Fashion Show - Help

I've been asked to shoot a fashion show this weekend and I'm now looking for

pointers. Equipment: D200 [28-105, 50mm, 28mm, or 80-200], sb-800 (if its

returned from Nikon service while being held hostage for 4 weeks), or sb-26,

sc17 cord, non-rotating flash bracket, Canon G2(!) as back-up, vivitar 283/285

as flash backups. Techniques such as ISO settings, which lens to use (28-105

will have the 1.5 magnification factor thrown in), flash setting relative to

over or under exposure [most likely will have to use the sb-26 on auto because

of Nikon hostage situation], etc. Thanks everyone.

YOu have a couple of options and they depend on the ambient light. Sometimes shows are lit all white and others with colored gels. I sometimes like to use the colored lights to my advantage and shoot with my camera at iso600-800, flash dialed down a bit, flash at second curtain synch, shooting at about 30th of a second. The second style would be to freeze all action perfectly and to blast out any other light source, upping my flash output to double and shooting iso 100 with my shutter at 100th or higher. the only problem with the second is battery usage and recyle times. The flash recycles much faster when dialed down and you could really get a better capture of the environment (which is a plus only if the runway is well lit.) example of the first style attached below.

Paul,

 

Are you shooting for the designer of the fashion show in order produce like a look book or

are you doing it for a magazine or newspaper?

 

Have a look at style.com or catwalking.com and see how the photographers there cover

fashion shows. Without wishing to sound harsh, Caleb's photo is not how most regular

photographers, who cover the shows, would shoot.

 

90% of fashion shows have tungsten light. Usually there is enough to shoot on available

light. Make sure you take a monopod along. If you think the light, out on the catwalk,

really is too low for shoot with then I suggest you use a flash is fill but put on a bit of

tungsten coloured gel to match the light up with the show lights.

 

If you can. avoid using a flash because you are reliant on the re-cycling time of the

battery. At times like that you need something the Quantum x2 turbo battery. More

expense!

 

Try and get to the show as early as you can so you can check out the lighting situation to

make sure you're comfortable with your exposures and colour balance etc.

 

If you want to ask anymore questions about this I'm more than happy to try and help. I've

shot shot literally hundred of fashion shows over the last twenty years for the likes of US

Vogue, French Vogue and British Vogue. I've 'retired' from doing the fashion circuit of New

york, London, Milan and Paris (it's not a whole load of laughs and totally uncreative ) but I

still shoot shows, occasionally, for designers in London.

 

Good luck.

"Caleb's photo is not how most regular photographers, who cover the shows, would shoot"

 

That was then Andrew, this is NOW! The old skool's being swept away. Check out the

background color cast. The future's bright, the future's magenta......

 

This posting comes to you from Raccoon Group Inc..

What this new fad for magenta casts affect your choice of eye shadow?

Andrew,

I know it's not typical how I shot this show. I was hired along with another photographer to shoot the show. He shot it more bright and white and I was documenting the actual ambience of the place. I was illustrating that you can be creative with something pretty dull and monotonous if you want. Before I left Chicago, I made a ton of money shooting creative headshots for actors there- in color and with people jumping, running, more comfy than the bullsh*t stiff b/w crap others were doing. Innovation is necessary and if nobody steps out of line the same bull will always be expected.

 

But I do respect the fact Andrew that you've shot tons of shows, and were giving solid industry advice. When you do something different not everyone's going to like it (that's normally what tells me I did something well).