A brief extract from The Photolearn Model Portfolio tutorial Our approach to this Tutorial Every kind of photography - and especially studio photography - seems to attract people who have an almost unlimited supply of money, which they then spend on equipment that they really don't need in the mistaken belief that the best equipment will automatically produce the best results. What we have done here is to assume that your own resources are limited and that you don't have a large studio with unlimited camera and lighting equipment. Based on this, most of the lighting setups here can be achieved with an absolute minimum of lighting. Where extra lights have been used, on the background for example, we make this clear. If you have more lighting equipment available than we've used in this tutorial, you can simply combine techniques to get different results - but get the basics right first, limiting yourself to just one or two lights, until you can achieve reliable, consistent results with these simple setups. We don't pretend that the photos that illustrate this tutorial are wonderful examples of photography, that's very definitely not our intention. This tutorial is about taking pictures of models (and people who want to be models), it isn't about related subjects such as makeup and computer retouching. These are important ingredients but they don't belong in this tutorial because you need to see the photos 'as shot'. Throughout this tutorial we ve assumed that your shooting with a digital camera, simply because digital is ideal for this type of photography and because most people prefer digital but the principles are the same whether you use digital or film. Model portfolio photography is a mixture of portrait, glamour and fashion photography, so there are elements of all 3 in this tutorial. I hope you find it helpful. The general principles outlined in this tutorial apply to outdoor photography as well as to studio work - but it's far more difficult to get precisely-orchestrated results outdoors simply because it is almost impossible to control the lighting adequately, even when using reflectors to soften shadows etc. Model portfolio photography is basically about producing sets of portfolio shots for models and aspiring models, although the same techniques are often used in some styles of portrait and fashion photography. There are a lot of people out there producing so-called model portfolios but many of the photographers just produce a series of boring studio shots against boring studio 1
backgrounds, putting their subjects through a silly pose routine any modelling work! which won't get them Basically, a portfolio should show the range of looks that a model can achieve. The pictures will eventually be replaced by shots from paid work, but meanwhile s/he needs pictures that look as if they've actually done some real modelling. I hope this tutorial will help you to produce the type of shots your subjects need. Just how important IS equipment? The short answer to this one is that the amount and quality of your camera and studio equipment, and the size of your studio, will have an effect on the type of work you can produce, and it may also affect the size (number of people or size of set) that you can produce. It may also make things easier or more difficult for you but it will not affect the quality. Take, as an example of another speciality, bird photography. Now, bird photographers today generally use very expensive, sophisticated equipment - 600mm (or longer) wideaperture lenses on their top of the range 35mm or DSLR cameras, sophisticated metering systems, clever electronics to stabilise the images and reduce camera shake, radio, sound and beam triggers to fire the camera at exactly the right moment... and this makes it possible for them to take photos that simply can't be produced with 'ordinary' camera equipment. But if you take a look at the outstanding work of early pioneers such as Eric Hoskins, who had to make do with an old plate camera and who used to develop his plates in a nearby stream... Lack of equipment didn't stop him from producing outstanding bird photos. What he had going for him was photographic expertise, commitment and a very real understanding of his subject. And of course the same thing applies to photographing models too. 10,000 sq feet of studio space, with a 40' - high ceiling and unlimited lighting equipment would be nice, but you can manage much less! One other point, and a very important one - makeup is very important in any type of people photography and unless your models use matt foundation, reflections (or burnout) will always appear on the face. Our models have not used foundation because it is much easier to see exactly where lights have been positioned without it. Technique -v- creativity There has always been a great 'debate' in photography about technique -v- creativity, with people arguing about which is more important. The answer is that each is equally important - after all, there is no point in producing a technically-perfect photo that nobody wants to look at, nor is there any point in producing a creative masterpiece that has serious technical shortcomings or that, even if 'perfect', can't be replicated because you don't know how you got the good result in the first place! Because of this, you should understand the technical ingredients and learn to work within the limitations imposed by your equipment. Only then should you start to concentrate on the creative elements of good photography. 2
Exposure basics I don't want to patronise you but I want to start off by explaining how exposure works in the studio. If you're using continuous lighting then there are no real differences between outdoor photography and studio photography in terms of exposure the lens aperture controls the amount of light coming into the camera and the shutter controls the length of time it comes in for, and the light can be measured using either the camera meter or a separate hand-held meter. The camera can be used in the same exposure modes and in the same way that you would normally use it outdoors, and the only real difference is in the quantity of light available most continuous lighting is pretty dim, compared to natural light. But most people prefer to use flash (more of this later) and this is where the differences kick in! Some people use accessory flashguns, normally used attached directly to the camera. Accessory flashguns come into their own when used outdoors for fill flash, or when used indoors as the only light source, for example at a party. These flashes can also be used in the studio, although they are not ideal. Adapters are available that allow them to be fitted to lighting stands and modifiers such as umbrellas and even softboxes can be fitted, although you may find that the power output is too low to allow small apertures to be used. However, despite their limitations they can provide a workable, low cost alternative to real studio lights in some situations. Their main use is probably for lighting the background, especially when pure white (often mis-described as high key) backgrounds are wanted. Simply set up an accessory flashgun each side of the backdrop, cross angled so that the one on the left illuminates the right side of the background and vice versa. Bear in mind that adequate power is all that matters for this type of lighting automatic controls, even if available, need to be turned off so literally any hotshoe flash will do the job as long as it has enough power and old, second hand ones are actually better because they often have PC cords that can be used to hard-wire the flashes together, or to fire them via radio triggers. Accessory flashguns come in 2 basic types manual and dedicated. Manual flashguns will work with any camera. Basically they can be used in either auto or manual mode. In manual mode the flashgun uses its full power, so the amount of light is fixed and the exposure is set in the same way as with studio flash (please see below). In auto mode the camera needs to be set to a shutter speed that will work with the flash, you decide which aperture you want to use and set it on the camera. You then set the same aperture and ISO speed on the flash. When you take the shot the flash will fire at full power, but the flashgun has a small sensor that measures the power of the flash reflected from the subject and it will cut off the power once it has calculated that the flash has produced the light for long enough. This normally works fairly well, but may not be reliable in the studio if the flash is used with an umbrella or softbox, which can confuse the flash sensor. Dedicated flashguns work with only one specific make of camera and will 'talk' to the camera (although there are some 3 rd party dedicated flashes that can be set to work with 3
different makes of camera) and when the dedicated flash is mounted to a camera or connected to the camera with a special lead, the flash will set the shutter speed on the camera. The flash will 'know' the ISO speed used, which aperture has been set on the camera, which lens is fitted to it and, if a zoom lens is being used it will know which focal length the zoom has been set to, and will set its own zoom reflector. When dedicated flashguns are used in the studio the complex electronics in both the flash and the camera work together to control the output of the flash, and the camera will meter the light, just as it will if you use it to take shots at a party. By far the most professional flash solution is studio flash. Studio flash is available in varying levels of sophistication but all studio flashes have one feature in common they are used manually and there is no way that the flash or the camera is able to measure the flash power. Because of this the camera must be used in manual mode, i.e. with both the shutter speed and the aperture set by the photographer. Synch speed This is the fastest shutter speed that will work with flash. Any camera will work at 1/30 th second, most will work at much higher shutter speeds. The limitation is that the camera shutter needs to be fully open at the time the shot is taken. Cameras fitted with focal plane shutters (Most SLR cameras) have a blind that totally uncovers the film or digital sensor at slower speeds but which turns into a narrow slit at higher speeds, so at higher speeds the film or sensor isn't all uncovered at the same time. You must set a shutter speed at which the film or sensor is totally uncovered, otherwise part of the shot will not get any flash exposure. Digital cameras with the smaller APS-size sensors can generally use flash at higher shutter speeds than cameras that use full frame digital chips or film. The reason for this is the shutters (which work from top to bottom or bottom to top) have to uncover a larger area with a larger film or chip size. With full frame or 35mm, it has to uncover 24mm, with smaller sensors it only has to uncover (about) 15mm. Some medium format cameras don't have focal plane shutters, instead they have shutters that fit inside the lens (between lens shutters) and they work at any shutter speed. Point and shoot digital cameras normally don't have mechanical shutters at all, the shutters work electronically and will work at any speed. Check your instruction book to find out how fast a shutter speed you can use with flash, and then test it to make sure that it really does work at that speed with studio flash. Used with studio flash, the only function of the shutter is to open before the flash fires and to then close again. If you are working in a studio with the windows blacked out to prevent daylight from affecting your shots the amount of ambient (existing) light present in your studio will normally be far too low to affect the exposure in any measurable way. Obviously, if you were to set the shutter speed to (say) 1 second then there would be enough ambient light to spoil the shot but in practical terms it doesn't usually make any difference whether you set the camera to 1/30 th or to 1/250 th. The aperture. O.K., you've set the shutter to a speed that will synchronise with your flash, and it's clear that (within reason) the shutter speed doesn't affect the exposure because there isn't enough continuous light present to make any real difference to the exposure. 4
Now you have to set the lens aperture. Setting the aperture has the same effect with flash as with continuous lighting it controls how much light is allowed to reach the film or digital chip. Some studio flashes are more sophisticated than others and the photographer can control the amount of light output over a very wide range. Less sophisticated flashes may only have a limited adjustment range or even none at all. The first thing to do is to measure the amount of light reaching your subject. This is done with a flash meter remember that the meter built into the camera is useless in the studio. Suppose that the meter indicates f11. You then set the lens aperture to f11, which will limit the amount of light entering through the lens and which, in theory at least, will provide correct exposure. If your lights have a wide range of adjustment and you decide that you'd rather take the shot at, say, f2.8, you simply change the power setting until the flash meter indicates f2.8. Cameras, lenses & filters. The ideal camera for any type of studio photography involving people is a single lens reflex fitted with a mild telephoto lens; say about 85mm on a 35mm camera, or about 50mm on a cropped-sensor digital camera. This is the generally-acceptance guidance, but it is not carved in stone and your shots can be produced on any type of camera, using any type of lens. The shutter speeds and aperture must be capable of being set manually. Zoom lenses are a convenience but by no means essential. A good lens hood is essential. A PC flash socket is useful, although most studio photographers prefer to use radio or infra red to trigger their flash, and anyway cameras fitted with a hot shoe can be fitted with a simple adapter that allows studio lights to be plugged in. Because of space restrictions, a standard-length lens may also be needed, especially for full-length shots. Please see our separate tutorial for detailed info on cameras and filters. Light Meter A good flash meter is essential, not only for measuring the overall exposure, but also for measuring the ratio between the various lights used. You won't go far wrong with either Minolta or Sekonic, but cheaper makes, although perhaps less heavily built and less easy to use, will normally produce very similar results. Lighting Lighting is the essence of all good photography. After all, the word 'photography' means drawing with light - but this does NOT mean that we need to spend a lot of money on expensive studio lighting. The essentials are lights which a. Can be adjusted for power b. Can be adjusted for height c. Can be fitted with modifiers, to make the light harsher or softer The lights must be adjustable for power so that you can get the right balance between the key light and any other lights you may be using. Moving a light further away in order 5
to reduce its power is not an option, because by doing so you will make the light smaller in relation to your subject, and so the light will become much harsher. The lights must be adjustable for height. No lighting stand ever does this job as well as it should, and you may need more than 1 lighting stand for some lights. Don't buy cheap, flimsy stands - if the stand falls over with your expensive light on it you'll wish you d spent a bit more on the stand! If you have a permanent studio you should consider stands that have wheels fitted to them - they are far less likely to fall over if someone walks into them or trips over a power lead. If you need to use flimsy stands without wheels it's a very good idea to place sandbags on the leg braces, to improve stability and safety. Modifiers are any attachment that goes in front of the light to change its effect. These are some of the more useful modifiers. And modifiers like umbrellas, softboxes, silks and scrims work in the opposite way. They make the light bigger and bigger means softer. Light from a really large light source, close to the subject, is very similar to the light from a seriously overcast day. As photographers, we have to make decisions about whether hard light or soft light suits our subject (and purpose) better. Soft light isn t necessarily better or worse than hard light, and some studio lighting involves a mixture of the two. Rightly or wrongly, modifiers that produce soft light are more popular than those that produce hard light, so let s deal with them first. There are a few different choices; Softboxes Shoot through umbrellas Reflective umbrellas Silks & Scrims Softboxes are useful general-purpose modifiers. Basically they are just a large reflector, the light goes in one end, bounces around off of the interior surface (usually silver but sometimes white), passes through (usually) a diffuser and finally comes out at the front, where the main diffuser is fitted. The big advantage of softboxes is that the light is controlled, that is it all goes forwards and none of it bounces around the studio, unlike shoot through umbrellas. Also, the design of softboxes means that they can be placed really close to the subject, unlike reflective umbrellas. Their big disadvantage is that they should be viewed as permanent they can be fiddly to assemble/dissemble and so aren t ideal if you need to travel to other people s homes with your gear, or if your studio has to become your lounge again when you ve finished shooting. Softboxes are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes and some produce much better quality of light than others. 6
Shoot through umbrellas fit over the light and go between the light and the subject. Basically they re like a wet weather umbrella except that the cover is translucent. The light hits the cover, which then becomes a large and therefore softer light source. The big advantage of shoot through umbrellas, apart from their low cost and portability, is that their design allows them to be placed close to the subject, which means that they can produce really soft light. But they have a disadvantage too only about 60% of the light actually passes through the umbrella, the rest bounces back and this spare light then bounces off of ceilings, nearby walls etc, often producing extra light from unwanted directions. Bounced light can also reach the lens, which can cause flare. Reflective umbrellas face the wrong way so that the light is facing away from the subject and the umbrella bounces the light on to the subject. The advantage of this arrangement is that, unlike shoot through umbrellas, the light is fairly controlled and doesn t spill everywhere. The disadvantage is that their design stops them from being placed close to the subject, so the light cannot be really soft. Umbrellas are also available with detachable covers, these can be used as either shoot through or reflective. And you can get umbrella softboxes too, which are basically umbrellas with a diffuser fitted. They are said to have the portability of umbrellas and some of the qualities of softboxes. Silks and scrims are different tools but work in a similar way. They are simply large diffusion panels, often fitted to a frame, and they go between the light and the subject. The diffusion panel is similar to that of a softbox. They re an excellent, low-cost way of getting a really large light source and can achieve various different effects, depending on how close the light is placed to the diffuser. At the other end of the scale, snoots stop light from spreading outwards and so produce a controlled, small light. Honeycombs do much the same, but have the advantage that they also control the light by directing it through the honeycomb itself, which makes it ideal if the light is pointing towards the camera a slight change in angle can stop light from hitting the camera lens and causing flare. In the shot above, a honeycomb mounted on a boom arm is being used as a hairlight. This kind of arrangement is fine for a seated subject who can keep still, but it requires careful positioning. Reflective umbrellas are a less precise tool for hairlight use (more of 7
a shotgun than a rifle in that the light scatters over a wider area) but they re a lot easier for subjects who move around. Barn doors are another way of controlling the spread of light, they were popular in the days of hotlights but there are better and easier ways of controlling flash. You don t need a full range of honeycombs shown above for model photography, but a couple of mid-range ones, for example 15 o and 30 o, are very useful for hairlights and for placing a 'mask' of light on the face. Here are a few shots by acclaimed French photographer Marc Gouguenheim. These shots are very different to each other but the one thing they all have in common is that the lighting in each case is about as harsh at it can be whilst still showing fine detail in the fashion magazines/adverts where they were used. Shadows Shadows are caused by light not reaching part of the scene and occur whether the light is hard or soft, but they are more obvious in hard light. Something gets in the way of the light (the nose perhaps) and so it blocks the light from reaching part of the face. That's obvious, but what is not so obvious to many people is that shadows are not necessarily a bad thing. Shadows are part of real life, and if you want your photos to look real too, then you should at least consider whether or not to do away with them, and not to automatically use shadowless lighting! Getting rid of shadows completely is easy enough, all you have to do is to have your lighting exactly balanced so that, for example, each of the lights used has exactly the same power. 8
The result will be no shadows at all, but the photo may not look realistic and will probably be pretty flat. There are two basic ways of doing this, one is to have a lighting ratio of something like 2:1 (twice as much power from one light as the other) or 3:2, and the other method is to control shadows by moving lights closer or further away. This works because the closer the light is to your subject, the larger it is in relation to it and the light becomes softer and shadows become less clearly defined. This applies to shadows on the background too, if you want strong, harsh background shadows you simply need to move the lighting a long way from your subject and place your subject close to the background, or reverse this for the opposite effect. 9
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