FYI, I'm taking a break from larp photography until I can upgrade.

Sony A7S with 28-70 kit lens and gimbal, well used - I think about 50,000 shutter clicks but I have mostly used it on digital shutter mode. Comes with a video shoulder rig; at least 4 batteries and charger; and both manual stabilizers and an electronic gimbal, possibly some manual lenses or adapters. 12 megapixels, very lightweight. Shoots clean (with post-processing) to 25,000 ISO; I use it for indoor and night photos - around E600 depending on accessories

Panasonic FZ300 superzoom - 25-600mm f 2.8, weatherproof camera, weighs less than a 70-300mm DSLR lens. 12 megapixels. People love this camera for camping and travel; I use it for outdoor daytime event photos. One of the two zoom rockers sometimes is slow to respond, no other errors. Personally, I find the images need to be processed in DXO or On1 to take care of noise and optical issues, and you have to be careful of blowing out highlights, but these are things I'm VERY picky about. Comes with a 32 gb film card, camera bag, lens hood, 2nd battery, charger. I can probably find the original papers and manual too. E150

Canon 6D, broken shutter (error message if you try to shoot still photos) but video works fine, repair would be E350. Comes with a manual video stabilizer, Canon 50mm 1.8 "nifty fifty" for E50 if you want it. Gorgeous canon color, good low light performance, nice introductory filmmaking camera. E100VB

Sony NEX F3 Full Spectrum/ Infrared camera, super portable. Did all my infrared pictures except last summer's on this. Comes with a manual 60mm macro lens, vintage lens adapters possible, 2 batteries and charger. E120

Sony 5EL 50mm 1.8 IS - crop frame lens, bad buy on my part since it makes 5 megapixel pictures with the A7S, almost new E125

Various speedlights, studio flashes, and a large LED light panel also available

02/05/2024

Happy Beltane! (Having some posting trouble with facebook, sorry this is late.)
Model: https://www.instagram.com/grisusweetie/
Studio photo: Canon RP with Tamron VC 24-70 f2.8, Godox lights
Background created in AI
Compositing in
Special FX:

11/04/2024

Event photos and portraits are finally all DONE.

12/03/2024

All the portrait photos from the last Katas AND Call of the Woods are up, but my post is waiting moderation (sigh). Message me if you need the link!

Big thanks to Pascal Van Tonnek for helping me test some new gear under event conditions. He's writing some short fiction based on the pics we took, go check it out (in German fyi).

15/02/2024

Got my lights and backdrops over to the new studio! Anyone want to shoot Sunday?

25/01/2024

Patara, Turkey, 2012, re-edited today.
Things are stressful and I desperately miss wandering through ruins, off-season of course, alone with the ghosts and my camera.

16/01/2024

Missing summertime.
Infrared photography, Merheimer Heide Park, Cologne Germany

02/01/2024

Some fire for the New Year! I'm finally taking my photography out of minijob/ side gig territory and have a proper German freelance business set up now. While I'm still happily doing fantasy portraits, I'm especially looking to work with other small businesses in the geek design/ cosplay/ event fields in NRW. I've got both fully portable and studio gear and hope to get some interesting shoots set up soon!

Model: Tara S in her Renaissance Festival costume
Retouched with

03/11/2023

19/10/2023

Had to go to Frankfurt and do passport stuff last week, but we took the pretty way home. The weather was, ahem, very *atmospheric*, but it worked for the castle ruins.

16/12/2022

Vindariel, the elven diplomat
Modeled by Ro Sa
Background created in AI
Edited in Adobe and

Ro modeled for me in front of a plain grey background but I wanted a setting worthy of her costuming (she designed and made it herself). She looked more like Hugo Weavings' (Elrond) daughter than Liv Taylor did! I created about two dozen "Rivendell" sets and thought this one fit her character the best.

Her smile is challenging. I sort of think she's about to say something like, "So, human, you say you can outdrink an elf. Want to bet your liver on that?"

Also, sorry about the long gap since I've last posted. Been dealing with some major long covid issues and just finally found something that treats my worst symptoms. Trying to get myself back in the game now!

24/08/2022

Character illustrations with Midjourney backgrounds is amazing! Frederik plays a wealthy travel writer at larps around Germany, and the kind of fantasy library background he wanted to see his character in just doesn't exist around here. But ten minutes in Midjourney and I had a half dozen libraries, museums, and cafes matching his garb's period and lighting. Do a bit of color/ contrast matching, overpaint all of it, and voila - a portrait such as the character himself might have commissioned!
Want something like this done? Write me. :)