Own the Room
A recent shoot with a local model I've had the pleasure of working with over the years. It was good to catch up.
A recent shoot with a local model I've had the pleasure of working with over the years. It was good to catch up.
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Apr, 2023Views
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Flawless Summer Award
Picture Perfect Award
Peer Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my humble home studio that I have been using to create images in for well over a decade. I have no natural light and fight with a relatively low ceiling (standard eight feel that does not allow any of my light stands to fully extend), lighting can be fairly straight forward. However, in the limited space, there is a lot of opportunity for unintentional bounce lighting.Time
As with most of my studio portraiture, this was taken in the late afternoon hours. With a full-time, non-photography, day job, this is when I do most of shooting during the week.Lighting
This was a simple lighting setup with a single studio strobe (Paul C. Buff Einstein) and a 42" Magmod Magbox Pro softbox to camera right. I could have added some backlight to help separate the subject from the background more, but reflection off the far wall seemed enough on this occasion. Add the relatively dark appearance of the backdrop and it didn't make a lot of sense to add any rim light.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon R5 using my trusty EF 24-70mm 2.8L lens. The IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) of the R5 and the stabilization in the lens, I find it very difficult to avoid getting a sharp image, even hand-held and at slower shutter speeds.Inspiration
I had worked with this model before and we were looking for a chance to have fun creating new images. She provided the backdrop, but it didn't go well with my studio floor. I happened to have my own backdrop that we threw down as a test. It worked out wonderfully to give a more lavish appearance.Editing
There was very little post-processing on this image. I applied a Lightroom preset I developed which does very minor tweaks to the tone curve. The model is a talented makeup artist, leaving me little to do on the skin retouching side. The backdrop did have a few creases where it had been folded which took just a few seconds to take out.In my camera bag
My bag is pretty light for most shoots. A Canon R5, the 24-70 lens, and maybe my 100-400mm if the situation calls for it. Everything else is the standard fare to cover the basics: batteries, allen wrenches, etc. When I am shooting outdoors, I also bring along some speedlights and my favorite MagMod equipment to make sure I can create the right light. Oh, and there is always my trust Spider Holster to make sure I never have to put my camera down where I might forget it!Feedback
For a shot like this, keep it simple. A single light positioned to make sure it matches any shadows present on the background will work. If you get the light on the wrong side, it will really stand out and spoil the illusion. If your model isn't a makeup artist, get one involved! It will have a wonderful impact on your editing time and the final product. Finally, if using a cloth backdrop for the floor like we did here, make sure it is secured and not easily tugged and pulled by high heels. Always make sure your model (and anyone else involved in the shoot) is kept safe!
