Model Melissa Jean in a single light session.
Model Melissa Jean in a single light session.
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was shot in the studio, with controlled lightning.Time
It was definitely after lunch, but before dinner. I recall being hungry.Lighting
The lighting setup for this session was a single Alien Bee B800, mounting a 22" silver beauty dish, positioned on a boom, directly over the model. The background was seamless white paper. Over the course of the session, we shot a wide variety of styles, changing lighting only by moving the model within the dish's spill area. For the silhouette, I merely had her step forward to put the majority of the light behind her.Equipment
This photo was shot with a Canon 7D, mounting a Canon 50mm 1.8 lens, the 'Nifty Fifty'. Flash trigger was handled via Pocket Wizard.Inspiration
This photo is one of perhaps a dozen great shots from the same studio session, with professional model Melissa Jean. An opportunity to work with her presented itself, and I jumped at it. Her understanding of lighting combined with her great posing and excellent lines produced shot after shot of great images.Editing
Post processing is limited to a crop, conversion to black and white, and contrast/black point adjustment to enhance the silhouette.In my camera bag
For studio sessions like this, which was effectively a body study, I like to take a single light, and a single lens. This forces me to focus on the composition, without thinking about things I can do to modify the shot. One of my rules when shooting is simple: Creativity comes from constraints. When you have a bag full of equipment on hand, it can become a distraction, or even a crutch when you run out of ideas.Feedback
Shooting the human body is a collection of challenges: composition, lighting, and posing. Lighting the human body isn't difficult in and of itself, but combining it with posing and composition can be tricky. An experienced model is well worth her rate, for this, especially if you're new to shooting the human body, never mind a nude one. It's important for everyone to be relaxed and comfortable. Rapport is important, as well as a running dialogue. Let the model know what you like, don't like, offer suggestions, ask for adjustments, crack jokes, but keep talking. Nothing kills a creative session like silence.