Another image.
Below, the styling crew is getting the model ready. Here the makeup artist is applying a touch up.
The assisting crew is assembling the strobe gear.
The ducks are just hanging out.
This fashion image was shot on Lake Como in Northern Italy just after sunset. I had shot in this town several times before and I wanted to find a new location so I spotted a small harbor. I drove to a parking lot close by and asked the crew to wait while I scouted.
I found what I was looking for so I hot footed back to the van and moved it to another parking lot so we could have everything close. As soon as we arrived the model changed and my styling team worked on the wardrobe and hair & makeup. I asked my assisting crew to set up the strobes I wanted to use.
There was still a lot of skylight so in order to separate the model & rock wall from the rest of the scene, I had an assistant get on top of the wall and hold a softbox, with a grid on the front of the softbox, out and over the model.
I used the grid to restrict the light to mostly in a downward direction. This limits the light to where I really want most of it to go, onto the model. By using a strobe and raising the light output from the strobe system I am able to "Overpower" the ambient light and make it look darker that it really is. By adjusting the shutter speed, f-stop & ISO, I am able to get the exposure I'm looking for.
Feel free to share, short link: stpvd.com/21/4
The Gear:
Canon camera - 1/200 second 1250 ISO with a
Canon 200mm f2 lens with a 2X converter (400mm effective focal length) at f4 sitting on a
Sachtler fluid head mounted onto a
Gitzo CF Series 3 tripod.
The Light:
FourSquare "Travel" softbox and handle plus a
Lighttools 40° grid attached, powered by a
Lumedyne 200ws battery powered pack set at 100 W.S.
Sunbounce boomstick with a
Manfrotto umbrella adapter
All mixed with ambient light.
All images and this entire website is © Steve Thornton