Outside ones comfort zone

[snaarman]

Well, I stepped outside my comfort zone this evening, because Snaar did a Fashion Shoot... No, really




The neighbours at work run an equestrian clothing store and wanted some clothes photographed to illustrate web sites, catalogues etc. There was only one day when their model was available and I was around.


So out on the village green with two off camera flashes, one as a key on a 7 foot stand about 5 feet to camera right with a big diffuser held in front of it (rather like a shoot through umbrella).
I used the other flash hand held as a kind of front-fill.

These were old Sunpak units run in Manual or "Strobist" mode. I set the Key light to 1/2 or 1/4 power and the fill was at full power as I was some distance away. All a matter of trial and error: Thank good ness for the rear screen review. The client helped by holding the key diffuser, but the big problem was the breezy conditions.




Its slowly turning dark, there's the threat of rain and its a bit windy (glad I didn't buy a shoot through umbrella after all)



So - its fortunate that one of us, Sienna the model, knows what she is doing

I'm older and a bit wiser now



Pete

[StephenL]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

Nice shots!

Is it just my eyes (or wishful thinking) or is her fly open in the first shot?

[theMusicMan]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

Nice shots!

Is it just my eyes (or wishful thinking) or is her fly open in the first shot?

Hehe... wishful thinking indeed Stephen

Pete: Very nice shots, with wonderful detail and exposure control - just perfect control on the lighting, really nice.

However, for fashion shots I do wonder about a few things...

• the composition cutting her feet off in the first image
• the clutter of the sign, light and metal rails in the same image
• the composition of the #2nd image - I'd have liked to see more of her face to put the jacket into some perspective
• the distracting undergarment (t-shirt/blouse perhaps) in the #2nd image popping out from the top of her jacket
• 'ladykiller' just cropped off in the #2nd image...

Hope you don't mind the comments.

Have to say though, what a fantastic expression Sienna has on the 1st shot. She looks lovely.

[snaarman]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

However, for fashion shots I do wonder about a few things...

• the composition cutting her feet off in the first image
• the clutter of the sign, light and metal rails in the same image
• the composition of the #2nd image - I'd have liked to see more of her face to put the jacket into some perspective
• the distracting undergarment (t-shirt/blouse perhaps) in the #2nd image popping out from the top of her jacket
• 'ladykiller' just cropped off in the #2nd image...

Hope you don't mind the comments.

Have to say though, what a fantastic expression Sienna has on the 1st shot. She looks lovely.

No, you are bang on with each one of those points. I had spotted some of them already. Trouble is (rather like wedding photography) its all happens much too fast for an old landscape photographer like me. You miss the best expression. The dear old 70-300 decides to go for one of its focus walks at just the wrong moment. The breeze blows the diffuser out of the VAL's hands at the wrong moment - so fine points of composition get lost in the panic.

However, I am much the wiser now. The old Sunpak flashes and the cheap Ishoot radio triggers worked flawlessly.

BTW, the indoor shots (cramped, low white ceiling, cream wall as backdrop with scuff marks and 13A socket in shot) were rubbish, and I don't propose to show them here....

As to the zip fly, I think its some fancy equestrian trousir thing. Anyway, its usually men that forget their zips ;-)

C'est la vie

Pete

[theMusicMan]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

Thanks Pete, for taking these as they were meant.

[snaarman]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

BTW, for those that don't know (and I didn't...)

In pro lighting circles, a V.A.L. is one of these new fangled "Voice Activated Lightstands".

I was deeply impressed when I heard of it: What a techincal world we live in!

No, it's a have-on. The Voice Activated Lightstand is, of course, your lighting assistant. You shout at them "up a bit" or "no snoot" or "quarter power" and they do it.

Great eh?

Pete

[theMusicMan]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

Yes indeed Pete, we could all do with one of these VAL's

[StephenL]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

The wife's got one of those. Me.

[Melaka]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

I'm tempted to take up riding again.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

I'm tempted to take up riding again.

Me too. And oddly enough, I didn't even notice the railings or the sign in the background.

However, I do often wonder about feet, and whether they should be included in portrait full length shots. I sometimes look at my own shots and ask myself why I didn't include the feet, or I include the feet and thenk they would have been better cropped out.

[Ian]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

I'm tempted to take up riding again.

Indeed, I used to ride regularly when I was living in Saffron Walden - even did a club competition and have a rosette somewhere!

The coincidence of most of my riding gear being lost when my car was stolen (and used in a bank raid as the getaway car!) and moving away from the area unfortunately saw my riding lapse. The children spent a couple of years riding at a local stable, but they got bored with it although both say they want to return to the pastime one day.

Pictures like these remind me why I took up the pastime in the first place

Ian

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Jodphurs

Thanks for the link from your "sold a print" thread, I missed this one.

Sienna is nice!

Can you post just one pic of the awful interior ones?

[snaarman]

Re: Jodphurs

Thanks for the link from your "sold a print" thread, I missed this one.

Sienna is nice!

Can you post just one pic of the awful interior ones?

Well, reluctantly because we don't like to show our poor work Here is an example reworked from the original shot. We had a low ceiling and I was using two off camera flashes. Right hand side bounced off the ceiling but about 5 feet up with a reflector behind to push more light forward. Left hand side and lower power also bounced off the ceiling.



The working space was really narrow, about three feet wide and each image needed the wall cleaning up. I set the colour balance to white from the cravat so that the clothes would have the correct colours.

Here as an experiment - I have replaced the awful background..




Hmm.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

I'm not sure the original background is awful, but the second photo looks nicely balanced & with a clearer view of her shaded eyes.

I know what you mean by being out of your comfort zone but it still can be fun once the ice is broken & the interaction steps up. All that's necessary is to keep a cool head & remember to check & use the right settings amidst the pace of the moment (something I don't always manage).

Our photography group have had models for us to try & practice with, but when they're under 15 we don't have the luxury of showing our efforts on the forums etc. (I'm not sure permission would be given for that from participants or parents).

[Internaut]

Re: Outside ones comfort zone

I think it's good to step out of our comfort zone every so often and it was nice to view both the pictures and the constructive comments. I liked image 3 BTW.