Nikki
Model: Nichole Schaeffer
WurmwoodPhotography.com
May, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my home studio in Ohio, and is of my good friend Nikki. She messaged me earlier in the afternoon to see if I was free to hang out. It was a very impromptu session and it wasn't even though that we would shoot while she was here, it was just nice to get to see her.Time
It was taken at 4:05 a.m. after a night of heavy drinking. What most people will never know when they look at this image is that this was taken after both she and I had spent 4 hours drinking and crying. This photo was taken May 30th, just a month after the death of her partner and my good friend Charles. It was the first time I had seen her privately since his passing, and the only time I'd seen her before this was at his memorial. It was our first chance to really talk, and I found that I had nothing to say to cheer her up. We just drank, talked, cried, and by 4 in the morning we decided to just do a shoot. Very impromptu, but incredibly fun.Lighting
We were shooting a grey wall and her outfit was grey. I wanted to separate her from the background while also adding some color and a "punch" to this image. I figured pink gels would do the trick, and I really loved the effect of the pink with her soft features.Equipment
Camera: Nikon d750 Lens: Nikkor f/4 ED VR Lighting: I used a Godox AD600BM with a Fovitec fold-able beauty dish (with white diffuser) for the key light, and two Godox TT600 speedlights behind her on either side, facing the grey wall in my studio. The speedlights each had a pink gel. The key light was held on a sturdy flashpoint C-stand and the speedlights on inexpensive CowboyStudio light stands from Amazon. I triggered all three Godox lights with a Godox trigger on camera, and the cool thing about these lights is they all have a wireless receiver built inside of them, so I didn't need separate receivers to trigger the lights.Inspiration
Nothing really. It was just an evening spent with a close friend, and despite the immense heartbreak she was feeling she was gorgeous and glowing. I've always loved working with her and the images from this night are very special to me.Editing
Oh for sure! I mentioned we had been drinking, yes? Well, as such I didn't honestly put as much care into the session as I typically would. I did a lot of post processing on the background because I had failed to move some things off the back wall and had to clean them up in post. I also have 8 cats (I know!) and so it took quite a bit to remove all the cat hair from the black top. I'm a big fan of post-processing to be honest, and with every photo (including this) I typically do a frequency separation technique on the skin and removal of any blemishes and the like. I also added some extra eyelashes as well as nail polish to complete her look.In my camera bag
When I go places I load up everything. I've got a big ol' Pelican case and so I take everything with me. My Godox monolight, two Godox speedlights, my Nikon d750, walkies, lots of extras, my Fovitec travel beauty dish, a grid for that dish and a diffuser, and of course my lenses. The lenses I typically carry on my are my Nikkor 24-120 f/4 ED VR lens, a Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens, and a Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 lens. If I'm shooting insects it's an entirely different setup, but since I typically shoot people this is what I bring along. Oh yeah, and a BAGILLION batteries.Feedback
Just experiment! The fastest way to learn, for me, has always been diving right in and playing around with gear and settings. It's one thing to read all about what to do (which you should still do!) and it's another to get practical experience doing it. Take the time to learn all you can online about lighting setups, and then in the moment adjust those lights around until you see in camera exactly what you want to see. Don't be afraid to fails dozens of times before you memorize exactly what it is that makes a photo pop. The number one thing is to have fun, and never stop trying new things.
