Essentials for bikini model shoot at beach?

[rsrocco]

Hello,

 

My apologies if this is the wrong forum. ;-)

 

Shooting Nikon D70 kit, SB800 and tripod for glamour style with bikini

models at beach and seeking advise and/or tips on any other essentials

or accessories to bring along.

 

Thanks

[edward_h]

You're going to shoot portraits with a tripod?

 

Expect the photos to be static and boring.

[andrewlamb]

"You're going to shoot portraits with a tripod?

 

Expect the photos to be static and boring."

 

Sorry, Edward. I don't want to sound rude but that's a really dumb thing to say.

 

Putting a camera on a tripod has nothing to do with being "static and boring"

unless you've watched 'Blowup' too many times.

 

Hmm, my photos look static and boring. I know! I'll throw my tripod away!

Problem solved! If only it were that simplistic.

 

Rich, I think you might need reflectors or scrims to control the light. A major

concern, when shooting on a beach, is being able to control the harshness of

the sunlight, assuming you're photographing on a sunny day.

 

This is the kind of photography for which there should be no end of info in

books or magazines and they may be more helpful than some of the

comments offered on the web, including this one.

[stephen hazelton]

Did you read the post a few days ago from the guy doing glamor shots at car shows that was peeved that other people were watching and photographing? Moral: Find a beach that's not so crowded.

 

I remember when I was a kid at the beach, I'd be out there playing in the sand an hour or two and my glasses would be covered with very fine droplets of salt water. Keep your lenscap on when not shooting, keep the camera in a bag when possible. If you use a UV filter, maybe take a spare along.

[david_m]

Go to the beach just after sunrise or a couple of hours before sunset. That is the only way to get the best light. Make sure you have a hairdresser available if the model can'f fix her own hair. Wind at the beach can play havoc with long hair. Make sure the model wears the briefest swimwear first and the most modest later to avoid revealing elastic lines. The tripod is very important when using a long lens.<div></div>

[rich_taylor____mequon__wi]

Some of this may have already been suggested. What I think are the considerations for such a shoot are a reflector, a large diffusing screen, and an assistant to hold them. If you cannot control the time of day and you're stuck between late morning and late afternoon, when the sun is high, you will need the diffuser. Even at the start and end of the day, the diffuser can be valuable.

Similarly, a reflector will allow you to manipulate the light for fill and highlights. Gold would probably be the best choice for skin tones.

 

Make sure you have lots of battery power for the SB-800 (lots of spare batteries or a Turbo or two) because balancing your subjects against a bright background will have the SB really working hard, and you may use it up much faster than under ordinary circumstances.

 

Finally, become obsessive-compulsive about your gear. I avoid shooting at the beach unless it's a really sensational job, because the elements are relentlessly unforgiving. You do NOT want to have to try to clean sand or salt spray off the D70 sensor, which is difficult to clean in the best of circumstances. Nor do you want it on any of your glass or getting into the little cracks and crevices in your equipment. Those little grains have been waiting patiently for untold millenia for you to come to the beach with your new camera. It's what they do, and they do it well.

 

As far as the tripod goes, it's a matter of style. If you want to isolate your subjects and make use of a long lens and a wide aperture, you may want to use it, and it's OK to use it.

 

Speaking of wide aperture, I just reminded myself of another essential piece of gear for a beach shoot - a neutral density filter! It will come in VERY handy if you don't want to be shooting stopped down all day. It will enable you to use wider apertures and compensate for the fact that the D70 has a minimum ISO of 200. ND filters come in varying densities (B+W makes them in 1 - 20 stop exposure adjustments), depending on how much light you want to hold back.

 

You don't want to keep adding surfaces in front of the lens, so if you use an ND filter, you'll be taking off whatever protective filter you keep on your lens (regardless of whether you use one normally or not, you WILL have one on your lens for the beach) in order to attach the ND filter. The sand is watching and waiting. It lives for this moment! Be afraid. Be very afraid. And careful.

[joemig]

I havw to agree with the above regarding a filter. Either that or a polarizer. I did my first beach/bikini shoot about a month ago with a D-70 and SB800, and I didn't have either filter. As a result, I was never able to use both the wide open aperture I wanted AND a flash, because the shutter speed was too high at that aperture for flash sync. Result: Model way too dark, but the background was beautiful and the depth of field exactly where I wanted it. I had just bought the flash and didn't have enough left for the filter, thought I could get away with it. Live and learn, next time I won't forget the damn filter.

[rsrocco]

Thank you everyone...I appreciate all the helpful replies. One helpful tip I was given that I'd thought I'd pass along is: When using the tripod on the beach, put sandwich bags on the the bottoms of each leg to protect from sand & water.

 

I'm also thinking along the lines of the little things one might not typically think of i.e. drinking water, sunscreen, changing tent, towels and props for the models, etc.

 

Thanks again!

[enigmaphotography]

Mmmmm....great advice, I'd forgotten to suggest a good neutral density filter. I actually take a few fresh garbage bags on windy days to change lenses, but I'm neurotic about getting the fine sands here on the sensor. Reflectors...yeppa.

 

And I tend to ONLY shoot at the beach starting at 90 minutes before sunset, I'm on the west coast of an island, love putting the model so she is blocking the sun with a big reflector in front to actually light her body. However, with digital, the color of the light isn't so critical (post processing can do a lot), but the shadows might be.

 

If its a bright day, you may have to put sunglasses on her to avoid the evil squinties....or, have her close her eyes until you say "NOW!" and then quick shoot before she squints....and take 3-5 shots just to make sure you got it, sometimes you just can't tell on the D70 LCD :-).

 

Or.

 

<preparing to duck and cover>

 

Just take a nice 645 or 6x6MF body with you :-p <running like hell> he he he

[35mmdelux]

1)hot bikini, 2) spice girl (s)

[jake wright]

In regards to the mini tripod debate, what should have been said was that the photos may

not be boring while on the tripod but you as the photographer sure as hell will... The models

notice this as will your clients. Warning use sparingly!

[jeremey_tripp1]

Are you saying that you need a filter even during the less harsh lighting ? I will be out there with a 70-200 2.8 20d and 550ex with a softbox.

[craign]

Jeremy,

 

Remember the "sunny 16" rule: f/16 @ 1/ISO for accurate exposure on a bright sunny day. Add up to a stop if shooting in snow or white sand. If you want to use a large aperture to get narrow DOF, bring a filter. In fact, bring several. An aperture of f/4 is 4 stops up from f/16, so you will need a 4-stop ND filter to shoot f/4 @ 1/ISO.

[michelle_armour]

<p>As far as posing her goes to help you both out start a collection of inspiration ideas. Some sources of info are mens 'girlie' websites, garage glamour, model mayhem. My favs are the ones where she is just on the edge if the water and you wait until a wave just starts to hit her.<br>

<a href="http://www.michellearmour.freei.me/swim.html">www.michellearmour.freei.me/swim.html</a> to see my beginning efforts. I have only done about 10 bikini shoots so not pretending to be good at it yet but it might give you a start on poses.<br>

If she poses on her knees, get her to spread her knees, it changes the shape of her hips. Look for curve.</p>