I like to look at lighting in two ways. As sculpture or as painting. As sculpture when you start with an overall wash of light and like painting when you commence in complete darkness. It is for this reason that I would like to suggest lighting systems and accessories that may assist you in attaining your final goals in lighting your subject or scenario. These examples relate more so to interior lighting situations, but can also apply to close quarter outdoor scenarios. If shooting out doors, you will need a much more powerful lighting set up to compete with the light already surrounding you.
There are several lighting systems out there and most of them provide a vast panoply of lighting accessories and add ons. If they don’t have what you want, you can often use other manufacturers accessories and adapt them to your systems mounting hardware. However, I would suggest that you find a brand that have the modifiers available to achieve your present and future lighting goals. I have designed my own system for one of my lighting techniques and this system does not exist in the market place.
You may wish to consider either getting the power pack system and flash heads with modelling lights that plug in to the power unit or several independent mono block flash heads with modelling lights. I would recommend getting at least two heads or mono blocks. Three would be better. As to which brand, again that depends on your budget. You can have a complete system for around 2000 dollars or euros. It also depends on the size of space you will be working in which will determine the output required for the job. My own personal kit which I use when not doing a job (for testing or personal projects) are the following. Two MultiblitzProfilux 600 ws monoblocsand two Multiblitz Compact Lite 200 ws monobloc units. I have 6 Honey Comb Grids, 2 snoots, 2 barn door modifiers, four 7 inch silver bowls as well as 4 Multiblitz umbrellas and a Multiblitz 60 cm soft box which I have used only once. I have a multitude of black scrims which can cover any part of the umbrella or softbox, I wish to obscure, made of black material and Velcro or gaffers tape to attach to the umbrella or soft box. I have several home made scrims anywhere from 30 cm to 1 meter square as well as home made cones and black card mini scrim modifiers. A scrim is a panel that can be used to either redirect (white) or block (black) light from hitting an object.
In almost every discussion I have had with photographers, the greatest frustration expressed is the lack of control over their light source. There is just too much light going everywhere. It is for this reason that I often opt for the paint with light rather than the sculpt with light approach. It is more akin to a half empty or half full approach to lighting. I prefer to build my scenario from complete darkness than to sculpt out the light from an existing light source. Umbrellas are akin to sculpting where highly focused snoots and honeycomb grids are more akin to painting. However, even those tools may not give you the desired effect, as they cast a very definitive circle on to the photo landscape. That is where the art of dodging with scrims come in to play. Scrims can be shaped in anyway you desire and can be done so using wire hangers or wires to construct the shape of the modifier you wish to employ. Of course, the distance from the light source will have a major effect on how soft or sharp the gradation from dark to light will appear in your image. That is where experimentation comes in to play. You may also wish to use another technique that I have used called “Controlled Vignetting” mixed with scrims to add further dimension to your image. By moving an opaque object near your lens you can add a further dimension to your photo. I often use my hands to do so, or plants, vases, glasses etc. I have also used semi opaque scrims to effect the softness and hardness of my light source.
One of the problems with the use of scrims, is the need for stands to support them. So be prepared to buy several. You can purchase clips at most hardware stores.
In my next instalment, I will discuss the use of flags, scrims on umbrellas and soft boxes as well as other types of modifiers available to shoot with.
Steve Jacob joins Benjamin Kanarek at the “Chucky’s in Love” Fashion editorial for West East Magazine.
Monday, December 3rd. My mobile is ringing! I’m momentarily disorientated, partly because I was having a nice dream and partly because I am in a strange room in pitch darkness. I groggily remember that I am on a sofa bed in my friend’s apartment in Magny les Hongres, near Paris and I’m supposed to be meeting Ben in central Paris for a photo shoot at 9am. I fumble around for my mobile to turn off the wake up call and stumble into the bathroom.
8:30 am: The place turns out to be easy to find, but the street is blocked off and packed with fire-engines attending a blaze in a nearby block of flats. Luckily the address I’m looking for is further down the road and accessible on foot, but it provides an interesting photo-opportunity. I find a café at the end of the street and settle down with my first coffee of the day.
9 am: I get a text from Ben who is running late so I head to the apartment. Number 6 is in fact a long, irregular shaped courtyard. Down the left side is a small private theatre. Some of the buildings look like small warehouses and workshops with apartments above. I’m looking for doorway F which I find eventually. Missing the light switch I climb up the rickety stairs to the second floor in near darkness. We are definitely in Paris!
The doorbell is answered by the apartment’s owner and fashion stylist for the shoot, Sebastien Goepfert. Most of the crew is already there having coffee. Christophe Durand is one of Paris’ top makeup artists and Tomoko Ohama is a leading hair stylist (or should that be sculptress?). Juliette Pechoux is assisting Sebastien with the wardrobe. It’s quite a high-powered crew I’m working with so I’m more than a little nervous and everyone is chatting in French. I can understand the gist of the conversation and the coffee is good so I start to relax a little.
9.30 am: The model arrives. Felicity Gilbert turns out to be a London girl from Maida Vale so I have someone to talk to. Slim and willowy as you’d expect, she looks impossibly young and innocent out of makeup. She’s actually 22 and has been in Paris working as a top rank model for two years. Her fresh, almost teenage face is hard to reconcile with her portfolio. In makeup and with the right clothes (or no clothes at all) she looks incredibly chic. It proves the point that the pretty girl you see on the street would not necessarily make it as a model. If she looks even slightly curvy she is probably four dress sizes too big, if she has a cute face she would look distinctly chubby on camera and if she has strong features she, and not the clothes, would dominate the shot. Being a blank canvas is not as glamorous as it sounds and much harder work than you’d think.
10 am: Ben and his girlfriend Frédérique (Freddy) arrive. I’m surprised by the light load: A laptop, a camera bag with two bodies and two lenses, a carrier bag with some reflectors and a kit bag with two Multiblitz 600J heads, stands, honeycombs and snoots. Some guys I know would come to a shoot with at least three times that. The lenses Ben is using for the shoot are the DA* 16-50 F2.8 and the DA 12-24 F4. He contemplated bringing the DA 16-45 F4 which he likes, but he wanted to try out the DA* lens as he’d just got it from Pentax. That Ben uses mainly wide-angle lenses may come as a surprise but in a small space with shots that are usually full or near full length it’s unusual to use much over 24mm.
Felicity and Christophe have already got started on make-up, so Ben and I start on the lighting set up while Freddy plugs in the inevitable Macbook. Freddy is also Ben’s business partner and does all the post production work.
Makeup and hair takes the best part of two hours. By this time Ben and I have been gassing for at least an hour about the new Pentax cameras and other stuff and have demolished a couple more pots of coffee. He’s genuinely bullish about Pentax’s prospects under Hoya. It’s also interesting to understand how Pentax are using feedback from Ben (and the rest of us) about the performance of their cameras. Ben is very happy shooting Pentax and is getting great results, but he will get the head of Pentax France on the phone and give him a hard time if something is not right (do you wish you could do that? Its simple, become a pro and get Pentax to sponsor you!) A spate of DA 21 mm lenses that didn’t focus was a case in point. Pentax are not getting an easy ride but they are listening and taking the feedback very seriously indeed. Luckily the new lens seems to work OK.
11.30 am: Finally we start on some test shots. Set one is in the lounge on the chaise long. The sunlight is causing Ben some issues. Although the flashes are much stronger than the daylight (check the difference between my diary photos and the end result) Ben can’t use the modeling lights to see where the light and shadows are falling, so has to resort to multiple flash meter readings and endless test shots. To make it worse the sun keeps coming out from behind the clouds at the worst possible moment. You can see from my pictures that the light coming through the skylights was intense. In the end, Freddy and I end up holding a blanket over the window! Despite some gentle swearing, Ben soldiers on and we get the shot.
2 pm: Felicity has had a change of clothes and is having her hair and makeup retouched while Ben and I set up the next shot in the dentist’s chair. The amount of space seems ridiculously small, but Ben lights everything indirectly so it’s possible to place the lights out of the way and get some very tight angles. However I end up holding a reflector because there is no room for another stand.
2.30 pm: Ben does joke around a lot but he’s dead serious now. Attention to detail is incredible. The background, face, Chucky doll, clothes and hair – all have to be perfect before he’ll start shooting for real. We do some tests. The shoes are not right. I get another reflector to hold. Now we’re away. Ben reels off about 50 shots and checks. They look fine, but he’s not happy yet. He changes the angle and the lighting again. Happier now he shoots another 50 or 60 shots then we try another angle. Ben lies on the floor shooting upwards. After about 130 frames it’s a wrap and Ben heads for the laptop with the SD card while the rest of us take a breather. It’s been a long haul.
4.30 pm: The team is in top gear and Ben’s on a roll. We’re ready for the next shoot in the hallway. Ben explains how to use talcum powder (!!!) and how a journalist for a photography magazine famously misunderstood how he used it as a diffuser. The lighting proves really tricky once again and poor Felicity is holding positions for ten minutes at a time but it comes off (see photo with the locket). I’ve never worked with models of Felicity’s quality and I am beginning to understand what it means to be a top level professional. Ben hardly needs to give more than a hint of direction and she looks consistently good in every shot. Not a trace of strain or boredom after repetitive shooting (if you think it’s easy, you should give it go yourself sometime).
6.30 pm: We move into the kitchen. The space is now so minute I have no idea how Ben is going to light it, but somehow he manages it. It was not until Ben took the first shot that I really understood what he was trying to do and how it would work. Again the attention to detail is amazing. This time Ben uses a reading lamp and the fridge light to add some ambient light. This requires a slow shutter speed of 1/8 but using a 12-24 and shake reduction there is no need for a tripod. He’s shooting almost directly down at the model from above as she holds the door open. After we wrap, Ben is over the moon and I have to agree it’s the shot of the day.
8.30 pm: Another quick break, makeup and clothes and now we are shooting on the stairs. Ben is literally shooting round corners to get the shot. Chucky is now in silhouette with a knife but after we wrap and check the shots on the Mac, Freddy thinks it looks a bit “suggestive” because of the position of the knife.
10 pm: I have to run to catch the last train home. I say my goodbyes and run for it, leaving everyone else working away. I gather they carried on till 1 am to re-shoot the stairwell set, and the bedroom with the open window. This photography business is hard work!
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So did I learn anything? Yes, I did learn a lot but not quite what I was expecting.
Firstly, I am always interested in how other people light a set. I know a couple of filmmakers as well as other photographers. There is quite a bit of commonality but some differences too. Generally speaking though, in a photography studio most people stick to well tried formula using up to four lights and standard backdrops and modifiers.
But here we were in a small, crowded apartment with mixed light sources. For that reason I was interested to see Ben using more typical film-making techniques for small spaces with indirect lighting. He uses a very simple set of gear (two lights, simple reflectors, black paper and talcum powder) but in the course of the day he used this bare-bones rig in completely different ways for each shot.
So rather than relying on a trusted formula, Ben relies more on his creativity and experience and simple but versatile equipment. Each shot basically starts from scratch in a totally new space but because he knows in his head how the light will work, he can set the whole thing up on the fly and create a unique feel every single time, hiding in darkness what he doesn’t want seen, highlighting what he does and using a mixture of ambient and flash to great effect.
Have a very good look at the shot of the fridge. Yes there is some expert retouching but not as much as you’d think. Look how the fridge door, lamp, background and hair are all part of the shot, brought out by the slow shutter. Look at how the dolls face and the knife are emphasized, and how at the end of the day the clothes are still on show. I was not surprised to hear that Ben has done quite a bit of creative directing in films as well, so I guess he’s adapted some of the techniques. It may have been a fashion shoot but it was more like being on a set with Hitchcock.
So, at the end of the day I managed to add a few things to my list of valuable facts about photography:
1. Don’t get discouraged by adversity. Just stay cool and work around it. If the light’s bad or the space is tight, don’t panic – just think it through. There is always a way but you are more likely to come up with one if you keep a cool head and trust your instincts.
2. Even a top pro can take a while to get things right. The trick is knowing WHEN it’s right and not allowing the time pressure or the people around you to compromise your standards.
3. Having other professionals to work with really does help. Of course, doing everything yourself in the fashion business would be impossible, but most portrait photographers work alone or maybe with one partner. However I am considering hiring a professional model to help me experiment with technique and build a portfolio. They will not be in Felicity’s league but they will know what to do, what to wear and can probably do their own makeup. Hopefully this will allow me to concentrate on the photography.
4. Having lots of expensive lighting equipment is more of a hindrance than anything else. From this experience I am totally convinced that you could take professional looking shots with second hand flashguns and home made reflectors and modifiers. You don’t need a big studio either, or backdrops, if you know how to light something selectively. It’s understanding that counts, not the equipment. The entry cost is low so there’s nothing to stop you getting out there and having fun. Yes, the Strobist was right all along!
5. Seeing how a particular shot is completed and what equipment is used is educational but does not mean you can immediately use that knowledge and apply it to a different shot. Whereas I understood each shot in hindsight, that’s not much use when confronted with a new situation. But then, buying a Leica M2 and walking around Paris snapping people in cafes would not make me Cartier Bresson. Watching may give you a head start and some ideas, but the only way to really understand is experience. Besides, without practice, how would anyone develop their own style?
So to wrap up this short report, I’ll end with a big thanks to Ben for the chance to help out and get a glimpse of leading edge fashion photography. If I was useless he was far too polite to let on, but at least I didn’t drop a camera or knock anything over and I do know a honeycomb from a snoot so I don’t think I was too much of an obstacle.
And yes Ben can be a tyrant when the heat’s on (!!) but he’s never rude, never puts anyone down, and can take a lot of stick as well as dish it out. His enthusiasm is driving everything and he gets really excited when a set comes together. It’s good to see someone get such a buzz from it after so many years in the business.
He is also very open to opinions and ideas. He’s surrounded by creative people and he uses that energy, building up a concept from other people’s suggestions and needs, and then turning it into something concrete. He’s always in charge but you feel you are part of the process and he provides a running commentary as he works so everyone understands what he’s thinking and what he’s about to do.
Ben is one of a kind alright: More intuitive than technical, he clowns around, gets frustrated one minute and ecstatic the next, but he is a real pro and knows exactly what he’s doing. He also knows how to pick a great team and looking at the end result, I can see that Freddy really knows what she is doing as well. What you see is a real team effort, but there is no mistaking the photographer.
Recently, I received an e-mail from someone who saw my image on myintroduction page of my blog, asking “…how did you do it?” I will not include what he speculated, which was actually quite close.
For those of you wishing to participate, I would like you to tell me, what you think I did. I will eventually tell you all the technique I employed for this particular beauty story shot for “Citizen K International”.
So, go ahead and tell me what your impressions are. Post your answer on the Forum and on my Blog. That way, everyone who has participated can see all of the responses.
Thanks
Ben
So, here is the lighting set up for the shot.
A 4 bulb Kino Flo Light, lit from below with a white shoot through diffuser.
An Opalight diffuser on a Profoto flash head shooting down at around 60 degrees and around 1 meter above and 2 meters back from the model.
Two Profoto bare bulb flash heads, one on either side of the model at around 100 degrees just slightly off the 90 degree axis of the model.
Two HMI 1.2 Kilo Cinema Lights for the backdrop, shooting down to achieve the gradation.
Full Blue Gelatins on all of the flash sources and a Midnight Blue Gelatin on the HMI’s using a Blue Backdrop.
Portrait of French Designer Alexis Mabille photographed by Benjamin Kanarek for Vogue Brasil
Image taken in July 2009 at Alexis Mabille’s show-room in Paris. Photography: Benjamin Kanarek for Vogue Brasil featuring Alexis Mabille
Model: Myrthe Mabille
Digital Retouching: Fredddy Baby Paris
July 2009, interview of Alexis Mabille by Suzy Menkes for the International Herald Tribune & the New York Times.
Alexis Mabille discovered fashion at a very young age, attracted and inspired by fabrics, costumes, antique jewlery,and museums he visited as a child. As a teenager, he would put together theatrical pieces as well as outfits for his friends and family. Graduating from Paris’ Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in 1997, he undertook apprenticeships at the Couture Houses of Ungaro and Nina Ricci. He then joined the team at Christian Dior . At Dior, he created exquisite fine jewelry for Women and Men, both respectively overseen by John Galliano and by Hedi Slimane.
As a kind of a quirky signature, Alexis can always be seen wearing a bow tie. In 2005, he embarked on his own personal adventure and created his own Fashion House and decided that the bow tie which accompanied him thus far would become his lucky charm, his special signature. Since, doing so he has utilized bow ties in novel ways in all of his collections.
He also designs a Mens’ collection and a Womens’ accessory collection (bags, shoes, jewlery). His faux-casual and romantic touch marries the hyper feminine with the influence of the perfect cut androgen tuxedo look.
To build a sustainable business, his challenge is to evolve from the cute and gimmicky identity of the bow tie to a timeless style. Alexis Mabille deserves credit for developing a signature company that is pragmatic and focussed in this economic malaise. At a time where Christian Lacroix and Yohji Yamamoto are facing the worst financial backlash in their history, Alexis has established a loyal customer base and is also offering his collection as a ready-to-wear option.
Alexis Mabille has already gained quite a following amongst Celebrities.
Keira Knightley, Dita Von Teese and the French First Lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy wearing Alexis Mabille.
Alexis Mabille’s last collection was inspired by “personal memories from a grand old linen closet, with recollections of distant travels”. Pastel shades, sensual silk and fluid lace contrast with the sharpness of the deep navy blue long gowns and tuxedos. Architectural and geometrical cuts meet with simple, light and gently floating lines.
His fashion is definitely wearable and that is key. Too often, at the early stage of their career designers forget that ready-to-wear and Couture are not Art but an Applied Art to the human form. People do eventually have to wear what is designed and that is often the major challenge that young designers must come to grips with. Clothing is more akin to “Functional Art”. One could make a similar comparison between Sculpture and Architecture. One is pure form and the other is Form and Function. Fashion is business and as entrepreneurs, Designers need to convince Buyers of Department stores and in the end the clients.
If you are looking for spectacular, show-off and breath taken collections using BOWS, I would suggest you take a look at Viktor and Rolf‘s work. Here the bows become an animated, magnified and surreal element of their designs, yet utterly wearable. They have found ways of surprising us with a global concept of excess stretched to the max. However, they never overlook the commercial and viable side of the business. In the final analysis, they know how to downsize their collection prototypes for commercial consumption.
Is BIG necessarily BETTER ?
Viktor and Rolf, Spring-Summer 2005 ready-to-wear collection
Alexis Mabille’s integral Spring-Summer 2010 Collection – part 1
Alexis Mabille’s integral Spring-Summer 2010 Collection – part 2
As I have worked with many of the SLR’s and Medium Format camera’s out there, I want to share with you some of my favorites. In my career I used Nikon, Canon, Pentax SLR’s and all of the Medium Format stuff out there.
My choices are based on my most frequent go for lenses when doing actual projects in the past and present.
Pentax: smc Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited
Pentax: smc Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 Limited
Pentax: smc Pentax DA Star 16-50mm f/2.8 ED AL (IF) SDM
Pentax: smc Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4
Pentax: smc Pentax DA 12-24 f/4.0 ED AL (IF)
Canon: EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM
Canon: EF 35mm f/2.0
Canon: EF 28mm f/2.8
Canon: TS-E 45mm f/2.8
Canon: TS-E 90mm f/2.8
And of course, not to forget two of my favorite 3rd party lenses,
Tamron: SP AF 28-75 f/2.8 XR Di LD (IF)
Tamron: SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di 1:1 Macro
Well, there you have it.
Ben
Here are 2 instructional videos discussing the attributes and rendering of different focal lengths.
As I always say, I was born with a camera under my arm (maybe you know the Latin expression “he was born with bread under his arm”). My dad is a photographer, and like any son in the world, I admire his work. My first steps with photography were with a P&S Canon camera, but I always wanted to play with the big boys toys, the SLR´s. I learned the basics in lighting, aperture, speed, ISO (in the past we called it ASA), and something about the printing of photos… I love the moment of the shooting. The tension of having it all in the right place, the feeling when you press the shutter. I love how I could capture something or someone on a piece of film, and then print it and keep it for the ages to come… Film photography is beautiful, as digital is. I learned with Canon, Hasselblad, Contax (my first personally owned camera). It was something incredible, because you know that you couldn´t take gazillions of pics like today. Film was expensive, and you only had 36 to 39 pics in the camera each time as a maximum. At that time you planned the photo, so much more than you do now. Maybe that´s why I keep doing that with digital photography. I don´t take 1000 pics a day with my camera, even when I know I could. I love the art of thinking about the photo before taking it, and that´s why I´m here writing. I´m trying to spread the word… I am always in the process of learning and I think I found some people who are helping me… sometimes with advice, sometimes just with photos that inspire me. I´m not a professional photographer (maybe in the future), but I´m glad I know some of them, and I try to learn from them. I agree with Benjamin on one basic thing: it´s not the brand of the camera, it is the photographer and the love he puts in to the photo. I love photography and I hope I can transmit that in to my work. I own a digital SLR, and I try to do my best… Keep doing what you´re doing, pretend I´m not here… Click!
Thanks to Gerardo for his contribution to this blog.
I am often asked the question, “How Did You Do That?” I could very simply answer the question which I often do and the results that person gets isn’t what he/she was expecting. If I talk about post production, yes the actions on the image will be as I recommended, but when asked about the results of a shoot, I more often than not get a disappointing, “it doesn’t look like yours…!”
Now, I will not go in to a lengthly diatribe about what is required to put a shoot together, as I have covered that topic ad-infinitum in several of my articles. What I am trying to explain here will be quite difficult, but I will attempt to do so here.
Imagine a huge globe and that globe is the culmination of all of the information you have accumulated over the many years of experience you have acquired in your craft. You might wish to call it a brain, but for my purposes, let’s call it a huge floating globe. All of the information is stored in that globe and inter connected and accessible at any moment in time. The speed at which the information is accessed is astounding. So much so, that you are often not aware of the process for how you collected all of the elements to get to the final output or finished product.
The more elements within the globe the more complex the output possibilities become. Let us call these elements in the globe “epiphany events”. Epiphany Events are those events that occurred during a learning process that had a paradigm shifting effect on how you viewed your reality. These types of events will create a completely new subset of elements to draw from for future products creations, photos, music, dance, sports etc…
You are probably wondering where am I going with all of this. Well just hang in there for a while and I may just get to the point.
The more elements in your globe the more possible permutations and the more permutations the more potential elements that can be placed in to your globe for future use.
Now, what happens during the act of creation when some element that has not yet been added to your globe is presented to you? You get what most of us would call disorientation. The time it takes to integrate this element could be from a nano second to the complete rejection of that element, or worse yet the ignoring of it all together. It is often under those circumstances that some of the greatest creations occur and the epiphany happens. I like to call them, creative accidents.
When I am on a creative roll, I cannot recall all of the elements that are in action during the process until I take a break and stop to think about it for a moment. I don’t know if any of you have ever thought about what is going on in your head during a photo shoot. The more elements in your globe the more complex the computations. You can never really be missing elements in your globe. You may have less or more, but there is no such thing as missing elements. Just less elements to choose from and what ever you create will be a direct reflection of the elements you had available to create what you did.
What I have retrospectively recalled in thinking about my own process, is that I am dealing with literally thousands of considerations during the act of creating an image that come to light so quickly that if I were to stop during the process and think about it, I would stall to a HALT.
It is never just the technique and it is never just the creation during the process. It is everything from thinking about the last time you cleaned your ears to is there enough fill light to I must try to stop being so self deprecating to I need to increase the speed of the Fan to get the hair moving a bit more.
Your random thoughts will effect which elements you access as well and those thoughts are often what trigger the brilliant idea. The reason so many of you out there are not getting what you want has a lot less to do with technique than allowing yourself to be open to the possibilities of allowing elements in to your globe that may give you the freedom to fly. I know that sounds corny. But being creative is SO much more than the camera you use or all of that other stuff. I could show you what I did technically for a shoot and more often than not the results will not be satisfactory to you. Why? Because the elements I had to draw from are not as yet part of your Global Repository. Just to prove my point here. The other day I posted an image of a man on a park bench. Now, rather than presenting it horizontally, I presented it vertically, as it gave the impression of him being crucified. I would say that over 80% of the viewers could not handle looking at the image without crooking their heads to see it in a horizontal position. Now those that rejected it did not allow the “Element” to enter their globe. They will never see in another perspective until they let disorienting elements in to their globe. Those that did, have added a new element and thus a new perspective for how to view “Reality”.
The old “How did you do that?” question never really suffices. It can introduce new elements in to your globe, but they will NEVER be exactly like the formula of another persons Global Experience.
I would sum it up putting it this way. The greater the vocabulary the richer the experience…
Doing Beauty shots is sometimes more akin to doing still life, as the lighting is over a much smaller area and thus may be approached differently than fashion.
The modifiers used and the placement of the model should be planned carefully if wishing to get something out of the ordinary.
I often build a mini studio around the torso of the model and use tiny modifiers to reflect light where desired as well as focal lengths that work well for this type of configuration.
I suggest setting up a frame where you can set up your reflectors around the model using small cardboard white modifiers of 3-9″ or 8-25 cm square as well as snoots and honeycomb grids to direct the light to the modifiers. Use Hollywood Grids to be more dramatic and don’t worry about the light drop off. That is what makes a close up shot have the contrast between shadows and highlights so interesting.
Of course if that is not your cup of tea you can still use the classic modifiers to kick light in to the subject, but the gradations will not be as evident.
I would recommend lenses allowing you to come in close enough to capture a lip, eye lash or eye detail. Many non-macro lenses with close focussing capability will do the trick, but if you need to get in real close without blocking the light by your close proximity, a 70-150mm Macro might be the way to approach this kind of set up. You can do wide angle close ups if that is the desired effect you want, but prepare your lights accordingly.
Also, try to prepare the back ground for any eventual angle you wish to shoot at. A mini “Cyclo” (Curved Back Drop) might be a good way to allow you to shoot within a 180° area around the model. Make sure it is high enough to allow you to shoot up at the subject if so desired.
When doing Beauty shots, the make-up must be as perfect as what the make-up artist wished to accomplish. I say this, as she/he may want a messy look. None the less, the better the make-up the less retouching time in Photoshop.
Don’t be afraid to come in really close. As one of my favorite Art Directors Jacques Michel Verger once said to me, “When you think you are in too close, come in closer…”
When preparing to embark on a Fashion or Beauty shoot, it is important to know what the environment and shooting space you will be doing your project in is like. For the sake of clarity, I will commence with a classic fashion shoot in a moderately sized studio and will follow with the beauty shoot in the same environment.
Location and Studio fashion shoots require very different approaches to the choosing of your focal length. In both cases however it is important to be sufficiently prepared for all of the possible permutations that you may consider during the shoot. However, when shooting in studio, you are often limited by the size of the workspace, the width of the background and the distance from the subject. If you are in a small space using the standard back drop, you may find that you are compromising between the distance of the model from the background and the focal length required to get the entire subject in to the frame. Not only is this a major constraint, but if you are thinking of back drop lighting as well as back lighting the model, the compromise between the focal length and getting the coverage required within the width and height of the backdrop may be problematic. If you are in a position to work in a large space, these limitations will be pretty well eliminated except for the width of the backdrop. If you have the luxury to work with a full “Cyclo” studio where you can paint the backdrop, then the possibilities become pretty well limitless. In the most positive of conditions where space is not a limitation, the choice of focal length will have more to do with effect than necessity. Your only limitation will be the height of the studio. Ideally you will have a 5 meter high studio (18-20′). This will allow you to sit on the floor and shoot up in to the subject if desired, without having to photoshop in the backdrop above the models head.
When shooting in a smaller studio using the standard backdrop and working within a distance of around 12-20 feet or 3-4 meters from the subject, I find that a 40-50mm APS or between approximately 50-80mm in Full Frame format to work very well for full silhouettes of a 178-180 cm 5′-9″-5′-11″ model to work quite well. You will find that the model will be around 6 to10′ (1.5-2.5 meters) in front of the back drop, allowing you to light the background. This is usually what I find works when attempting to get the model and backdrop in to the frame without having to Photoshop in the background texture. Thus, a minimum of 25′ or 6 meters in length is the minimum for a classic studio set up, for me at least. More is always better of course. You will need at least 15′ in width or around 3.5 meters to be able to set up side lights and back lights..
In the classic fashion shoot studio situation, one can get away with just three focal lengths from 24 through 35 to 50mm in APS format or 36-75mm. Thus a good zoom might do the trick, like a Sigma 24-70 or any other brand with a constant aperture between 24-70mm. In some cases, some of the better kit lenses (18-55mm) can work quite well if stopped down to optimum aperture.
I also suggest that the backdrop go up in height to a minimum of 9′ or 2.5 meters. Ideally 12′ or 3.5 meters would be better.
I have just saved you a load of cash. Shooting with your 24-70 or 18-55mm kit lens at the optimum performance of f5.6-f11.0 will give your 24-70 or 18-55mm close to prime focal lens quality. You can show up to your shoot with a couple of bodies, one for back up, one lens and a flash meter, as I often do.
Today on a generalist Photo Forum under the Portrait Fashion category, someone from a small independent and in my opinion based on what I saw on their web site, not very good fashion magazine, placed an ad for photographers for their magazine. Now that seemed strange in the first place, which I go on to explain in the copy below. Here is part of the content of her query.
I have left out the name of the magazine and the name of the person.
We are looking for an up and coming photographer each month to shoot images for our cover. This is an unpaid commission, but provides great exposure as the cover stays on the front page for one whole month
This was my response to her…
Hello …
My concern is that if you are coming to a forum to seek out photographers for your magazine, then that speaks volumes about the credibility of your magazine. I have been in this strange business for over 20+ years and do know one thing; the minimum one should know is where the sources are, where the press offices are which agents represent which photographers and what are the agencies representing the models etc. Now, perhaps you are new at this, so I will consider this query as naive, but, I do know that if I had to put a production together and I wasn’t the photographer, I would know exactly where to find them.
That tells me, that getting exposure in your magazine could be considered poison in disguise, wrapped in a sweet chocolate covered coating. Why? Because anyone in the know would see immediately by the content, layout, choice of talent and advertisers what your standing is in the Fashion community. This may sound cruel and arrogant, but the reality is, in looking at your web site, I would recommend to anyone wishing to shoot for this magazine the following…“Buyer Beware!”
Getting to shoot for VOGUE, Harpers, Elle, Marie Claire, Numéro, V, W, or ID has and never will be a question of “How Much Do I Make?” that is a joke! You couldn’t pay VOGUE enough money to shoot for them! The status associated with doing so is the following…“Once you are in VOGUE, you ARE in Vogue” and your phone will slowly start ringing off the wall to shoot Ad campaigns that command 5 to 6 figure numbers per day. Now let me repeat that, anywhere from 10,000 to 250,000 dollars per day!
There is a very simple barometer in this business. The less credible the magazine, the more perks and amenities it should provide for the team, as the exposure the team gets may actually be more detrimental to them than if they hadn’t shot for them at all. If you want a Photographer, Stylist, AD, Make-up or Hair stylist, Set Designer, etc… just order LeBook. Now if you didn’t know about Lebook or other sources for talent, you should NOT be in the Fashion Business. If you want to play the game, learn the rules.
