Fashion Photography (lighting II)

Diary

I had trouble with two things for this project. When I shot for accessories, the film did not catch in my camera, and then I had no pictures. Note for next time: do not close the camera until you test that it’s working. The other thing was that I shot at night, with a big spotlight. I had to use the special paper to really bring out the black. It also made for a grainy texture. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but something to remember for the future. I also had some troubles on Blogger. There were two images that I could not upload. One was a contact sheet, and the other was my high heel final print. I will try to rescan them and see if that helps.

Printing Compositions

Shoes
This test strip was exposed at aperture 2.8 for 15 seconds. I really wanted to see the contrast better where the light is shining, so I increased the time.

This image was shot in bright sunlight coming through the doorway. I used my zoom lens to get up close so I could capture the hard light that shines through the clear material of the high heel. The final small print was exposed for 22 seconds, at aperture 2.8.

Clothing

This test strip was taken at aperture 2.8 with times 20, 25, 30, and 35. The blacks didn't come out, so I increased the time.

This was the picture I shot at night, using a spotlight. This was hard to manipulate because of the surrounding darkness and grainy texture, but when I switched to the other paper on the big final print, it went more smoothly. The small final print was exposed for 60 seconds at aperture 2.8.

Accessories

This test strip was exposed at 2.8 aperture with times 22, 24, 26, and 28. It is too light, so I added a lot more time.
I shot this during the day, at about 5:30 under a cloudy sky. I had little to no trouble in composing the print. This small final was exposed for 68 seconds at aperture 2.8.

Theory Notes

Low Light

Although low light pictures are harder to shoot, they are good because they produce a very soft and gentle effect. You would be shooting in low light during sunrise, sunset, or even at night. The best thing to do when shooting in low light is to use a tripod. Because the shutter speed has to be slow for the film to be properly exposed, a tripod is needed to prevent the camera from moving while the picture is being taken. It might also help to use a film setting (ISO or ASA) a bit faster than the actual film speed. The film speed itself should already be fairly fast for the film to be properly exposed at less time.

Sun Light

Images shot in sun light are easier than those in low light. You definitely have to be careful of lens flare, especially when shooting with the sun behind the subject. For the best effect, the sun should be to the side of the subject. Also, be aware of your aperture. The brighter the sun is, the more you want to close your aperture.

Image BankJason Christopher is a fashion photographer, born and raised in California. His images usually have sharp lighting, and the beauty is emphasized by sharp lighting. His motto is “Be prepared or prepare to fail.” I chose this image because I thought it was a good representation of his work, which can be viewed at the following link. http://www.jasonchristopher.com/bio

Stephan Eastwood was born in New York, and taught himself the art of photography. His main focus is beauty, and he even did some modeling when he was young. I chose this image because it depicts the beauty Eastwood strives for in a classy way. http://www.stepheneastwood.com/bio/index.htm

Trevor Brady is a photographer of fashion and advertising. I chose this image because I wanted to see how a photograph for advertising can be effective. I think the water droplets make the image more effective. http://www.trevorbrady.com/