Advice for first studio-type shoot

steelerdean

steelerdean

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Dean
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Hey everyone. Some time in the next few weeks I will be performing my first studio-type shoot. I say 'type' because it won't be in a dedicated studio as such, just a room which I will set up as needed.

I'm shooting a male hockey team for a women's calendar so we're talking upper body topless shots. I've had a look at a few examples done over the last few years and have decided i'll be going for a dark shoot so have purchased a sheet of black muslin for the background and will be hiring a 3 light system to try different things with the lighting.

The kind of effect i'm hoping to get is as in the below picture:-


Screen Shot 2012-11-25 at 23.39.17 by jumper80, on Flickr

Because they'll be naked from the waist up i'm hoping for some real emphasis on the skin, with nothing else in the picture taking away from this hence my decision to go for the dark shoot and black background. This is my first time doing anything like this and while i've got a general idea what I need to be doing, i'm a sports photographer normally so any advice anyone could offer before the day would be greatly appreciated!

For information, i'll be shooting with a Nikon D3 body and Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 lens. The lighting kit is being hired from a friend who is a videographer so don't know the exact details, but can find out if this is something you'd need to know.
 
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The lighting kit doesn't matter as such, although I'm a bit concerned that he's a videographer - if it's a kit that he uses for videography then it will be a continuous lighting kit, which will be far from ideal.

Constant lighting isn't ideal for various reasons, but the real problem is that it will likely consist of nothing but softboxes. What you need to a strong, directional light such as a honeycombed softbox that can skim across the body at an acute angle, emphasising the muscle tone etc. Other tools that can do the job as well or better are beauty dishes and honeycombed standard reflectors - neither of which are used by most videographers.
 
Hi Dean,

I'm not that far from you. I have pretty much all the kit you'd need to do this shoot. If you'd like to pop down one day to have a practice before you do the shoot so you have more of an idea before you dive in yourself you're more than welcome to. :)
 
Garry Edwards said:
The lighting kit doesn't matter as such, although I'm a bit concerned that he's a videographer - if it's a kit that he uses for videography then it will be a continuous lighting kit, which will be far from ideal.

Constant lighting isn't ideal for various reasons, but the real problem is that it will likely consist of nothing but softboxes. What you need to a strong, directional light such as a honeycombed softbox that can skim across the body at an acute angle, emphasising the muscle tone etc. Other tools that can do the job as well or better are beauty dishes and honeycombed standard reflectors - neither of which are used by most videographers.
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It is a continuous lighting kit that's right (which I know isn't ideal but its not the best paying shoot so have had to cut costs a little), but if memory serves out of the 3 lights he has only one of them is a softbox. The other 2 are similar to the ones in the link below:-

http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/1751422/art/ianiro/ianiro-lilliput-mains-pow.html

I've sent him a message to ask him what the make/model of them is.
 
Mank said:
Hi Dean,

I'm not that far from you. I have pretty much all the kit you'd need to do this shoot. If you'd like to pop down one day to have a practice before you do the shoot so you have more of an idea before you dive in yourself you're more than welcome to. :)
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That's extremely kind of you Rob, thanks you very much. I think I may take you up on that offer if you don't mind. Where abouts are you?
 
steelerdean said:
That's extremely kind of you Rob, thanks you very much. I think I may take you up on that offer if you don't mind. Where abouts are you?
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I'm in a Village called Thurnscoe if you know it. Its in the Dearne area. Aren't you from Rawmarsh way? If so you're not too far away at all. :)
 
Mank said:
I'm in a Village called Thurnscoe if you know it. Its in the Dearne area. Aren't you from Rawmarsh way? If so you're not too far away at all. :)
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Swinton, just next door to Rawmarsh so a stones throw from you! Absolutely perfect, I really appreciate the offer. Could you DM me your address please mate? Just need to check what i've got on this week when I get to work tomorrow but will absolutely take you up on your offer if you don't mind.
 
steelerdean said:
This is why I love this forum - full of generous and friendly people like yourself! :thumbs:
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That's a brilliant offer, and very generous. From what you've said about the video kit, I think you'd be a bit stuck without it :thumbs:
 
Mank said:
I'm in a Village called Thurnscoe if you know it. Its in the Dearne area. Aren't you from Rawmarsh way? If so you're not too far away at all. :)
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Didn't realise you were so close. Hi!

Top offer of help too.
 
Just spent an extremely useful few hours with Rob where i've realised that I don't actually know how I would have gone on next week if he hadn't let me do a little practice at his studio.

Rob, once again I really really appreciate the time you've spent with me tonight. I now know exactly what i'm doing and the few bits off you combined with the purchase of the triggers and such should put me in a good position for next week. Top man - definitely owe you a pint or 50 !!
 
Top man Rob :thumbs:

I hope the shoot goes well for you Dean
 
Unfortunately due to my little girl being ill i've had to delay the shoot until next week. What this has done is given me a little more time to make sure I have everything I need. With the superb help from Rob, I will shortly have myself a simple setup made up of 2 speedlights on stands with umbrellas and a black vinyl backdrop with supports. I know this is a far cry from anything top of the line but after spending time in Rob's home studio I can see its a milliion times better than trying to rely on some continuous lighting - couldn't believe the difference if i'm honest!

The only thing I think I may need now is some sort of continuous lighting to simply light my subject to allow my camera to focus - the shoot next week will be a dark one as I mentioned in my original post so I will be using a room with no windows and the lights off. I was looking at something like this:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Studio-Re...StudioEquipment_RL&hash=item1c2cd1cef7&_uhb=1

But if i'm completely honest, I didn't even want to spend that much. Does anyone have any tips for a cheap, continuous light simply to allow my camera to focus?
 
Well, i've done it. The shoot is complete and i'm reasonably happy with my shots. I've picked out 2 of my favourites and would welcome some feedback.

Am I ok with the jockstrap one being up here with it being pretty revealing?

1.

DJW_7924 by jumper80, on Flickr

2.

DJW_7879 by jumper80, on Flickr
 
Studi0488 said:
cant put my fingervon it, but something is not right.
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Is it the lighting? Or the poses? Anything you could explain at all would be really useful.
 
steelerdean said:
Is it the lighting? Or the poses? Anything you could explain at all would be really useful.
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A good effort, but basically your lighting is far too flat, you haven't followed the advice I gave earlier
What you need to a strong, directional light such as a honeycombed softbox that can skim across the body at an acute angle, emphasising the muscle tone etc.
Click to expand...
 
Garry Edwards said:
A good effort, but basically your lighting is far too flat, you haven't followed the advice I gave earlier
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It wasn't a matter of not following your advice as such, it was simply what I had available to work with for my first shoot of this type. I did try to do what I could with the constant tv light with barn doors but my main lights were my two flashes on stands in umbrellas.
 
steelerdean said:
It wasn't a matter of not following your advice as such, it was simply what I had available to work with for my first shoot of this type. I did try to do what I could with the constant tv light with barn doors but my main lights were my two flashes on stands in umbrellas.
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Your constant light will have made no difference, it's irrelevant.
Umbrellas would have been fine, assuming that they are reflective umbrellas (not the shoot through type)

But they needed to be positioned correctly, and they weren't.
Lighting is all about the direction of the light, and hardly anything to do with the quantity of it.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Your constant light will have made no difference, it's irrelevant.
Umbrellas would have been fine, assuming that they are reflective umbrellas (not the shoot through type)

But they needed to be positioned correctly, and they weren't.
Lighting is all about the direction of the light, and hardly anything to do with the quantity of it.
Click to expand...

Ok I think I see what you're getting at.

In picture 1, I've purposely positioned the flash directly in front of his body with the intention of having the shadow drop off on his face for a little 'mystery' in the shot, and lighting his body for the ladies to see. By doing that, have I overdone the light on his body?
 
Basically yes, IMO you've overdone it - what was needed here was a shot of his body, with the light at an acute angle as previously suggested. That would have revealed the muscle tone/texture/shape, which your lighting completely failed to do. The first shot is far closer to revealing these qualities than the second, which reveals none at all IMO.

But that's just what I would have done, if I was working to the brief you mentioned originally. It doesn't mean that the way you did it is wrong, just that it isn't what I personally would have done.
 
Thanks for the advice Garry. Long way to go for me. Good news is I showed the shots yesterday and they're really happy with them.

Time for me to use my new found gear and interest to do some practicing now!
 
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