The Conductor CASE STUDY #46
CAMERA: LENS: ISO:
Canon D30
24–105mm at 105mm
100
EXPOSURE:
f/19 at 1/125 second
LIGHTING: Profoto 800ws pack with medium Profoto softbox as main; additional light with 30-degree grid placed in front of main light; large white reflector for fill; Profoto 1200ws powering 40-degree grid on boom as hair light and light with spun glass over 40-degree grid on backdrop
Assignment
Tips
I was assigned to take a promotional portrait of Darko
It was a bit of a financial risk to take on this assign-
Butorac the new conductor of the Missoula Symphony
ment but I felt the subject was interesting and it was a
Orchestra (MSO).
chance to get my name out into the community. I negotiated for my web site address to appear on all pub-
Pose
lished images and had the MSO put a link on their
For a traditional pose of the conductor, I had him sit
web site to my web site. This agreement was all put in
on a posing chair and place his arms on an Impact pos-
writing and signed by both parties. To make it an eq-
ing table. With his arms crossed, I worked on having
uitable trade-off, I also asked for two season tickets.
him change his expressions from serious to big smiles.
They agreed to all the terms and seemed very happy with the results. Bottom line: Think about all the ben-
The Story
efits of taking the photograph, not just monetary ones.
I got a call from a design firm to see if I was interested in photographing the new conductor of the MSO. Marlene Hutchens, the designer, said, “I can’t tell you who he is or how much we can pay you until after the
spun glass over 40-degree grid on backdrop
shoot.” She did say it would be an image that would
40-degree grid on boom for hair light
be published a lot and would be good exposure for me. I trusted Marlene’s judgment, so I said yes. (Note: The MSO’s search for a new conductor had gone on for three years, and this was their way of keeping the decision a secret until the big announcement.) My assistant and I set up the studio that morning
white reflector
and, literally ten minutes after the announcement,
30-degree grid in front of softbox
Darko was in my studio. He was exuberant to find out he was selected and it showed in the photo session. The portrait you see here was used for the program and on the web site. 114
50 LIGHTING SETUPS FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS
medium softbox for main light
