Lighting Lara

A few weeks back one of the photographers, that is a member of our Facebook Models and Photographer Group, got upset that one of her clients was added to the group. She posted a RANT accusing members of stalking her clients and coercing them to join our group.  My take, don't post photos of your paid shoots.

The posts got pretty ugly until the "Admin" stepped in and re-iterated the goals of the group.  Then mysteriously the photog's rant was deleted. So why am I writing about this incident?  I found out while photographing the model in question that she asked to join the group.  Rewind - while Brian and I were looking at her photos, Brian commented that she looks a lot like Taylor Swift.  Uhhh...who is that? I asked.  To me she does look like Taylor Swift crossed with Claudia Schiffer.  Fast Forward - so I messaged Lara and she agreed to shoot with me after much stalking and coercion.

Turns out that Lara modeled in the past and is working on re-establishing herself.  She has great cheekbones and eyes.  She has a very free-spirited attitude and an outgoing personality, at least based on my sole experience.  We discussed wardrobe/themes and a fellow Photographer, MUA, H/S joined us for the shoot. I enjoy having other photographers join me on my shoots, especially women because they have an eye for detail.  Also, I see my backyard everyday and don't notice opportunities for backgrounds.

This shoot included Natural (Natty) light and Mixed light, and also included reflectors and speedlights. We had Lara change several times and it was great having a MUA/HS on-site. During the shoot I shared what I know about lighting with the other photographer.  It was a memorable shoot and I think we captured some  decent images.

I shot in Aperture-Priority Mode, Manual Mode, used CLS, used Pocket Wizards, used scrims, reflectors and speedlights.  We played with all the tools and tricks intentionally so the other photographer could see the difference between light and modifiers, and the mood each creates.  We also used a grey card and a light meter, in addition to our in-camera meter.

What Did Learn:

• Be specific with wardrobe - Lara brought a suitcase of clothes that basically contained her closet.  When she laid them out for us to review, the floor disappeared
• Look at routine locations with fresh eyes - I would have never thought about shooting by my Birds of Paradise because they've been there for 5 years.
• It's a bonus to have a MUA/HS during the shoot - They are constantly looking at the model's appearance which frees me up to concentrate on posing, lighting and composition
• If possible, work with experienced models if you are starting out - Experienced models require very little direction, understand posing angles and can work the "key" light.

As I wrote earlier, Lara is a fun model to photograph because she doesn't take herself too serious and her playful attitude keeps the atmosphere light.  Hopefully we'll get to work together again. Here's an outtake from our shoot, and "yes" the finger tattoo is legit.