Hothouse in the Alley
CASE STUDY #38
CAMERA:
Hasselblad 503cw LENS: FILM:
EXPOSURE: LIGHTING:
80mm
Kodak Tri-X
f/8 at 1/2 second
Profoto Acute 800ws pack with strobe head and large Plume softbox
Assignment
We were moving right along when suddenly I saw
I was asked to photograph the trio Hothouse, a swing
police lights flashing in the background. The police
and Dixie band, for publicity and their upcoming CD.
asked us to move because we were blocking the alley and did not have a permit for the shoot. They were
Visual Objective
right, so we stopped. Besides, I knew I had the shot.
Although shot in Philadelphia, I wanted to create a late-night New Orleans style.
Tips
For night shoots, be sure to pack a cable release. This Posing
will help prevent camera shake, and it lets you look at
I started with the classic golden triangle composition.
your subjects directly (not through the viewfinder) so
I positioned the tuba player and the guitar player first.
you can talk to them while you snap away.
Then I had the clarinet player balance on the chair to create the top of the triangle.
Also, get a permit from the city (either at the film office or city hall) to photograph on the street. In almost all public spaces, when you put down a tripod
The Story
you need a permit.
Before the shoot, tuba player Eric Henry gave me the CD so I could get some ideas for the shot. Immediately, I thought “New Orleans nightlife.� In my scouting, I came across this alley behind a restaurant called Magnolias (where, ironically, they served New Orleans cuisine). It seemed like the stars were aligned. We all met at the restaurant, whose proprietor was happy to help with the shoot, and took some bar chairs to the alley. While I positioned the musicians, my assistant set up the light. I then set the camera on the tripod, plugged in my cable release, metered the
large softbox for main light
light, and I shot a Polaroid. The Polaroid looked good, but I played around with the shutter, speed slowing it down to bring in more ambient light. LIGHTING CASE STUDIES
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