Photo session – Modern Gypsies – golden birds
Another series from the recent publicity photo session with the Modern Gypsies, with two of the girls in costume, as golden birds. With costumes this detailed and complex, I wanted a simpler background. One that didn’t intrude, and somehow complemented the subjects. Classic architecture!
Here are the behind-the-scenes images to how we came to some killer photographs for them …
We started half a block away from where we were going to shoot, getting ready in the street. This of course gets a lot of attention from the passersby on this busy Manhattan Street. But on this day, there was a distraction of people loudly arguing and shoving each other two shop-fronts away. Interesting how something like the two girls getting ready in these costumes, aren’t the most interesting thing happening right there and then.
On the steps of the post office – the destination I had in mind for this part of the photo session.
The lighting was the portable and trustworthy Profoto Acute B2 600 Ws powerpack (affiliate) with a Profoto beauty dish (affiliate) and a sock over the beauty dish.
For comparison, here is the available light shot so you can see the effect of the flash.
The photograph, pretty much straight out of camera, except for a slight tweak of the color balance.
camera settings: 1/100 @ f/8 @ 800 ISO
Since the theme is Golden Birds, I wanted the final photograph to be much warmer than the neutral image. So I snazzed it up in post-processing, using a Photoshop filter.
I also did closer-up shots of each of the two performers. Again, the image was post-processed to give it a really warm tone.
camera settings: 1/160 @ f/4.0 @ 800 ISO
And for comparison, the photo without lighting from the Profoto setup, and the photograph un-processed.
Photo gear (or equivalents) used in this photo session
- Nikon D4
- Nikon 24-70mm f2.8G AF-S / Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II
- Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 AF-S VR II / Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
- Profoto Acute B2 600 Ws power pack
or alternately, the Profoto B1 500 Ws portable flash - Profoto beauty dish with a 22″ sock for a beauty dish
- Manfrotto 1004BAC – tall light-stand
More of this photo session
- Modern Gypsies – Silver Birds
- Modern Gypsies – floating bubbles
- Modern Gypsies – stilt-walking Showgirl
More info about the Modern Gypsies
- Modern Gypsies website
- Modern Gypsies Productions on Facebook
A little bit of homework
- Why did my assistant pull back the flash and point it slightly upward, instead of directly at the subjects?
The transformation is amazing. Thank you for sharing your work and breaking it down step by step.
These rock Neil…and it was all available light!
HW: to feather the light
Hi Neil,
Thanks for sharing – I always enjoy your BTS blog posts. Just wondering, why did you not use your new Westcott Rapid Box instead? Why this beauty dish… So far away from the girls?
I used the Profoto during the entire day. I used it instead of a speedlight, because I knew I’d be working in very bright sunlight at some point. Then a speedlight just doesn’t quite cut it compared to the much higher-powered Profoto.
– Modern Gypsies – Silver Birds
– Modern Gypsies – floating bubbles
– Modern Gypsies – stilt-walking Showgirl
Regarding the distance – I wanted to get sweeping wide-angle shots as well, which would include the architecture. So I had to move the flash setup back.
Ditto the light feather… force the fall off to the bottom and maybe sparkle the pillars a lil bit. LOVE the post production Neil!
Great shots!
Hw: he pulled back the light because the subjects are not equal distance from the light, so using the inverse square law if you back of the light, there will be “deeper” areas where both of them will be evenly lit. He tilted it up to feather the light and avoid a hot spot.
Yup on feathering the light, so that there is less light on the foreground. Otherwise the foreground would be over-lit.
The inverse square law doesn’t quite kick in with this though.
Hello Neil, I know this is off topic but I was hoping you could shed some light about photography permits in NJ and NY. When using a lighting setup like this are there specific locations where it’s easier to shoot withought a ridiculously expensive permit or are there ways around it (eg handheld strobes+assistant vs light stands). Any examples of specific locations would be greatly appreciated! I continuosly find myself in situations where I would have to pay several hundred dollars and wait weeks for a permit to do an engagement shoot in NJ (eg Hoboken). All I ever use is a quadra and a soft box….