litebook the creative lighting magazine
Craig STIDHAM Christian HOUGH Step-by-Step fashion shoot lighting tutorial.
Studio B "There was no doubt in my mind that we should utilise the Bowens system in Studio B."
2015 Iss. 2 02 9 772041 067151
Passing on knowledge is the driving force.
Jake HICKS The secrets of soft coloured gel lighting.
W E LC O M E
L
ight is everything is of course our corporate mantra – but I now confess to being a bit dazed. I read the other day that it might be the case that electric bulbs don't emit light; they suck dark instead. This has given rise to the dark sucker theory – that darkness has mass and is heavier than light. Ergo, the larger the dark sucker, the greater its capacity to suck dark. Apparently dark suckers make our lives much easier…. but I’m now not sure how we brief our #TeamBowens seminar speakers to teach studio darkness theories rather than continue to extol the more traditional studio lighting ideas. This has been my real worryof-the-week, particularly when I started to think about the 576 ‘super bright’ power
LEDs that reticulate our popular Mosaic Daylight LED panel. It has to be said that I would not expect 576 ‘super dark’ equivalents to sell quite so well. So for now our globetrotting #TeamBowens experts will plough on…guaranteeing that no aspiring photographer need ever be left in the dark about light. Our free education programme populated by an international cast of some of the most accomplished ‘Masters of Light’ on the planet will see to that. In what now seems like a hundred years ago our priceless photoambassadors at TPS: Wayne Johns, Jake Hicks, Trevor and Faye Yerbury, Nick Webster, Christina Lauder, Bruce Smith and Christian Hough mesmerized audiences at our all-day, everyday nonstop timetable of free lighting demonstrations and stage-
set masterclasses - and it was all so good that we’ve already signed up for an even better programme at The NEC next year. As multi-award-winning photographer and tutor Tony Corbell says: “The #TeamBowens concept is simple. Each team member understands lighting control and knows how to teach this skill. We will be helping photographers of all abilities. We just want to make a difference.” If you want to ‘get with the programme’ go to www. teambowens.com now and sign up. *Of course the dark suckers thing might just have been a wind-up. But these days you never quite know. David Hollingsworth. Editor.
litebook: Published by Bowens International Ltd. Gilberd Court, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9WN. Email: litebook@bowens.co.uk - Any prices quoted are correct at time of press but may vary by retailer and are subject to change at any time. All models and technical specifications featured are subject to change and without notice. ‘Bowens’® and ‘the power behind the picture’® are registered trademarks of Bowens International Ltd. © 2015 Bowens International Ltd. E&OE. // Cover and contents page image: ©Christina Lauder - ChristinaLauderPortraits.com
CONTENTS 04
PROfile: Christina Lauder. Multi-awardwinning portrait photographer, newly-nominated #TeamBowens member and recent Fellow of The Societies.
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Working Space: Studio B. “The time had definitely come to move up to something that would give the business the opportunity to grow,”
Quick Tips with Jake Hicks. This issue Jake shows us how to make a bold statement using the secrets of soft coloured gel lighting.
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LiteBites with Christian Hough. "There are times when you need to be more hands-on with your lighting in order to add a little more drama."
PROfile: Craig Stidham. "I had to take another art class and the only thing on offer was photography, so I decided to go for that. I was quite resistant and I'm guessing I was not easy to teach.”
Profile
Christina Lauder
EAT CAKE Let them
M
arie-antoinette (1755-93), the Queen of consort of Louis XVI allegedly suggested that the cash-strapped French populace of the time should eat cake as a low-cost alternative to the staple loaf.
Now, in a 21st century Leicestershire photo-studio, an inspired multi-award- winning portrait photographer - and newly-nominated member of #TeamBowens - has masterminded her own version of the Gallic aphorism.
"Competitions & awards actually serve to drive my creativity."
The famed Christina Lauder toddler ‘cake smash’ has become a big hit with local parents looking for photographic innovation. Here’s the deal: in this particular portrait session option Christina provides £35 worth of exquisitely squishy cream cake and then employs her formidable talent to capture small children revelling in photogenic splendour at
their new-found freedom of expression. Says Christina: “With cake smash we’re mainly talking about 1-2 year olds, and of course the intention is that these little ones end up both eating and wearing the flan, but they just love the fun of it – and I do make sure I’ve also got some good pre-chaos pictures first.”
But this year Canadian-born Christina has also found herself revelling in new-found freedom of expression. She has recently gained Fellowship of The Societies (FSWPP), collected four major awards in less than two years (including, The Societies’ Portrait Studio Photographer of the Year 2013 and Baby Portrait Photographer of The Year 2014) and she’s been
Christina Lauder
selected to join an elite group of photo-mentors at #TeamBowens - the groundbreaking education programme for aspirational photographers across the world. But Christina hasn’t always been a disciple of the traditional photo-qualifications paradigm. She admits: “Years ago, when I first heard about these professional levels of qualification I dismissed the whole idea because I never thought I would need to bother. But now the truth is that each time I gain a qualification or an award I feel completely driven to get another one. I have discovered that competitions and awards actually serve to drive my creativity. I know that doesn’t work for everyone but it certainly does for me. And the added value is that every client of mine has the potential to be a part of the next award win. You never know who’s going to walk through the studio door, what they are going to be like
and what you might be able to create.” She adds “I am really proud to gain my Fellowship at The Societies. I spent the whole of last year dreaming about it, thinking about the panel I needed to produce and then planning for it. Now it’s just such an amazing feeling of accomplishment. I thought the ‘high’ would have evaporated after about a month but it hasn’t.” Colin Jones, a director at The Societies tells Litebook: “Christina’s Fellowship Award is very well deserved. Fellowship is attained by just 1% of our membership and Christina worked tirelessly to reach this level. She became an Associate four years ago and achieved the ultimate FSWPP honour at The Societies’ 2015 Convention.” He adds: “Qualifications like these provide a fantastic opportunity for photographers to gain both professional kudos and priceless feedback on their work. The process of having
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images critiqued and approved help photographers to self -examine their work to a much higher level.” Christina launched her photographic career just nine years ago. She moved to the UK from Toronto as part of a job transfer in her former commercial world of IT and software sales. “I left work to have my daughter in 2003 and then found it almost impossible to get back into the IT sector” she reflects. “The fact is I had wanted to be a photographer from eight years old – but in Canada you don’t go to university to study photography. I used to think that like actors and rock stars, only a few photographers could ever make a decent living at the profession.” She decided to take the plunge and pick up a camera plus four Bowens monoblocs. “I knew this would be my dream job and if I became a professional social photographer working
'I want to get the message out through
TeamBowens
that there is money to be made if you do it properly'.
Six years ago she and her husband committed £35,000 to the construction of a high quality 28ft x 14ft studio in her back garden – fitted it with Bowens equipment and has never looked back.
Incredibly, I’ve had these lights for nine years now and nothing has ever gone wrong with them. I bought a spare flash tube at the same time because I didn’t want to get caught out if anything failed – and I have yet to use it!
the best part of a decade.” She adds: “For me Bowens just need to carry on developing their light modifier programme because that is where I intend to spend more money. I have the standard barn doors, snoots, softboxes and a beauty dish….and now I am poised to expand on what I can do and the variety of lighting effects I can generate with different modifiers.
“I had been using Bowens lighting gear from the start – after a friend had recommended it,” she notes.
All I have ever changed is fuses – and that’s generally when a modelling lamp goes. That’s not bad in terms of reliability over
I don’t have ring flash yet but it’s on my wish list. I have been used to photographing a lot of babies and small children and
from a home-based studio it would afford me sufficient flexibility to be there for my children but still enable me to do what I loved doing.”
“I just had a couple of Gemini 250s – I never really needed more power than that for the way I light my studio.
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Christina Lauder
'I want to have COMPLETE LIGHTING CONTROL.' wouldn’t probably use it in those sessions - but now I intend to shoot more teenagers and the ring flash option will enable me to concentrate more on appropriate fashion-style shoots with them.” “A new Lumiair Octobank softbox set-up is on the cards too. I love the pool of wraparound light it produces and its excellent catch-light and vignette possibilities.” Christina is predominantly studio-based. “I don’t shoot outside if I can help it,” she
says. “I want to have complete lighting control and I don’t want to have to worry about sunlight.” A Canon 5D MK111 is her capture weapon of choice – but she’s not shooting video with it. At least not yet. “I am sure I will be adding video to the equation but the truth is none of my clients has yet asked for it,” she confirms. Christina embraces an ‘unhurried’ shooting style, does not run ‘back-to-back
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production line’ shoots at her home studio and always engages with clients on preshoot exchanges of ideas. “I prefer a relaxed shooting environment where my clients ultimately become my friends,” she states. “My style is really quite classical in approach and execution. There is directional lighting in my work that lowerend photographers don’t seem to incorporate. And to be frank I don’t think these lower-end shooters have a proper grasp of lighting at all. They like to have a floodlit
christina's key equipment Gemini 400 haven’t failed me once. Low enough in power for me to shoot at f2.8, but bright enough to get up to f16 also.
Lumiair Octobank 90 - this is a dream softbox provides a beautiful soft, warp around light. It’s ideal for child portraiture.
Lumiair Octabank 90 Grid I love the extra control I get with grids to help darken my background and reduce glare.
'I learnt that a photograph is OF someone but a portrait is ABOUT someone.'
Christina Lauder room and then just snap away wherever the client happens to be. When I look at some of my competitors’ work all I see is flat lighting. Catch-lights in equal and opposite directions on the eyes – and when I see that I know the photographer knows little about lighting. My own strategic approach is to be purposeful and directed. I want it to look artistic. I remember learning that a photograph is OF someone but a portrait is ABOUT someone – and that is so true.” Props are important in a Lauder shoot. “But I am very selective” she points out. “I have no interest in shooting with whatever is considered to be cool this week. When I started out photographing babies I noted that other photographers would be putting them in all kinds of whimsical settings – probably influenced by Anne Geddes.” “But I just think a baby should be photographed in something that a baby would be seen in – a pram, a basket, a bathtub or even a chest of drawers. I have clients who told me they didn’t have a Moses basket so they used to put the baby to bed in a bottom drawer!” And of course, as with all professional photographers, not every single shoot goes the way they intend. “I confess I had a bit of a nightmare with a session last year” reveals Christina. “It was a family shoot – fifteen people. I thought it went well at the time I was delighted with the
results. But my delight wasn’t reciprocated. The clients didn’t really want high quality work – they just wanted ‘let’s have a laugh’ pictures. They didn’t really care about clothing or lighting.” She admits. “I made a mistake and I learnt a salutary lesson from it. And although I did have a discussion with the family before the shoot, from that day onwards I have unfailingly engaged in a full consultative process so both sides clearly understand what is expected.” Christina Lauder Portrait Photography is now a highly successful business but Christina has concerns for young photographers trying to get a break in the industry. “The equipment required to get up and running is more affordable now” she says, “but I believe it is becoming more and more difficult to get a start. I see schools and colleges doing GCSEs, diplomas and degrees but I still think many of these students and graduates will struggle to make a living – unless they are really spectacular and can carve themselves a niche in a tough marketplace. I don’t see how the average Joe is going to compete. In my view the whole level of quality across the industry seems to be lower but the plain fact is that high quality is essential to commercial success. Anyone with a cameraphone is a photographer these days – but what we have to offer as
professionals is differentiation. Quality work using professional skills and quality lighting.” As a new member at #TeamBowens Christina will be taking on more speaking engagements, video tutorials and webinars – plus occasional blogging. She says: “I want to get the message out there that photography is a very exciting profession and there is money to be made if you do it properly”. Christina’s own photographic mentors include Karsh of Ottawa, Annie Leibovitz and three Edinburgh-based photographers; Robin Gillanders and Trevor and Faye Yerbury. “I admire the work of all these exceptional photographers’ she enthuses “but I remember when I first saw Yerbury child portraits nine years ago. I just loved them – the lighting, the composition and the very high quality. I decided there and then that I wanted to offer quality portraits like those to my own customers.” She adds: “The truth is I really want to be the next Trevor and Faye Yerbury – well at least the next Faye Yerbury….as I don’t think I can ever be as tall as Trevor!” ChristinaLauderPortraits.com
,
Equipment Used: A: 21" White Beauty Dish B: Lumiair 60x80 softbox C: Maxilite reflector w/gel D: Maxilite reflector w/gel
C
D
B
A
"I love this lighting technique because once perfected it's actually really versatile."
C
oloured gels are frequently employed to make bold statements. This is often achieved with hard lighting to create a lot of saturation in the colour but there are times when a more subtle colour wash is all that is required.
the model and angled down at 45 degrees. I then introduce the coloured gels on two Maxilite reflectors positioned either side of the model. Now here’s the trick to this set-up: these heads are actually facing away from the model and fired into two large white boards.
One way to soften these coloured gels is to completely cover large softboxes with huge sheets of coloured gels. This method can be both costly and impractical but there is another way to create those soft pastel tones with the equipment you will already have available.
Remember, we are trying to create softer lighting, and one way to do this is by enlarging our relative light source. The large white boards are now reflecting our coloured gels and have now effectively become our light source - creating a very soft wrap-around coloured light that delivers attractive, yet soft, colours.
The shot opposite was captured using this technique and requires three to four lights. The first light is your key light and I used my favourite lighting modifier, the Bowens 21" White Beauty Dish with a diffusion sock. This is placed just above
It's worth bearing in mind that although I am using large white bounce boards here, an alternative option would be to hang large thick white sheets from which to bounce the coloured light.
Try and stick to complimentary colours on the colour wheel – like the blue and yellow I've used here. They are opposites on the colour wheel.
The final tweak to this look is to soften up any darker
JakeHicksPhotography. com
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shadows under the model’s face and clothing via some fill-light. I use a Lumiair 60cmx80cm softbox on a floor stand as my preferred fill-light but you may be able to get away with a large white or silver reflector instead. I love this lighting technique because once perfected it's actually really versatile. The coloured gels on the side lights can be adjusted very quickly and as long as you keep in mind some basic colour theory you can instantly create a new look with different colours. I mention basic colour theory as it's very easy to create an under par image by combining colours that just don’t fuse well together.
Profile
Craig Stidham
T E XA N MASTER
of light Craig Stidham really does know the way to Amarillo #TeamBowens mentor Craig Stidham moved into the world of professional photography on the back of a benevolent trick, and he's gone on to become a master of lighting and to reinvent the American tradition of High School 'seniors' photography.
I'm a gear junkie
Craig Stidham
"I'm a gear junkie.
I use most of the fashion and portrait modifiers that Bowens produce."
The truth is that Craig didn’t so much make an active choice to become a professional photographer - it was more that he found himself ‘dragged into the business kicking and screaming.’ He was the victim of a friendly ‘sting’ from an incisive teacher that made him stop in his tracks and really consider what he was doing. “I was studying art in High School in Texas at the time,” says Craig, “and was harbouring dreams of becoming an animator. But the art teacher and I didn’t see eye to eye and I ended up being kicked out of the classes. In order to graduate I had to take another art class and the only thing on offer was photography, so I decided to go for that. Because I’d been forced into it, however, I was quite resistant and I’m guessing I was not especially easy to teach.” “I came up against a young teacher called Jan Jenkins. She sized me up and made a deal with me that she wouldn’t give me too much work to do and I could even sleep in class if I wanted, but I would have to agree to produce a portfolio of pictures for her by a given
time. I accepted and she left me alone.” “Creative people just can’t stand still and after a while I started to get into the challenge she had set. When the deadline arrived I had the pictures ready. What I didn’t know was that Jan had planned all along to send my portfolio over to an Art Institute, and after a while I got a call from them to say that they loved my work and they were prepared to offer me a full scholarship. At first I thought it was a hoax call and I told them that I’d never even sent them anything, and that’s when it all came out. Even then my dad had to call them up before I believed them.” Grudgingly agreeing to go along just to see what was on offer, Craig ended up falling in love with the Institution and he subsequently won further scholarships to take him all the way through college. “It was quite a trick to play on me,” he notes, “but I’ve never forgotten what Jan did for me and she’s still a good friend of mine.” While he was studying Craig got his second lucky break, when one of the tutors at the Institute pulled him to one
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side and asked him to think about what, if he had to work 18 hours a day at something, would he really want to do? “I told her that it would be fashion photography,” says Craig, “since I loved everything about that genre and it really inspired me.” The tutor, Gretchen VanCleave was a fashion specialist herself and she offered Craig the chance to work for her as an intern. “She had nothing to gain from helping me,” he says, “but instead she took me under her wing and taught me all I needed to know. It was an amazing opportunity and it really set me on my way.” Having now been established as a leading fashion photographer for over twenty years Craig, who runs a studio in Amarillo, has never forgotten the people who helped him along the way and, as a result, he’s determined to help others who are coming along behind him. “I’ve got an ‘open house’ attitude,” he says. “People can call, email or contact me via social media and I’ll always try to help and to give them my time, and respond to questions. It’s a kind of ‘pay it forward’ situation: I’m here because people once did it for me and
give something back
Craig Stidham
"For me #TeamBowens is a perfect way to
give something back."
I want to do the same for others.” As part of that philosophy Craig has been teaching at college level and running workshops for several years, acquiring a reputation for the quality of his lighting skills along the way. As such he was a natural choice to be invited to join the exclusive #Team Bowens set-up, and he’s relished the opportunity to be involved. What makes the connection even stronger is the fact that he’s a long time disciple of Bowens lighting, and a firm believer in the quality of the product. “I’ve using Bowens lighting from around 1997,” he says. “I’d heard other photographers talking about the products so I tested them myself and thought that they delivered a really satisfying quality of light. The monolites particularly appealed to me because they were powerful but, at the same time very portable, and robust. We had the odd accident on set as I’m sure most photographers do, but if they ever got knocked over their solid metal housing made sure that they always survived.” All these years on Craig is still
with Bowens, using primarily Gemini 750s and 1000ws strobes, and he accompanies them with a wide selection of modifiers. “I think I’ve probably got most of them,” he smiles. “I’m what you might call a gear junkie, and I find that I use most of the fashion and portrait modifiers that Bowens produce.” Craig’s role within Team Bowens sees him writing regular blog articles about the various shoots he undertakes, inevitably with an emphasis on lighting technique, and he also provides feedback on gear, teaches workshops and introduces Bowens solutions to other photographers. “I feel very strongly about lighting,” he states, “and so #TeamBowens is a great opportunity for me to share my knowledge and to talk about the approach I take.” “One of the crucial things that I want to get across, and something that many photographers don’t seem to take on board, is the need to make your lighting fit the subject. That could be making sure that you use a lighting set-up that suits your subject or matches with the ambient light you’re working under. With a subject such as David
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Beckham, for example, you might use a hard light to highlight his chiselled face. But this kind of set-up wouldn’t suit a feminine subject, and you would be better off using a beauty dish.” “On location, knowing what to bring and what to leave behind is key to your success. Before packing up to head out I like to take a look at the sky: if there are no clouds the chances are the day will be filled with hard and contrasty light, whereas if there’s cloud cover or fast moving clouds then contrast is likely to be lower - and if the sun is fully covered over then your day will be flat and soft.” Craig has put together a guide for typical conditions, and has outlined the Bowens light shapers that might suit each occasion. When there are no clouds, for example, and he’s working with hard light and high contrast, suitable shapers to use would be a high performance reflector, silver beauty dish and 60° Grid 7in Reflector, while for level clouds and medium contrast the suggested partners would be a sunlight reflector, white beauty dish and basic umbrellas.
craig's key equipment Gemini 400 My go to strobe of choice for the past 10 years has been this compact and simple to use moonlight.'
Travelpak 'Allows me to light anywhere in the world. I've flown from Sydney to Germany, lit a shoot with it then flown back.'
For a 70% cloudy day with low contrast the choice is a Lumiair Octobank 140, a large white para and a sunlight reflector with a diffuser, and when it’s a 100% cloudy day Craig uses a 400ws strobe, a diffused umbrella, a softbox and some warming gels. “By matching your lighting with the ambient light at your location you’re shaping and highlighting your model with the same qualities of light that’s being provided,” Craig points out. “In other words, the lighting you’ve added to the scene is not so obvious. Your viewers won’t look at your images and say things like ‘Oh, I see you used strobes…’ Instead your images will have more of a wow factor, and viewers will concentrate more on the content than the technicalities.” Changing the face of ‘seniors’ photography In the US there is a grand tradition in which senior students at high school will have their picture taken for the yearbook. Routinely, these are slightly dull and formulaic. As a fashion photographer this was not an area that Craig went near but after taking on a senior as an assistant for a time he suddenly found himself taking more of an interest. “Kate was the best assistant I’ve ever worked with,” he says, “and after she’d been with me
for a while she asked me if I would shoot her senior pictures for her. I said that I’d give it a go, but it was unknown territory for me, and when I went through the pictures I hated every one of them. So I went back to Kate and explained that I’d screwed up, and I asked if I could shoot them again. “The problem was that traditional senior photography just wasn’t my style and my idea was to shoot Kate again but this time using my usual fashion approach. She agreed to do it, and when she saw the second set of pictures she absolutely loved them Then she took the pictures into her school to show them around and also circulated them amongst her friends, and before I knew what was happened I had a queue at the door all wanting the same thing.” Craig had come across a whole new avenue of photography and, after initially being resistant to moving in a bigger way into the senior photography market, he realised there was an opportunity to be explored and agreed to meet the demand. “I’m not sure the approach appealed so much to the mums and dads,” he chuckles, “but the kids loved it. There are challenges of course because I’m working with non-professional models, and usually we’ve just got a 45-minute session within which
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Lumiair Octo140 - 'My favourite lighting modifier. Creates amazing light on models with enough coverage to shoot wide in a scene .'
to get the pictures, but I try to put the kids at ease and most of them turn up at the studio knowing what they want. “When I work in the studio I usually have my camera tethered to a Mac screen that’s angled so that the subject can’t see the shots as they come up. However I can see them and so can their parents, and it helps to build up the atmosphere when mum goes berserk and starts shouting at her daughter that the pictures are amazing. We’ll have a burst of shooting around 12 images or so and then I’ll turn the monitor around to let them have a look: it’s a fair bet that at the end of the session they’ll be going away with at least two to three pictures from each costume change that they’re really happy with.” While his senior photography service is a big commercial hit, Craig is equally happy with the idea that he’s doing something worthwhile, and he believes that the pictures he’s creating are going to serve as a memory of an important point in their subject’s life. “It’s good to mark this time,” he says, “and some of the kids might even want to show their future partners what they looked like when they were younger. Producing work like this, and passing my knowledge on to others that are coming through, is what drives me on: it’s my passion.” CraigStidham.com TeamBowens.com
it's my passion
"passing my knowledge onto others is what drives me on;
it's my passion."
WORKING SPACE / STUDIO B fter moving into a bigger space last year, Salzburg, Austria-based photographers Richard Schnabler and Joachim Bergauer’s Studio B is a base that’s not only perfect for their needs but conveniently doubles as a workshop venue. Sometimes you simply outgrow your facilities, but the prospect of upping sticks and moving can be so daunting that the temptation is to stay where you are and to try to cope with the space you’ve become accustomed to. For Austrian photographers Richard Schnabler and Joachim Bergauer, however, the situation was starting to become untenable. The original Studio B operation that Joachim was running was successful for sure, but it was becoming increasingly cramped to the point where the employees at the advertising agency he was also running were spilling out and sharing the space: hardly ideal when you’ve got a big shoot planned and are looking to present a professional face.
WORKING SPACE
‘We went for Bowens lighting because it offered us what we were looking for in terms of price/performance ratio.’ “The time had definitely come to move up to something that would give the business the opportunity to grow,” Richard tells Litebook. “Last year we decided between us to set up a new Studio B as a partnership, and to look for premises that would be much bigger and specifically designed for our purposes. “My situation is that I work for a daily newspaper called Salzburger Nachrichten, and I’m the print manager for all of the print products that
we produce. I’ve got a small portrait studio on site where I produce photographs for our customers and advertisers, and I might also be asked to undertake jobs for the paper, such as taking pictures of members of staff and so on. Joachim is also a professional photographer, in tandem with running his advertising agency. We both have our particular roles in the new Studio B business: Joachim looks after the location and I’m responsible for the lighting.”
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Richard initially developed an interest in photography after taking a camera along with him to the jazz concerts that he frequented while he was growing up. Joachim meanwhile started out experimenting with video equipment at his local youth centre. “After a while I realised that I was more interested in still images,” he says, “and I bought my first camera at the age of 19. By then I knew I wanted to be a professional photographer, and I took on
STUDIO B
'I took on every odd job offered to me, learning from every one of them.'
every odd job offered to me, learning from every one of them. Refining my techniques, always trying out and learning new things, has been my mode of operation ever since. I moved from sports photography to advertising and also did a lot travelling. My most recent work has seen me take on take on projects in Africa and India." The two met because Richard kept noticing Joachim’s work coming through his
department at Salzburger Nachrichten, and he realised that they were noticeably well above the general standard. It didn’t take long for a friendship to build and this led ultimately to the decision a year ago to jointly develop a fresh new studio space that was fit for purpose. Finding the Space: There were several important boxes that needed to be ticked in order to come up with a space that would be suitable for all the activities that Richard
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and Joachim had in mind. For a start they were looking for location that was convenient in terms of location and they also had a dream of offering workshops to fellow photographers on a regular basis and of renting out the studio at times when they weren’t working there. All this meant parking space was needed and enough room for up to six delegates to be comfortably accommodated. “I finally knew that I had the place we had been looking for when I came across a space that had once served as a centre for newspaper distribution,” says Richard. “As soon as I set eyes on it I knew it would suit us perfectly: the company that had used it had moved to a new building so it was vacant , empty and just waiting to be refurbished. Not only was it vast, but it was super accessible and had a motorway connection close by, and there was parking, shops and restaurants just outside
WORKING SPACE studio b's key equipment GEMINI 1000Pro 'Large control range means it is suitable for Lowkey Photography. Fast enough to freeze moved motives.'
Octo150 'It creates a truly wonderful threedimensional and deep light.'
Explorer 1500 Fast and powerful. Especially great in shots against the sun it is perfect.'
"THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT WE SHOULD UTILISE THE BOWENS SYSTEM IN STUDIO B" the door. I called Joachim and within a few weeks everything had been settled.” Part of the studio was also blessed with natural light at certain times of the day, enabling available light shoots in the mornings. There’s also space outside and even a flat roof that can be utilised, should the shoot require a location feel. When lighting does need to be utilised Richard has made sure that Studio B is fully equipped with a wide range of Bowens kit, and he’s been a dedicated user of the system for several years now. “At Salzburger Nachrichten I’ve got a small portrait studio that’s kitted out with Bowens equipment,” he says, “and there was no doubt in my mind that we should utilise the same Bowens system in Studio B. I’ve been using it for six years now and I knew it would suit our needs perfectly. I checked out a wide range
of competing manufacturers and found that many of them couldn’t match Bowens in terms of the quality of the light they produced, the flash duration and the look and feel of the kit. Others are up to the job but inevitably they are much more expensive. We went for Bowens lighting because it offered us what we were looking for in terms of price/ performance ratio.” In the studio there are five Bowens Gemini 500Pros and two Gemini 1000Pros, plus a Ringflash Pro and two Quad Mini Flash Heads, along with a selection of flash triggers and lighting modifiers that range from 100cm and 60x80cm softboxes through to wide angle reflectors, white and silver beauty dishes, high performance reflectors, backlight reflectors and snoots. For location work the kit remains Bowens, with Explorer 1500 Akku Generators and Quad 3k Mini Flash Heads being used.
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One year on from the big investment things are looking good for Studio B, with the reputation of the space growing, the rental side taking off and regular workshops now being held on a monthly basis. In terms of work coming in, this mainly consists of advertising shoots and private commissions, and both Richard and Joachim are also finding time to undertake their own personal creative shoots, which was another prime reason why the studio was developed. “Joachim has been a successful photographer for many years and the new Studio B is exactly what he needs to work in,” says Richard. “For me I’m happy to stay working at Salzburger Nachrichten, it’s great to have the flexibility to use such a wonderful space for my own photography whenever I want.” www.bergauer.cc
STUDIO B
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Christian Hough
Enter the fashion shoot snoot
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ashion photography is both fun and extremely challenging, especially if you are working within a plain studio – but it’s important to think creatively in terms of wardrobe, hair and of course lighting. It’s all too easy to set up a plain grey background and a couple of softboxes for every shoot. However, there are times when you need to be more handson with your lighting in order to add a little more drama. And nothing does this more effectively than a really hard light source. Enter the snoot.
In this shoot I wanted an abundance of drama and strong shapes. We used dark clothing with a sheen; metal accessories for reflective and punk-era qualities and really bold, structured hair. Keeping the fore-lights dark and moody against a relatively light grey background helped bring out both the shape and the attitude
of the model.
THE LIGHTING
CAMERA SETTINGS
5x A B C D D
• ISO 100 • f/11 • 1/200sec
Gemini flash heads Snoot Snoot 21" White Beauty Dish w/ Grid High Performance Reflector High Performance Reflector
Getting Started: The snoot is often an under used reflector as it produces a narrow pool of light and very harsh shadows. This makes it fairly inflexible, in as much as it is easy for a subject to move out of the light as it
only lights a small area at a time. Conversely, it proves really useful if your subject is reasonably static, you prefer lots of definition and want to keep plenty of shadow within your shot. Remember, it pays to be proactive with your lighting throughout the shoot, so keep checking and tweaking as you progress.
D
BACKGROUND Savage - Fashion Gray
C
D
A B
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STEP One: To retain more of the shadows I decided to short light the model, which would give shape to the face and light the upper part of the clothing, but also retain the nearside shadow detail. It takes a bit of tweaking, but you’ll soon get there. Start by marking the ground where you want your subject to stand. This will give you a permanent reference and enable you to quickly see when your subject moves out of the
light. It will also help you meter before your subject stands in front of the camera. Now fix a snoot to your key light and position it approximately 50-60 degrees off the camera axis, so that it lights the shortest side of the subject’s face (cheek to cheek as opposed to ear to chin.) Adjust the height of the light, so that it throws the shadows downwards, but not so much that you lose the catchlight in the subject’s eyes. It may be beneficial if you get
"Keeping the fore-lights dark and moody against a relatively light grey background helped bring out both the shape and the attitude of the model."
your subject to pose whilst setting up this light, so you can clearly see where the light is falling. Once done, meter the key light to f/11. It can be quite difficult to get an accurate meter reading from a snoot, simply because the light falls off around the edges very quickly, so it is worth taking two or three meter readings and checking the highlights in your camera’s LCD to ensure your get a good exposure.
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Key Light: Gemini with Snoot
STEP Two: Although I have referred to this light as a fill, it is only marginally filling in the shadow details and is almost acting as a second ‘spot’ light. In this example, I have positioned this light so that it is primarily lighting the arm/ dress, but the fall-off from the light is also lifting the shadow detail of the face. Grab yourself a second head
and affix a snoot, positioning it approximately 30 degrees to the right of the camera. With your subject in place, aim the snoot at the area you want to highlight or shadow area you wish to fill. You can now meter this anywhere between 1 to 2 stops lower than the key light, making fine adjustments to suit the wardrobe or skin tone
Fill Light: Gemini with Snoot
of your subject. It pays to take another test shot at this point, so you can identify the areas of your subject the snoot is lighting.
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STEP Three: Once you are happy with the placement of your other lights, it is time to add a hair light. On this occasion, I decided to go for a broader light source for the hair light and opted for the beauty dish, so that it drew out all the intricate details of the hair and also lit the shoulders. However, I was also mindful of minimising the spread of the hair light (so that it didn’t adversely spill light onto the background) and fitted a honeycomb grid to the beauty dish. One key piece of kit is a
boom stand, which facilitates getting the hair light directly overhead, without the stand intruding in the frame. Using a boom will help easily make all the fine adjustments you need to ensure the hair is properly lit. Begin by fitting a honeycomb grid to a white beauty dish and fitting it to your light before fixing it to your boom, as it is a lot easier to do it this way. Once fixed to the boom, position the beauty dish directly over the model, so that it lights the hair and shoulders.
"I decided to go for a broader light source for the hair light and opted for the beauty dish, so that it drew out all the intricate details of the hair and also lit the shoulders."
You will find that adjusting the height of the beauty dish will affect the spread of the light. You can also use the mark you made on the ground for the model to stand on as a reference to assist you in getting your hairlight central. As for metering, there are no pre-defined power settings for hair lights, as everybody has different hair, so it is a case of making small adjustments to suit your subject. Essentially, dark, matt hair will require more power than light and shiny hair.
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Hair Light: Gemini with 21" White Beauty Dish & Grid
STEP Four: Okay, we’re almost there. Time to think about the background lighting. It isn’t always imperative to light a background, however, spending five minutes to set up a couple of lights can really add to the overall shot, afford you lots of control and save you hours of ‘dropping-in’ backgrounds during post processing.
But you need to take each shoot on its own merits. For this I wanted to avoid a high-key background as it would lose the mood of the photograph and add too much contrast against the dark wardrobe. On the other hand, a very dark background would lose the shape of the hair and model. It is for this
BG Lights: 2 x Gemini with High Performance Reflector
reason I decided to use a white Colorama to create a subtle light grey gradient that complemented the wardrobe and brought out the bold shapes.
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Remember, it isn’t about the model or power of your Bowens lights, but more about using the right shapers and modifiers to create drama and mood in your photographs. Start by positioning a light on each side and slightly behind the subject, directing both of the lights towards the background paper or wall. Symmetry is fairly important here if you want to achieve an evenly lit background. Once in position, fit a Bowens High Performance reflector to each light and tilt the light downwards so that it lights the beginning of the ‘cove’ in the background paper. Introduce a small amount of power on each light and take a test shot to see how intense the grey of the background is. If you prefer, you can meter the lights individually to get them evenly lit. Alternatively, if you are using
the same model of light, at the same distance and with the same reflector, you can simply adjust them both to the same power output, which will provide you with a pretty even result as well. It is now a case of quick and simple adjustments. For a lighter grey background, you can simply increase the power of the background lights or decrease them for a darker grey. For less of a gradient, position the lights at less of an angle, so they light more of the background or angle them more towards the ground for a stronger gradient. Experimentation is all part of the fun.
As with many lights, there aren’t any exact meter readings as each studio, background or modifier is different. Your best tool here is your camera’s LCD. Once you have dialled the key light settings into the camera, you can get an instant visual on the intensity of the background, allowing you to make rapid adjustments on the fly. Keep moving and keep changing: When you are using narrow light sources, you will find that the light on your subject can change fairly dramatically with small movements. It remains important to keep tweaking and adjusting the lighting as your subject moves and changes so that you can get the best lighting, mood and shape out of your photograph. If you are struggling with the dynamic range and contrast, you may find that a couple of white polyboards will give you the extra boost you need in the shadows. Remember, it isn’t about the model or power of your Bowens lights, but more about using the right shapers and modifiers to create drama and mood in your photographs. ChristianHough.com
Final All Lights
xperimentation i ll part of the fun. Christian Hough
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ŠChristian Hough - ChristianHough.com
Shooting fashion with the Sunlight Reflector by Craig Stidham