We saw Daughtry in concert back in May and Drew said I should watch some of his videos. In Drew's words, "Daughtry's videos are kinda emo and remind me of your photography." So I was watching his video for Over You and was intrigued by the bathroom scene. So I've been trying to figure out who, where and when could I try a bathroom shoot.
I volunteered to help with our Flu Clinic at work and found out I had to travel to Pismo Beach for the weekend of Oct. 23rd. Not wanting to waste an opportunity to shoot in a hotel, I called my usual "fave" place to stay, the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach. If you recall, I photographed Darnah at the Cliffs Resort, but after thinking about the "look and feel" I wanted a more spartan looking bathroom. My co-worker suggested the Motel 6, which is down the street from the facility where the flu clinic was scheduled. I made the reservation and contacted a model I met at our Portfolio Jam shoot back in May; Nicolette. We didn't get to work together at the Jam,but I really liked her style. Nicolette liked the Daughtry video and the concept.
At first I planned to use speedlights, but found the cramped quarters of the bathroom to be a hindrance and ended up using my 50mm prime for almost all the shots. I did use a flash to bounce light around the bathroom, but a majority of the images were shot with available light. we shot for about 90 minutes, and Nicolette was able to convey a range of emotions. I stepped out for about a couple minutes and when I returned she was in tears. Very cool, and at the end of the shoot she decided we should shoot some with the water running.So what did I learn:
- Working in a small environment with mixed lighting is a challenge. A fast prime with a close focusing distance is preferable. In addition to my Nifty Fifty, I'd like a 35mm to achieve a wider field of view and a close focusing distance.
Steam - well this was hilarious, the bathroom steamed up in about five minutes and the mirror fogged up too. Keeping the mirror fog free was a challenge and trying to keep the reflection of her face tack sharp was a challenge. By opening the door a bit kept the steam moving enough to keep the mirror clear. the other thing was to remember to wipe my lens. Nothing was tack sharp because the steam also collected on my lens. Hahahaha, wipe that, too.
- Shoot Black and White when you have types of light. I wasn't about to replace all the lights with the same type of bulb.
- Travel lighter. I brought all my gear and only needed my 50mm, SB-600, light stand and a STOFEN Omnibounce.
Another shoot where I learned a lot of tricks and stuff. By the way, this was shoot number two
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