Final Report – Industrial Portrait

The initial lighting set up plan had to be changed to:

1- The flash is the main, using the available light and another flash as fill.

2- Used a 50 mm lens, it gave nice soft blur to the background

3- Aperture f 2.8-3.5. Kept the subject and the environment in focus

4- Speed : 1/125 sec

5- Yes, we had enough available light

6- Yes, we had enough strobes

7- Not too much light

8- White balance and contrast.

9- Color balance : green gels and grey card

10- Next time bring more green gels and some cleaning products (you never know when you have to clean, especially in an industrial lab)

The challenge with this assignment was the use of lights – the position, the distance etc. So, we had the change our initial set up plan, to have a strobe bouncing from the ceiling in order to avoid the harsh shadows on the machine. Having it bounced from the ceiling, the light was more diffused and more “spilled” over the environment. We installed the soft box maybe 5 feet away but in front of the machine; it created a nice light on the subject’s face hair and give a nicer texture and contrast to the whole shot.

The black curtains used as a gobo to block the reflection of the neon was a very good idea. The polarizer filter was also a great idea, killing the big reflex ions of the neon on the top of the machine.

Assignment 4 Environmental Portrait Indoors

1. What is your intention in terms of how you plan to use the available light (as your main, your fill or even a hair light)?

We will be using the ambient light as main light, and bring 2 (two) lights as fill.

2. What is the reason for your lens choice (do you want the compression of a long lens or the exaggerated perspective of a wide angle)?

Will be using a 50 mm at f 1.4, to give more clarity to the subject and environment

3. What aperture do you plan to use and why?

F 5.6 - F8 to in order to keep everything in focus

4. What shutter speed to you plan to use and why?

1/125 sec

5. Do you have enough available light to achieve these camera settings?

Yes, there is enough available light

6. Do you have enough strobe to achieve these settings?

We will be bring 1 profoto kit - 2 strobes

7. Do you have too much light to achieve these settings?

No, there should be just fine

8. Are there any technical problems with your test shot that will need to be addressed at the shoot or in post-production?

The above lights (the neon) are reflecting into a window screen (between the subject and machine). We will be using a 1 m x 3 m black fabric to block the light (a gobo kind of) and a polorized filter.

9. How will you be addressing color balance?

A grey card will be used prior to the shoot in order to set a proper white balance.

10. What is the equipment you will need for the shoot?

1 profoto kit

2 black stands

2 soft boxes

duct tape

white card - reflector

gobo - black fabric 1m / 3 m

2 grey stands with middle bar to support the fabric

2 clamps

1 extension cord

1 light meter

1 receiver and 1 trigger

step ladder

Are there any other special requirements or preparation (ie: permits, models, crew, research etc..)?

No

Editorial Portrait - Final photo shoot

The final shoot took place on the morning of March 13 as planned. The weather was slightly different from the day of the pre-light, no rain.

The technical problems i was faced with using my camera (Canon):

The off camera flash (sunpak) mounted on a stand was working on and off, it was not triggered by the one on camera (Canon 430 EX II), therefore I had to switch my camera with the Audrey's one (switched from a Canon to Nikon) in order- to accomplish my assignment.

By swtiching to Nikon, i faced a different challange: the camera will not sync at a shutter speed higher the 1/200 sec, with the flash. That being said my background was not as dark as i wanted, and the flash was not as strong.

Overall I am ok with the photo-shoot.

• Shoot at f8 - 1/200s @ 75mm, ISO 200
• Flash used at full power
• Color balance easy to achieve, the background was grey, so it made it easier
• Used 1 camera (Nikon), 1 flash SB 800 (no beauty dish as initally planned)
• There was just enough available light
  

Lesson learned: I got home and ordered a flash trigger in order to avoid the above mentioned technical issues.

Assignment 2 - Editorial portrait - Pre - light test

Pre-light report

1- Available light will be used as a fill light – the flash will be used as main. Background will be darker – probably 2 stops down from the main light

2- For testing I used a 50 mm lens at f2.8 / ISO 200 / 1/. I am planning to use a wide angle lens if available, to get more perspective.

3- F/8 – F/11 that I found really well for a portrait (focus on the subject) and not allowing the background to be out of focus

4- The shutter speed would be at 1/200s at least in order to darken the background

5- As I am planning to keep the available light just as a fill, and actually keep it dark – I am not worried too much about the available light

6- I will use one flash (speedlight) Cannon 430 EX II with a portable beauty dish or an umbrellas as back-up

7- I will have probably just enough light – looking at the weather forecast, it seems we are “lucky” to have the same kind of weather we had for the testing. I believe I am able to achieve my shoot with just one flash.

8- Having to shoot a full length portrait, the post production will be probably more difficult If the ground will be wet and full of puddles. I might re-think the shoot and take a ¾ length instead.

9- Will use a grey card.

10- Equipment :

- wide angle 16-24mm or a 50 mm (portrait lens)

- 1 stand

- 2 external flashes (one Canon (main) to be used on the stand and one Sunpack flash to be used on camera and to trigger the canon one.

- 1 umbrella (in case)

- 1 umbrella mount

- 1 optical slave

- 1 reflector

- 1 light meter

- 1 tripod

- 1 portable beauty dish

- Plastic bag rain cover for the camera

- Plastic bags to cover the equipment

- Milk crates to keep the equipment off the ground in case of rain or snow

- Umbrellas for the rain

- Backup batteries for flash and camera

• I need a backup plan in case we don’t have the permission to shoot under the bridge (in such case I will choose to shoot along the river, on the bike trail)
• I have a model available for Sunday
• Make-up has to be appropriate (the model is actually a make-up artist)
• Appropriate clothing for the weather as well as for the shoot

Insiprational photograph
Photographer: Unknown

• 

Testing photograph:

Gourmet Magazine Cover - Final Shoot

We both decided that indeed, the floor location is more attractive, and more fit for our dish. The composition we decided to go was the plate on the floor center - right in the frame.

- The available light was used a main light
- The fill light was a small soft box at about 3.5 feet away from the ground pointing down on the plate.
- A kicker light with a grid (size 10) was used at 2 feet above the ground hitting the plate from back - left.
- We used a 18 - 200 mm VR (Nikkor lens) at f 5.6 and focal lense 55mm - in order to keep the subject very sharp
- ISO choosen 200
- Shutter speed was very slow (about 1/8sec), camera was on a tripod at 2 feet above the ground, and we used a remote control in order to avoid any movement of the camera
- We had enought available light
- We had enough strobes
- We had the appropiate equipment
- The color balance was set on site, and slightly adjusted in post production
- We cleaned the floor

Small technical issues:
- Extension cords - Some close by outlets were out of order, so we had to use the far away ones. The cords were a bit stretched - I used masking tape to tape them to the floor to avoid tripping over.
- The kicker light was creating some shadows that we fixed by reducing the power and repositioning.

Overall impresion - quite a challenging shoot, but we are happy with the final shot.

If I was to re-shoot this assignment (professionaly) I would use:

- a food stylist
- more extension cords
- different type of kicker light for more texture or even a snoot
- some reflectors

Assignment 2 - Pre light report

There are two options I could use for this assignment: 1 - plate on the floor, under more than enough ambient light (tungsten) that I can use to my advantage 2 - plate on the table, having a more restaurant feeling type of shoot. The other tables and the environment is used as a background. Option 1 is easier - i only have to deal with some reflection on the floor - that can be probably solved by using the polarizer filter. Option 2 it gives you an better feeling of the environment itself. I believe i will go with my first option, just because i am thinking is the magazine is a gourmet one, and it focuses on the food.

Pre-Light information

1- Camera position: 2.5 - 3 ft from the ground at 45 degrees angle, on plate.

2- Subject position: on the floor.

3- Long lens at around 110mm at maybe f/8-f/11. 200 ISO

4- Lights : available light reading - about 1/35 at f/5.6 available light really bright

5- Additional lights: one small softbox as my main light and one tungsten with a grid for a kicker.

6- Polarizer filter

Report

1- Available light is the fill because I cannot control it or change it. The softbox is the main to give a nice light soft and an even illumination (balance). I will add a kicker to give more texture, highlights and contrast.

2- I will be using a 18-200 mm lens to give more compression of the picture and it will add more softness to the background.

3- The aperture is going to be f/8 or f/11. The plate has to be sharp and in focus everywhere. But the background, in this case, the floor can be out of focus to give more attention

on the subject.

4- The shutter speed can be slow because the subject is still. Its going be around 1/30 or more. I have to be aware of the food; pastas are flattering really fast. A use of the tripod is mandatory.

5- Yes I have enough available light, because it has to stay fill light. I just have to control the main one

6- Yes I have enough strobe. I am going to only keep the modeling light. It’s easier to work like that for product because of the mix of the colors of lights and because food is not in motion, I don’t need to have flash. I don’t want to lit too much the background, it may create too much reflection and interfere with the test on the cover.

7- I don’t have too much light, in that case I am really in control of lights.

8- I will need a good tripod and a polarizer filter to correct the reflection issues. I will need to work fast with the real plate because of the texture of pastas.

9- Because I am using only tungsten lights, I will take a shot with a grey card on the spot.

10- Equipment :

- 1 profoto kit

- 1 small softbox

- 1 umbrella (just in case)

- 3 stands

- 5 extensions cords

- 1 light meter

- 1 grid (10)

- Polarizer filter

- Tripod

- Little white card (as reflectors)

- Grey card

Special requirements: We have the permission via Valerie. I did a research about what should look the pasta with ‘’brie sauce’’ (White-beige creamy look).

I am going to ask to the cook to add some herbs or green decoration to the plate to add more color with the brie sauce and the tomatoes (the cook was not looking really sure to have some). I will bring with me just in case not available in the kitchen.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Assignment 1 - Final shot

I will start by agreeing with Valerie, on choosing a very challenging location. The low ceiling, the background, which was a natural source of ambient light, and that created a large problem in relation to our model.

I will try to narrow down the issues I was faced with:

1. Low ceiling which made it difficult to bounce the lights of

2. Mix of ambient light, natural light (coming from the outdoors throughout he big windows we choose as a background) florescent light and tungsten light

3. The focus point / depth of field – the lens chosen for the shoot was a fixed one, canon 50 mm, f 1.4. The aperture chosen for the shoot: F 2.8, shutter speed: 1/200s, ISO: 400 (our target was to blur out the background, and keep the subject in focus) - the subject was slightly out of focus.

I adjusted the camera to the ideal settings for this type of shoot f.8 at 1/160s ISO 400, the result seemed to be the same: subject slightly out of focus.

4. The lighting reflecting into the background windows – requires bracketing and a more complex post production

5. The chromatic aberration around the subject, due to the background ‘source of light

Overall, not totally satisfied with the shoot, and to keep it in a “happy” note I am left with only two samples (not 100 % the best) of my shoot, as my compact flash card has decided it is time to die on me.

It was a bit of a more in depth post production process in order to bring the image to a better quality and apt for a cover magazine

As a final note: It was an experience, I will never choose a location like this one (I had my doubts about it, but…).