11. Putting It All Together
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/11, 24–70 mm lens
Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.
—Imogen Cunningham
At this point we’ve covered a lot of information, and there’s so much to think about and remember. You’ve learned about kids at different stages and how to light, style, and direct them. But how does it all come together in an actual shoot?
In this chapter you’ll follow the process of two studio shoots from beginning to end. The girls in both shoots are ballerinas and were photographed just a couple of months apart. One is a chubby toddler, and the other is a leggy teenager. Both were photographed at a transition stage in their lives—a stage that their mothers wanted to freeze in time.
Studio Shoot: Lucy
Long before I even picked up the camera, the shoot with Lucy began like any other—with the client consultation. Lucy is the youngest of five in a very busy family. Her mother had been conscientious about having the children photographed often but suddenly realized that she had no photos of Lucy alone. Because Lucy was at that deliciously chubby toddler stage, Mom knew the shoot needed to happen soon before she grew lean and began to look more like a little girl than a baby. I suggested a studio shoot so we could create a study of Lucy’s features. Here are a few more details about Lucy:
Styling Lucy
We agreed on a 9:30 a.m. shoot time when Lucy would be fresh and ready to take on the day. When we discussed clothing options, I discouraged Mom from bringing too many outfits because we wanted Lucy to have fun and be herself, not be changing into different outfits, which would only stress her out. Mothers of large families are famously unflappable, and Lucy’s mom was no exception. She showed up with one outfit and one pink tutu, which was perfect because Lucy was not in the mood to be photographed that day. She seemed nervous and clung to Mom like a barnacle. We warmed her up by shooting some photos of her in the clothes she came in. It took a few minutes, but Lucy began to loosen up a little as long as Mom wasn’t out of sight.
We wanted Lucy to have fun and be herself.
Recognizing that our window of good will might be short-lived, we quickly stripped her down and popped on the tutu. With the tutu on and nothing else but a diaper, I could see that from top to toe this little girl was pink. From her strawberry blonde hair to her rosebud lips to her pale pink skin, she was a chubby, pink darling and the tutu was the perfect pink “frame” to show her off.
Lighting Lucy
Because Lucy is very fair-skinned, I planned to light her so she’d appear luminous on a darkish background. I didn’t want the background to be black because it would be too harsh, so I lit it to be a darker gray than I usually use by setting up my main light and a platform for her to sit on about 14 feet in front of my white, unlit cyc wall. Positioning Lucy that far away from my background created a dark gray background with just enough light to keep it from becoming completely black.
For the main light I used a Profoto studio strobe inside a Chimera 3 × 4-foot softbox with a recessed front panel. This light modifier is smaller than my typical 60-inch Octabank, so it controls the light better. Its recessed front panel keeps the light off my background, making it appear a darker gray. Even though the light modifier was smaller than I normally use, by placing it very close to Lucy it was still a very large light source in relation to my subject, so it produced a soft light.
Tip
If you aren’t yet confident in your lighting skills, keep it simple by using just one light and a reflector so you don’t compromise your interaction with your subject.
Because I wanted to capture every crease and curve of her body, I positioned the main light at approximately 90 degrees to the platform and then pulled it toward the camera until the platform where she would be sitting was barely on the back side of the light. Anticipating that Lucy would be moving around, I added a white V-flat opposite the main light to add in a little fill and keep the shadows from becoming too dark.
Directing Lucy
While we were making the lighting changes, Lucy had been frolicking around the studio and was now ready to climb up on the platform and be photographed. Because Lucy was feeling a bit fragile that day, I didn’t want to overwhelm her with my usual crazy antics; instead, I enlisted Mom’s directing help. By having her prompt Lucy through all her “tricks” while standing right by me, Lucy could respond to Mom and still regard the camera. It wasn’t long before we were rewarded with a show of Lucy’s famous “O” expression.
Next, I moved in close for a tight shot of Lucy’s face and skin (FIGURE 11.1). The high camera angle emphasized how little she is, and the short depth of field highlighted her eyes.
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/2.8, 70–200mm lens
FIGURE 11.1 Filling the frame with creamy pink skin highlighted her blue eyes and rosy mouth.
Getting Your Shot
Although I knew we had enough shots to show Mom, I still hadn’t captured the image that I wanted. While Lucy took another quick break, I brought in a platform of reclaimed wood to juxtapose against Lucy’s smooth skin. Then we perched her on top with her chubby legs hanging off the edge. At this point she discovered the silk ribbon on her tutu and was fascinated by it. With her arms forward and her chin down, she was in the perfect position to show off the rolls and creases I had been dying to capture. I cropped in close, focusing on her body for the final shot in FIGURE 11.2. This image hangs in my office. I call it the Shar-Pei Ballerina because she has so many creases she reminds me of a shar-pei puppy.
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/13, 70–200mm lens
FIGURE 11.2 The Shar-Pei Ballerina was lit to show off every roll and crease in her toddler body.
Studio Shoot: Samantha
Samantha was an only child who hadn’t been photographed in a while. Her mom emailed me a specific request: “My daughter is turning 13 and about to get braces. We were thinking of getting some photos before she looks all grown up.” Samantha had just recently upgraded from glasses to contacts so her mom wanted some photos of her before the braces went on. Here are a few more details about Samantha:
Styling Samantha
During the consult, Samantha’s mom gave me great direction about what she wanted highlighted in her daughter’s images. Mom’s favorite color was purple, so she wanted purple to represent a symbol of her love for her daughter in the photos. Samantha is an accomplished ballet dancer, and we discussed incorporating her ballet costume into the shoot. Samantha started lessons when she was little and had been dancing en pointe for some time. For this reason, I asked Mom to bring a bunch of old, outgrown, or worn toe shoes to the shoot. Because Samantha is an only child, Mom knew she would have definite opinions about how she was portrayed. When we discussed clothes, I suggested she let Samantha select her own outfits with minimal guidance. I advised her to bring more clothing and “stuff” than she thought we’d need to give us options to choose from.
We decided to photograph Samantha in the studio because we wanted to highlight all of her features: hands, freckles, long legs, and other characteristics. And, I wanted to explore some different lighting techniques to highlight this transformative stage in Samantha’s life. The beauty of photographing 13-year-old girls is that they are as into the photo shoot as you are. They are only too happy to change their clothes multiple times; they stay where you put them; and they are collaborators in the process of creating the images.
Tip
Redheads usually prefer color images instead of black and white because they show off their distinctive red hair.
The shoot was scheduled three days after Samantha’s thirteenth birthday. Mom and Samantha arrived excited about the shoot and carrying lots of outfit options. Samantha also toted in a box full of her old toe shoes. We started by photographing Samantha in a T-shirt and jeans, and worked into a dressier, more mature look that she had selected. Samantha was easy to photograph due to her sunny personality, and she had confidence to burn. Next, she dressed in a formal, flowing black dress, adding black tights and her toe shoes.
Lighting Samantha
For the first shots, I set up my main light up and over Samantha with a single strobe head in a 60-inch Octabank. The gray background and black dress made the image (FIGURE 11.3) seem monochromatic, but her red hair and pink toe shoes added a bit of subtle color to the image. I wanted some movement in the image, so I brought in the fan to move her hair slightly. This was Mom’s favorite image, and it hangs in a large canvas in their home.
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/11, 70–200mm lens
FIGURE 11.3 The formal attire and traditional toe shoes are juxtaposed against the plain, modern background.
Samantha’s form and bearing were so beautiful I wanted to try a sort-of silhouette with her en pointe (FIGURE 11.4). I turned off the main light and turned on the background lights to light the white cyc wall, throwing Samantha into silhouette. Samantha is in the same place as she was in Figure 11.3, only the lighting has changed. I had her turn so her profile was more toward the camera, and my assistant held the fan to move her hair and dress.
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/11, 70–200mm lens
FIGURE 11.4 With the main light off and background lights on, the result is a sort-of silhouette.
I wanted some movement in the image, so I brought in the fan to move her hair.
Ever since the consult with Samantha’s mom, I had been envisioning the next shot in my mind. I wanted her to appear in a spotlight and to be holding a bouquet of her old toe shoes, symbolizing how far she’d come in her dancing. While Samantha put her hair up and changed, my assistant, Jeff, and I tested the next lighting setup. We positioned a single beauty dish up and over with a 20-degree grid on the front, which created a pool of light on the floor (FIGURE 11.5). Samantha came on set in a camel leotard with a black tutu and tights.
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/11, 70–200mm lens
FIGURE 11.5 Setting up a spot light with a beauty dish before we put the grid on the front of the dish.
Tip
If possible, test your lighting with an assistant (or parent) so that you have everything ready when your subjects walk on set.
The first test shots showed that her black tutu and legs were disappearing into the dark background. To fix that issue, I aimed a background light (shown on the right side in Figure 11.5) with a 20-degree grid spot attached at the background just behind her to create a soft spot of light. It was just enough to see her tutu and keep the background from going completely black.
Directing Samantha
We presented Samantha with her bouquet of toe shoes with ribbons draping down. To exaggerate her long legs and regal bearing, I got down on the floor for a very low camera angle. I then directed her to inch forward very slightly into the light and look down at me while keeping her chin up (FIGURE 11.6). Like Figure 11.3, at first glance this image appears to be monochromatic, but the color in her leotard and tights causes the viewer to take a second look. You can see that she is very young, but her stance and expression show the maturity that lies behind her youth.
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/13, 70–200mm lens
FIGURE 11.6 Emerging into the spotlight with her bouquet of toe shoes.
Getting Your Shot
I felt like I’d gotten the shot I wanted in Figure 11.6, but then Samantha started fixing her tutu and I saw something intriguing. I directed her to do it again but this time while en pointe. She had moved forward a bit and was looking down, so her face fell in shadow as she fixed the tutu (FIGURE 11.7). The combination of both pools of light, one on the background and one beneath her feet, provided just enough light to show her silhouette. The beauty dish overhead skimmed the light across her upper body, illuminating the angles on her shoulders and arms.
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/11, 70–200mm lens
FIGURE 11.7 My favorite shot was lit with a beauty dish and shot from a low angle.
This image stayed with me for days after I shot it. I kept coming back to it because, in a way, it’s a portrait that represents girls and women of all ages. We all perform a balancing act on our toes, trying to be perfect and look good while we are doing it. Sometimes we are so busy attempting to do it all that we get in our own way and block our light. This image is a good reminder to be in the moment and enjoy what is happening right in front of us.
Keep Shooting
A spotlight idea kept calling to me, so when Samantha went to change into a different leotard combination, I pulled the beauty dish off the strobe head and positioned the bare bulb light to face the camera, creating a stage effect on the cyc wall. When she reemerged, I asked Samantha to assume center stage on the set (FIGURE 11.8). The bare bulb light was very hard, but it provided great rim light for Samantha. In addition, there was enough reflection from the white wall camera right to throw light into her face and the front of her body. Her tentative step forward and sideways glance back are a poignant reminder of this phase in her life—not a little girl, not yet a woman; I love her unsure expression in this image. From the low camera angle you can see how long and thin her legs are. She reminded me of the little ballerina inside a jewelry box I had when I was a kid.
ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/16, 70–200mm lens
FIGURE 11.8 Shooting straight into the light can be tricky, but it’s worth it when it comes out right.
Turning Samantha toward the same background light used in Figure 11.8 resulted in light that was too hard on her face, but because she was prancing around and trying different ballet moves, I didn’t interrupt the flow. I shot a few frames that I knew would be useless, just to keep her moving. Then she looked down, and in that position what had been harsh, unflattering light turned out to be the perfect light to illuminate the non-camera aware moment in FIGURE 11.9. In this image, you can’t tell how old she is. She could be 13 or 19. Her expressive hands are highlighted, and the purple in her leotard—the symbol of her mother’s love—combined with the light to produce a favorite shot. We finished up the session with some close-up shots of her face and cute freckles, and a quick image of her and Mom together. By the end of the shoot we were all exhausted but exhilarated by the collaboration and creative energy.
