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…).