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We change the lights
around a bit, and right of the back, we make one of my favorite images
from this sitting.
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Okay,
sitting here drafting this
commentary makes me
think. I really like
this dual side lighting setup
-- it provides a nice
sculptural quality to the
figure. But it's one of
those lighting schemes that
might be nice for the figure
but not so nice for the
face. Here, it's kinda
nice to see just the barest
hint of Jolie's face.
So,
I'm conflicted -- I really
like eye contact with the
camera, but with this light,
eye contact means that the
face is in shadow. This
light would work well if the
model would turn her head
& face one of the light
sources, but while that would
be nice light on her face, it
would also mean that we'd be
producing an image where the
model is looking out of the
picture frame. I don't
like those pictures. I
always wonder what the model
is looking at.
So,
we'll make a few images this
way, but I suspect that we
won't stick with it for long.
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| Okay,
we abandon the dual side
lighting setup. I pull
over the big comfy chair &
set up one main light suspended
on a boom over the camera
position & another light
behind the chair, creating that
halo effect. This works
well for us. |
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This works well for
us, better than the dual side lighting setup.
I suspect that over
time, I can refine this further. I haven't decided yet how to
modify the main light. Here, there's a 16 inch reflector plus a diffuser;
given the distance between the light & the model, the light is
fairly harsh. We can experiment in future sittings with using a
softer or harder light source and with moving the light closer or
further away or higher.
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| I've
got a few posing taboos. One of these is that I don't like it
when a model points a limb directly towards the camera -- such a pose
makes the limb look short & stubby. This setup, with the
chair & ottoman perpendicular to the camera axis, encourages the
model to point her legs towards the camera. Jolie & I work
to find positions that don't foreshorten her legs. |
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| See?
Her thighs look long & yummy, but her shins look too short for
her thighs. It's an easy fix. |
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| Well,
here's a solution. Jolie is marvelously uninhibited.
Some models would be uncomfortable with a legs askance pose, but
careful lighting & camera angle can prevent the pose from
being too revealing. |
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| Here's
a favorite. The pose avoids the limb-towards-camera
problem. Jolie has a wonderfully erotic look on her face. |
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At
the moment, and now here weeks
afterward, I enjoy this
light. For me, studio
photography starts with the
lighting concept. A lot
of this is purposely counter
to my trends -- I tend to use
very soft light, but here, the
light is harder than I
normally use.
Also,
I tend to keep my distance
from the model, including
nearly all of her figure in
the image. Here, I slap
on the telephoto lens &
get "closer".
Sure, Jolie has lots of
physical charms, but she has
an exceptional &
expressive face. I like
taking a closer look.
It's
a good idea to break your
photographic habits once in a
while. Sometimes, all
you need to do is think about
doing the opposite of what you
usually do.
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Clearly, I'm enjoying
all this: Jolie, this lighting, the telephoto lens, etc.
One
observation: when I was working in film, I restricted myself to
about 100 exposures per three-hour sitting. That was because I
could develop 100 exposures in one batch, and it kept expenses in
check. (Think about it: a 100 exposure sitting costs maybe
$30-40 in film, $70+ in photographic paper, and four days in the
darkroom.
(Now,
I haven't switched to digital because it's cheaper -- I've switched
because I needed the focus assist & because I didn't have the time
to spend in the darkroom).
Nowadays, I make
maybe 300+ exposures in that three hour sitting, using the digital
camera. Sometimes, I think that's too much. I should
be more selective of the exposures I make. Why? Because
when I make so many exposures, I'm feeling like I am just in the
vicinity of a good image & hope that I'll catch one.
Instead, I should be in control, creating that good image, instead of
just hoping that one of the many exposures is good.
This is worthy of
more thought.
(I say this besides
one of my favorite images from this sitting).
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I
asked Jolie to show me a
messy-hair pose. She
looks darn sexy with messy
hair.
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| I
encourage Jolie to move all over the chair. I particularly
like the poses where she's leaning forward towards the camera. |
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First
sittings with new-to-me models are
always a challenge. This one had
an additional complication -- a new
camera. So, I prepare. I
like to think of about 4 or 5
different concepts, with the
understanding that I'll implement the
3 or so that make the most
sense. An advantage is that it
simplifies the sitting, and I have the
opportunity to tell the model about
the concepts before the sitting, so
that she can be prepared.
So,
with a curvy model like Jolie, I had
in mind to try some images with her
lit from above. We try that.
This
sitting concludes with Lit
From Above
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