Pickerill Creative: July 2010

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Model Portfolio Shoot - Louise M.

Model shoots are really really fun! Most of the time when doing Weddings, Families, Seniors etc... I have to tell everyone what to do most the time. In fact it actually makes sense that most brides, mothers and high school seniors have not sat for hours studying the human form and how to create lines and angels with their bodies that make them look good. And that's my job, make sure they look good. "Stand like this," "Put your arm like this," are common phrases for me. But on a model shoot, I set up the lights and they just go to work. It also frees me up a little to focus more on the lighting. With less to think about I can spend a little more time getting things set up. I find that models are also more willing to do things I would never have say, a high school senior do. Like turning her face towards the sun in late afternoon. A Blinding experience for anyone. With a senior they will be squinting, sweating and unhappy. We are always told to turn their backs to the sun. But with a model you know that she is more interested in the final image being great and therefore more willing to do things, like experience temporary blindness. Just make sure you don't have them stariing at the sun the whole shoot. Short bursts are best and not too many times either...

Louie was awesome, I blinded her more than once... She had a lot of headshot type of stuff and wanted some more scope and cinematic images for her model portfolio. Her Outfits and our location choices led us to a more edgy, dramatic looks.

Available Light, (Direct Sunlight) - 1//320 - f/3.2 - ISO200

Available Light, (Direct Sunlight) - 1//320 - f/3.2 - ISO200

One Light (580exII) no diffuser, underexposed the background by 1 stop. 1//200 - f/3.2 - ISO320

2 Lights: 1. Main Light-Sun, 2. Rim/Hair Light-580exII. The sun was also bouncing off the metal wall and acting as a fill light.
1//200 - f/2.8 - ISO100

3 Lights: 1. Main Light-Sun, 2. Rim Light-580exII, 3. Fill-Quantum Through Octabox.
1//320 - f/2.8 - ISO320

3 Lights: 1. Main Light-Sun, 2. Rim Light-580exII, 3. Fill-Quantum Through Octabox.
1//320 - f/2.8 - ISO320

2 Lights: 1. Main Light-Quantum Through Ocatbox 2. Rim Light-Sun
1//250 - f/2.8 - ISO320

Available Light - 1//200 - f/2.8 - ISO800

2 Lights: 1. Main Light-Available/Sun 2. Rim Light-580exII
1//125 - f/2.8 - ISO500

Main Light-580exII
1//80 - f/3.2 - ISO400

Monday, July 26, 2010

Candice & John Married

Candice and John we're made for each other! They would both say that are not too comfortable in front of the camera, but after posing them in all sorts of romantic/dramatic positions and telling them to "look normal," you would never know it.

The wedding was awesome, very windy so much so that it was plating havoc with the asile runner and even blowing out the unity candles, but they rolled with the punches and it turned out great!

This is my favorite shot from the day and turned out to be the album cover! This stair well was just outside the reception hall and I had to pull the couple away from the party for a moment. I exposed for the lights on the ceiling and then added my flash from behind.

1/25 - f3.5 - ISO500

This shot is a close second... 1/200 - f3.2 - ISO500

A really close third... 1/30 - f4 - ISO200

1/1000 - f2.8 - ISO200

1/500 - f2.8 - ISO200

1/500 - f3.2- ISO250

1/500 - f2.8- ISO200

1/500 - f2.8- ISO250

1/400 - f2.8- ISO200

1/400 - f2.8- ISO200

1/400 - f2.8- ISO250

1/800 - f2.8- ISO200

1/500 - f2.8- ISO250

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Jensen and Britt Engaged

I had a great time with Jensen and Britt down at USC. They we're such a fun couple... and up for anything!

These shots are all available light.

1/100 - f/2.8 - ISO800

1/400 - f/2 - ISO400

1/400 - f/4 - ISO400

1/250 - f/2.8 - ISO400

1/400 - f/2.8 - ISO400

1/160 - f/2.2 - ISO400

1/400 - f/4 - ISO400

Monday, July 5, 2010

Senior Portrait Adding Flash

I did a post Last week about a Whirlwind Adventure I took to Bend Oregon. I did some senior portraits and I wanted to expand on a little lighting technique.

This is the Final Image and I did zero post production to it. Well, I might have bumped the saturation a little. But I spent no more than 5 seconds in post. For the final output I ended up cropping this a little. Image taken at 1/200 - f/5.6 - ISO200 See below for lighting diagram.

If you we're to deconstruct this photo the first thing you would say is that there is obviously rim lights. Yes that is correct I used two 580ex's triggered with radio transmitters. First one is sitting on a houshold bar stool behind subject right and the other is being held by her sister on the left.

Now for the Key Light, it's the Sun right? No, for the Key Light or Main Light I used a Quantum off camera to the right. I did it this way for two reasons. One, I wanted to get a more contrasty light on her face. And two, the light coming from the Sun was not casting the shadow pattern I wanted on her face.

Let's talk about settings. 1/200th - f/5.6 - ISO200. I used these settings because they underexposed the background by 1.5 to 2 stops. This give me a nice blue in the sky. Then I bring in my flash. The settings by them self are really meaningless. It is the relationship of my flash to the ambient light.

I positioned the Main Light so that it is coming from the same direction as the Sun. The Sun is casting shadows on the rocks at out subjects feet. By positioning the key light to come from the same direction as the sun, all the light in the scene works together. If I had placed the Main light on he other side, it would look out of place.

I did not use a flash meter. I just exposed for the background and then brought in my lights to taste. I am not against using a flash meter, this job just happened to be out of state and I always try and travel as light as possible.

P.S. Traveling as light as possible means carrying a several bodies, multiple lenses, flashes and accessories... I just can't afford to bring a meter sometimes.