Tangents

lingerie photo session in the studio – model: Olena

February 18, 2013

lingerie photo session with studio flash – model: Olena

During this same photo session with Olena - the first in my new studio space - we also worked with just the studio flashes. Actually, this part of the photo session was first. An easy setup just to get things rolling.

Oh, the best part perhaps of this part of the photo session – I got to try out the Canon 6D (B&H). It’s an impressive camera! (More to come in a review article.)

We used two lights here – the main light was a Profoto D1 head in the massive Westcott 7′ Parabolic Umbrella (B&H). It’s an easy light modifier to use, since it gives a wrap-around light that is very forgiving. Forgiving to how the photographer places the light, and also forgiving to the subject – not that Olena really needed that!

The background light was another Profoto D1 head with a Profoto 7″ reflector (B&H) and a Profoto 10 degree grid (B&H).

Canon 6D (B&H); Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H)
1/80 @ f/8 @ 100 ISO

And then, to mix it up a bit, I shot directly into the huge Westcott 7′ Parabolic Umbrella (B&H), to get a silhouette image of Olena. The image was enhanced with Radlab filters for Photoshop to give a summery warm feeling as if she might be on the beach somewhere.

Canon 6D (B&H); Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H)
1/80 @ f/8 @ 100 ISO

The pull-back shot shows how it actually looked, and shows how Olena was framed against the umbrella.

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photo gear used

Canon 6D (B&H); Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (B&H)
Profoto D1 Air 500 W/s Monolight Studio Kit (B&H)
Profoto 10 degree grid (B&H); Profoto 7″ reflector (B&H)
Westcott 7′ Parabolic Umbrella (White / Black) (B&H)

- lingerie photo session: video light & studio flash - model: Olena
- lingerie photo shoot in the studio - model: Carly Erin
- colored gels with flash photography - model: Jessica Joy
- lighting a boudoir photo session - model: Carla Starla
- behind the scenes video – photo session with Ulorin Vex
- further articles on using video light for photography

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11 Comments »

Great shoot. The second shot is awesome Neil! Did you adjust the power on the parabolic from the first shot or was it left the same power? Camera settings are the same….

Comment by Scott — February 18, 2013 @ 10:00 am
Scott, as far as I recall, I didn’t change the power setting between the two different shots.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — February 18, 2013 @ 11:30 am
I don’t see any light on the backdrop at all so how did you get the round light gray look on the backdrop? It looks like a light lit up the center of the backdrop in the first image. Was that done in post processing?

Comment by Todd — February 18, 2013 @ 12:38 pm
Todd .. the vignetting you see there is mostly because of the post-processing.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — February 18, 2013 @ 1:00 pm
Neil, I notice you’re feathering the main. Looks really good. Except for size/aisle inconvenience, how do you think this 7 foot umbrella would fare for large group formals at a church?

Comment by Jim — February 18, 2013 @ 6:41 pm
Yup, I did feather the umbrella to get less light on the background.

This would be a great umbrella for group photos .. but the umbrella does focus the light since it is parabolic. It is huge though … and with this, I think a 45″ white shoot-through umbrella would be easier to work with.

However, I am guessing here. It would need some proper testing to see which umbrella gives the best spread of light … and is the most efficient.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — February 18, 2013 @ 10:11 pm
Just bought the 7 ft umbrella from BH. Would be very interested in you informing us which umbrella is best for group shots the 7 ft or the 45″ shoot through. I purchased the white c black backing, not the shoot through. Would that make a difference.
I also just purchased your latest book and I am eagerly awaiting its arrival to add to your 2 previous ones

Comment by Ron Lemish — February 20, 2013 @ 7:46 am
Neil, thx for the article. For the silhouette I can’t understand what did you meter your camera for?
If you had metered for the light, she would have came out completely black which is not the case, on the other hand I’m not sure you just metered for her otherwise you’d have got a pure white background that is not as well if I’m not mistaken (of course I know it’s yellow for the filter you applied later, but I’m talking about the luminosity)….

Comment by Giuseppe — February 25, 2013 @ 9:02 am
I didn’t meter. I used the same settings as for the previous sequence.

Neil vN

Comment by Neil vN — February 26, 2013 @ 2:42 am
Very nice shot! Looking forward to your review of the 6D!

Comment by Cedric — March 2, 2013 @ 6:16 pm
Just ordered your new book, to add to my collection of your others.

Also, just bought an 6D myself – can’t wait for your review. I was worried about only single cross focus point, but it works great. Was also worried that I’d miss my familiar Canon buttons – not a problem. Great low light focusing. The wifi was finicky at first but now plays well with the Canon and other software for previewing quickly on iPad. (after you set for jpeg only transfer).

But….. I am a TTL shooter (PW Flex and Mini), & geeks at PW are taking a while to reverse engineer 6D for a Beta test – aargh!

Comment by Kevin W. — March 3, 2013 @ 11:40 pm