Saturday tease

Nikolai · June 15, 2008

Caitlin:
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1: Studio setup shot

2: Location setup shot

Both taken with Canon 40D and various glass and lighting equipment. Processed with Adobe Camera Raw only.

evoryware · June 15, 2008

:lurk

dogwood · June 15, 2008

Nik:

Always cool to see set-up shots. Something I learned just recently that may help you out-- instead of an electric fan, if you can get someone (an MUA or hair person will usually work) to hold a piece of foam core and scoop it up just out of frame, you'll get fantastic blown hair/clothes. It's usually much more powerful than an electric fan for that windblown look and more easily controlled too.

But a big thumbs up to you for shooting set-up shots!

Those are easily forgotten (just did a six hour shoot today and it totally slipped my mind). I always like to see the photog in set-up shots but I'm being kind of picky (or narcisstic since I'm generally the photog for my shoots...)

You've been shooting some cool work lately so just tossing in my two-cents lately with ideas you might not have considered. Take it all with a grain of salt!

Nikolai · June 15, 2008

dogwood wrote:

Nik:

Always cool to see set-up shots. Something I learned just recently that may help you out-- instead of an electric fan, if you can get someone (an MUA or hair person will usually work) to hold a piece of foam core and scoop it up just out of frame, you'll get fantastic blown hair/clothes. It's usually much more powerful than an electric fan for that windblown look and more easily controlled too.

Very interesting advice, Pete, thank you!

It's a good out the box thinking!
Funny, I've been using this method of pushing air for many, many years to deal with the open fire (like a campfire), so I totally understand the effect. But I never thought to apply it to the model photography. :bash
The only problem with it is that I often shoot solo, so there is nobody to "blow the fan" so to speak :-).
On the plus side it can definitely be easily used outdoors even on the calmest day to create a relatively strong wind effect.
Damn, I need an assistant...
And a bigger/more powerful fan, too. I looked at Home Depot, but they were either small, or VERY expensive and still not the power I want.
Does anybody know a source of high-power industrial (and not-prohibitively expensive) floor fans?

But a big thumbs up to you for shooting set-up shots! Those are easily forgotten (just did a six hour shoot today and it totally slipped my mind). I always like to see the photog in set-up shots but I'm being kind of picky (or narcissistic since I'm generally the photog for my shoots...)

You know, I almost forgot to do it this time. Those two shots are all I got setup-wise - out of almost 700 frames I took in three hours. Usually I'm trying to have at least couple of dozens.

Thank you for posting your setup pics, It's nice to see how pros do high-key. This is still a moot point for me, I didn't quite figure it yet for myself.

And I love your 70-200 usage at such a close distance, I'm gonna try this...

You've been shooting some cool work lately so just tossing in my two-cents lately with ideas you might not have considered. Take it all with a grain of salt!

Thanks! It's all about learning, and here I'm learning from the best!

Nikolai · June 15, 2008

Found another one that can be qualified as a setup :-)

"Marilyn Monroe" setup:

This one would be kinda hard to do without the fan, eh, Pete?

BTW, you will have a good laugh at my DIY $5 hairlight diffuser. This is MkII version

and it even comes with a barn door

(I posted a shot of original design earlier: http://nik.smugmug.com/photos/305418026_efAQu-L.jpg):

Two more shots and brief instructions here: http://nik.smugmug.com/gallery/5174980_cYDeZ

ShepsMom · June 15, 2008

You go Nik!

Nikolai · June 15, 2008

ShepsMom wrote:

You go Nik!

Pasibki! (~"thnks" for our Russian-impaired friends:-)

Richard · June 15, 2008

Nikolai wrote:

Pasibki! (~"thnks" for our Russian-impaired friends:-)

So is that a diminutive of spasibo?

ShepsMom · June 15, 2008

Richard wrote:

So is that a diminutive of spasibo?

Sure is, i think Nik can't spell today, being teased and all

Nikolai · June 15, 2008

Richard wrote:

So is that a diminutive of spasibo?

Yessir, good grasp on language feature!

Richard · June 15, 2008

Nikolai wrote:

Yessir, good grasp on language feature!

Thx.

cmorganphotography · June 15, 2008

Nikolai wrote:

Found another one that can be qualified as a setup :-)

"Marilyn Monroe" setup:

This one would be kinda hard to do without the fan, eh, Pete?

BTW, you will have a good laugh at my DIY $5 hairlight diffuser. This is MkII version and it even comes with a barn door (I posted a shot of original design earlier: http://nik.smugmug.com/photos/305418026_efAQu-L.jpg):

Two more shots and brief instructions here: http://nik.smugmug.com/gallery/5174980_cYDeZ

I think you just managed to solve my marylin dress issue... Seven Year Itch with a desk fan. GREAT! That's pretty awesome there. What would you use the lamp with tinfoil and paper towels for? Hair diffuser? Lighting the hair on the back for portraits?
How many home made lights do you have?
I love your use of fabric. Thread love!

Nikolai · June 15, 2008

cmorganphotography wrote:

I think you just managed to solve my marylin dress issue... Seven Year Itch with a desk fan. GREAT! That's pretty awesome there.

Well, originally it was supposed to be a exhaust from NY subway.. Hard to come by those around here, so have to improvise:-)

What would you use the lamp with tinfoil and paper towels for? Hair diffuser? Lighting the hair on the back for portraits?

I thought I mentioned it.. that's the hairlight in MM shot.. (and in all the rest from studio)[/quote]

How many home made lights do you have?

Lights - none; modifiers - a few:-)

I love your use of fabric. Thread love!

Thank you!

Nikolai · June 16, 2008

First results in: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=96916
More later this week...

dogwood · June 16, 2008

Nikolai wrote:

This one would be kinda hard to do without the fan, eh, Pete?

Actually, it might not be a problem at all. The foam core gives a huge blast of air (depending on it's size and the speed you move it). A quick scoop from the ground should do the trick.

For a powerful, cheap fan-- I haven't tried this one but it looks promising:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018P6E2Y?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&tag=giftfella-20

And on the assistant-- yeah, I hear you. I often work solo or with just a MUA and model too. I'm going to force myself to work (and pay) an experienced assistant for a shoot at the end of the month though! I love the MUA I work with but she never can quite get the reflector or foam core fan quite right. It's not her fault-- it's mine for being cheap and not hiring an assistant.

And I love DIY projects. I shoot fashion shows with a 2-dollar foam core diffuser that is ugly but delivers fantatic results.

Nikolai · June 16, 2008

dogwood wrote:

Actually, it might not be a problem at all. The foam core gives a huge blast of air (depending on it's size and the speed you move it). A quick scoop from the ground should do the trick.

Once a get an extra pair of hands, I'm soo trying it:-)

For a powerful, cheap fan-- I haven't tried this one but it looks promising:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018P6E2Y?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&tag=giftfella-20

Thanks!

And on the assistant-- yeah, I hear you. I often work solo or with just a MUA and model too. I'm going to force myself to work (and pay) an experienced assistant for a shoot at the end of the month though! I love the MUA I work with but she never can quite get the reflector or foam core fan quite right. It's not her fault-- it's mine for being cheap and not hiring an assistant.

I'm thinking of contacting local colleges and asking if their photography students need some practice... Afterall, they need to learn the ropes..:-)

And I love DIY projects. I shoot fashion shows with a 2-dollar foam core diffuser that is ugly but delivers fantatic results.

I'm totally there with ya. I'm way past the point about how shiny stuff looks, as long as it
1) works exactly the way I want it to, and
2) doesn't break the bank
My hairlight diffuser is a fine example. I could easily spend $200 for this stuff (bracket, speedring, softbox itself...), and it still would have some limitations...(and weight much more, too, causing troubles from my boom)

aktse · June 16, 2008

Nikolai wrote:

...
And a bigger/more powerful fan, too. I looked at Home Depot, but they were either small, or VERY expensive and still not the power I want.
Does anybody know a source of high-power industrial (and not-prohibitively expensive) floor fans?...

What’s your definition of expensive? I like Vornado fans. Actually, they don’t market themselves as fans but as air circulators.
<o:p> </o:p>
They’re pricier than a fans general, but they move air quite a bit. I would get a model with an adjustable speed rather than one of those fix speed ones.

Nikolai · June 16, 2008

aktse wrote:

What’s your definition of expensive? I like Vornado fans. Actually, they don’t market themselves as fans but as air circulators.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p>
They’re pricier than a fans general, but they move air quite a bit. I would get a model with an adjustable speed rather than one of those fix speed ones.

April, thank you for pitching in....<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif" border="0" alt="" >

Essentially, I'd like it to be around $100 and powerfull enough to create said "MM skirt effect" (for the lack of a better example :-) from a distance of 6-8 feet (so it would stay out of the frame).

This one seems very small, though <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/headscratch.gif" border="0" alt="" >

aktse · June 16, 2008

Nikolai wrote:

....Essentially, I'd like it to be around $100 and powerfull enough to create said "MM skirt effect" (for the lack of a better example :-) from a distance of 6-8 feet (so it would stay out of the frame).

Small, but more powerful than most fans of equal size.

I threw on a skirt, turned on the fan (one of the larger models on 1/4 power) near the base of a chair, hopped on a chair and really confused my new roommate of one week.

I quickly learned that I had to hold down the skirt or it would cover my head. I made the mistake at first of having the fan on full power.

But I achieved it. MM skirt!

(new roommate took pity on me and got a quick snapshot)

I did, however, find a problem. Unless I was standing in the correct position in order to catch the upward current of the air, the skirt didn't move since it was held down by my legs due to the air current pushing against it on the outside of the skirt; the skirt would blow to the side and not up.

I don't know how it's physically possible to have an air current coming from a few away on the same vertical plane as the skirt and have the skirt fly up; it needs to hit the inside of the skirt at an angle. Perpendicular is best and it worked for MM since the air was coming from directly underneath her.

Basically, angle the model to the direction of the air current. And the further away of the air source, the the higher the model has to be standing (like on a chair).

Nikolai · June 17, 2008

aktse wrote:

Small, but more powerful than most fans of equal size.

I threw on a skirt, turned on the fan (one of the larger models on 1/4 power) near the base of a chair, hopped on a chair and really confused my new roommate of one week. <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/mwink.gif" border="0" alt="" > I quickly learned that I had to hold down the skirt or it would cover my head. I made the mistake at first of having the fan on full power.

But I achieved it. MM skirt!

(new roommate took pity on me and got a quick snapshot)

I did, however, find a problem. Unless I was standing in the correct position in order to catch the upward current of the air, the skirt didn't move since it was held down by my legs due to the air current pushing against it on the outside of the skirt; the skirt would blow to the side and not up.

I don't know how it's physically possible to have an air current coming from a few away on the same vertical plane as the skirt and have the skirt fly up; it needs to hit the inside of the skirt at an angle. Perpendicular is best and it worked for MM since the air was coming from directly underneath her.

Basically, angle the model to the direction of the air current. And the further away of the air source, the the higher the model has to be standing (like on a chair).

WOW! <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/bowdown.gif" border="0" alt="" >
"And the extra step award is going to <drum roll> April!" <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif" border="0" alt="" > <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/iloveyou.gif" border="0" alt="" >

OK, I guess I know now what my next WA is gonna be about:-)<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/rolleyes1.gif" border="0" alt="" >

The reason I want a large-sized fan is I want to mimic the wind. Small-sized ones, however powerful, create a very concentrated air current. Sharp spotlight instead of a large soft diffuser, if you will. I need an "soft wind", hence larger fan...<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/deal.gif" border="0" alt="" >

Saturday tease

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