If we are not supplying catering on the day, we will have had to decide where to pick up a sandwich and refreshments for lunch on the way from one location to another, as it’s going to be a long afternoon shooting, Angela, the client, usually brings coffee and nibbles for everyone, so grazing in the morning will keep energy up. Lunch is a must for all, so somewhere on route it is essential to stop to pick it up so as not to waste too much time. Whilst I am in picking up, Carl will usually have started on the model with a change in hair and make-up for a slight change in look.
1.15 Location 2 – The Building
Location 2 was the outside of the university building in the city centre,
and, with a roadside lunch already demolished, the make-up was nearly
finished, ready for the second part of the shoot. The old university
building was being used as a location because we felt it would add a touch
of class to four of the dresses in the collection. The time of day was also
taken into consideration when selecting the location, so we could use the
slight backlighting, and the shaded area of the entrance gates, to separate
the model from the monochrome building.
Image – 07 Shade
When using a shaded area to shoot, such as this area with the gate column, it is important too bring a slight sharpness, or specularity, back to the natural light which is illuminating the model's face and dress. This is easily achieved with a Lastolite reflector. The choice of reflector finish is important at any time but especially in fashion where you need to control the reflected light more accurately so as not to over-cook the model and the scene with too harsh a return of the light. In this image, a large silver Lastolite Trigrip was used to illuminate the whole scene, model and gate area. This was achieved by positioning the reflector some distance away from the subject and camera, to reflect the light over the entire area.
Image – 08 Carl and Reflector
It's great when you have a stylist who is willing to step in and assist at times, and it’s a perfect example of how, on a fashion shoot, every one pitches in and becomes a small team on the day; it makes the shoot run more smoothly and the images are quicker to get with a little help, especially when a reflector or two are needed.
Image – 09 Reflected Light
The silver reflector adds a near spotlight effect on to the subject when used on a sunny day. Metering is no different than normal, as it is taken only when the reflector is in place, otherwise a dramatically over-exposed image would result.
Image – 10 Backlighting
In this shot I have moved the subject away from the pillar to allow the sun to fall on to the model's back and dress. It forms a natural back-light or rim-light effect, which is perfect for separating the subject from the background. The sunlight needs to be reflected back onto the subject not only to sharpen the ambient light on the face, but also to help with the balance of the light in the overall exposure. Otherwise the edges of the dress around the model would be fully burned out and start to flare back into the lens, which would need time spent in Photoshop to correct the problem.
Image – 11 Reflector Tracking
When a model is walking either away or towards the camera it is essential, if a reflector is being used to obtain the exposure in open light, that the assistant tracks the reflector at the same pace as the model, to maintain the correct exposure.
"…The silver reflector adds a near spotlight effect on to the subject…"
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