Fashion Shoot HELP!

[elyas_parsa]

I recently did a fashion shoot and was not happy with the way my pics came out. I kept on getting shadows that

were tooooo harsh! I was not using a backdrop. I am beginner in the world of photography. I rented 2 strobes for that

day and experimented....My camera is a Canon XTi with standard 18-55mm lens.

 

1- What lens should i use in the future? What type of lens is good for indoor fashion?

 

2- How do I setup the lighting?

 

3- Any other advise? Please critique pics.

 

www. parsaatelier.com

 

womens and mens collection

[hultstrom1]

Hello Elyas,

 

I will try to comment on some of your questions, but please keep in mind that I have rather recently started working on my flash photography so get some other opinions as well. Getting started, I think you have basically nice pictures, and appropriate for a shopping web page.

 

The lens is fine. I think a zoom lens is appropriate because it allows you to change the angle of view without moving, which would change your exposure when using strobes. Maybe you should consider 18mm is unusually wide for fashion, and 55mm is maybe too short for the more tightly framed pictures.

 

However, having chosen a white backdrop you could have pushed it to pure white. Check out a turorial on that here, http://www.zarias.com/?p=71. The harsh shadows you see on the models and in some pictures on the background is because of too big difference in intensity or distance of your two strobes, and because your model is rather close to the background.

 

With just two strobes it is hard to shoot pure white backgrounds, if you dedicate one to the background you only have one for the model, and then the shadows go dark. On the other hand when you don't use a strobe on the background you can balance the shadows on the model, but the background does not go all white.

 

To comment a little on your pictures, the exposure on the background varies quite alot between pictures. Either you have been moving your lights, and changeing the background light setting or you have been shooting with automatic exposure and been given different exposures by the camera. This can be avoided by shooting with manual exposure, and keeping your basic distance set up the same all the way. That is the distances between the background, the background light, the model, the main light and the camera. You change view by using your zoom.

 

In addition your background does not vary only in shades of grey, (I am guessing that it was a plain white backgorund) which means that you have varying white balance between pictures, set white balance manually and you will get more homogenous images.

 

I am certainly not the best place to learn fashion photography or flash photography. I don't know the best place for fashion, but I am fairly sure that David Hobby is the best (readily available) place for flash photography: http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/.

 

Hope this helps,

 

/M

[elyas_parsa]

Thank you soooo much, the tutorial helped...any other lenses you would recommend for Fashion photography? I have a Canon XTi with the standard lens right now and willing to upgrade...what should i get?

[hultstrom1]

Elyas,

 

I have thought about that myself. You can get some very cool perspectives using a very wide lens, like the 18mm wide end of your zoom, or even wider. The wide side is usually alright for whole body images, but if you want something without distortion, such as for a shopping page, longer is often better. The obvious choice would be combining the lens you have with a slightly longer zoom. For example the 50-150mm Sigma or 55-200mm Canon. Stopped down these relatively cheap lenses are very good, and for fashion photography with strobes this will be enough. Certainly on a small sensor camera.

 

If you think the range of your present lens is what you need, and you just want better glass, pick up the Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM, it is supposedly one of the best zooms (certainly non-L) and has gotten fantastic reviews. I have never used it so don't trust me too far.

 

/M

[thomas_bradley]

Hi There. Here is a failsafe classic beauty fashion lighting technique. The idea is to start with this and experiment by changing it around. Basic points to remember before getting confused about lenses.

 

Photography is all about LIGHTING LIGHTING LIGHTNG

Lighting is described as having 'qualities' soft - hard etc

one light source will create a highlight and a shadow.

Shadows are 'filled' with a FILL light or reflector.

Lenses are an important tool but learn to understand the importance of light and how it behaves and thus how to control it you will do your self a lot of favours.

there is no right and wrong way. its actually a trend at the moment to have the shadow outline of the model thrown onto the background!

 

 

One large softbox over and behind your head angled down towards the model who will be a a few feet in front of you 1 umbrella reversed pointed up toward the model from below and in front of you. meter the light as ONE dual light so you get that really nice flat lighting used in fashion & beauty. I.e both lights will be emitting the same amount of light. They may not be at the same setting because when you throw light through modifiers(umbrellas, softboxes etc) it weakens it in different amounts.

 

change the setup by replacing the umbrella with a reflector, add another umbrella, add a back/hair light

try putting the softbox behind your model and use a reflector to light the face. improvise.

 

also check out www.lighting-essentials.com

 

good luck

Tom