Monday, November 16, 2009

Lauren #1

Bet you thought the next photo would be from Georgia, Louisiana or maybe the airshow. Lots of images to postprocess in the coming days and weeks, so the posts are gonna be kind of shotgun style for a while. I plan on working on things as I get inspired. This photo was part of a really great series that Cindi, Mike, Shirley and I did Sunday afternoon in Galveston. It was taken in one of the many great alleys down there. This was a "trash the dress" photo session with our terrific and patient model Lauren. We were trying to put some things into practice that we learned at the McNally workshop last weekend. Not the sharpest image I've ever shot, but I think a little softness isn't necessarily a bad thing in this kind of moody image. Nikon D200 with the 70-200 VR lens at 140mm, 1/100 sec at f 2.8, off camera flash from slightly below with a softbox and from behind with the latest craze in light modifiers -- the $1.99 plastic juice jug light sphere. McNally said about some of his models two weeks ago, you could shine a car headlight at them and get great results. Well, Lauren has such great, luminous skin tones I can now add that you can shoot light through a $1.99 plastic juice jug and get great results too.
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8 comments:

  1. LarryNovember 17, 2009 at 3:52 AM

    Well done portrait Steve. To me the background in this one is really complimentary. Nice job on the lighting as well.

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  2. Doug HaassNovember 17, 2009 at 4:51 AM

    Was the light modifier behind and to her right, your left? Really nice exposure and pose on this shot Steve. As Larry indicated the background is a great fit too.

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  3. CindiNovember 17, 2009 at 5:55 AM

    I am (pleasantly) surprised that so far the commentors have approved of the background, because not everyone gets the "Trash the Dress" concept. Lauren was such a trooper, I could (but won't) go into some things she stood in for us! And that juice-Fong was not THAT cheap --- I think it was $2.99. The sun is what is behind and to the left of Lauren, it was going down about then and flooded the alley with such a gorgeous light, because the wall opposite her was a creamy/white and the light just bounced around in there. Great, classic pose, beautiful model, interesting background, fantastic lighting (if I do say so myself!), it doesn't get any better!

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  4. Doug HaassNovember 17, 2009 at 9:33 AM

    So where was the Fong?

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  5. Steve SchuenkeNovember 17, 2009 at 9:58 AM

    OK, $2.99. Doug, it was a plastic juice bottle (about 12 inches high)with the top cut off wide enough to fit over the head of a flash unit with a little gaffer tape to secure it. It put out some really interesting light patterns. I believe in this one it was used as a hair light from off camera left.

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  6. AnonymousNovember 17, 2009 at 11:32 AM

    Beautiful lighting, Steve. I didn't get near that pretty a shot even with the same pose. Was I even there?!

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  7. Barry ArmerNovember 20, 2009 at 6:09 AM

    Finally a light modifier I can afford! :-)

    Great work Steve!

    Cheers!
    Barry

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  8. Larry J. PatrickNovember 20, 2009 at 9:26 AM

    The contrasty, yet softness of the background really helps set your subject off. Her expression and your light complement each other. Good portrait.

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