
This blog post is not about the
technical errors that a photographer might make with
the lighting or their camera settings, this is about
the bad habits that some photograpers fall into when
shooting in a studio. I've been running studio
photography workshops for a few years now, and there
are some things I see again and again from both
newbies and sometimes quite experienced photographers.
Photographers are very individual in their style and
how they work and yes, what makes a good photograph is
subjective, but some things will always mean that you
don't get as much out of a photoshoot as you could.
So let's take a look at some of the bad habits that I
see most often.
Not have an idea before you start shooting
Sometimes you have no idea about a client before they
turn up for a shoot, sometimes you might just be
mucking around and trying a few things out, but
otherwise, when you're setting up a photoshoot, you
should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve.
Sure, you might change your mind mid-shoot or find
that a different look would suit your subject, but in
general, the quality of your shots will be much higher
if you go into the shoot – or even just the individual
shot – with A Plan.
Assume it's about the most expensive camera and
lens
People often come into the studio with a startlingly
expensive bit of kit and think that makes a great
photograph. There are two problems with this
thinking... First of all, photography – any
photography, not just studio photography – is about
light and composition, not kit. In particular, if
you're shooting in full manual mode, a relatively
basic camera will do the job just as well.
Secondly, you need equipment suitable for studio
photography, which is not necessarily the most
expensive stuff. For example, a zoom lens might simply
be too long to fit your subject in or a camera may be
too heavy to hold after an hour or two's shooting. An
expensive fast zoom lens isn't needed if you're
shooting with studio strobes either (you're unlikely
to be down at F2.8 anyway). Sometimes I'll shoot with
a dirt-cheap 50mm prime lens and a six-year-old
cropped-frame camera and I'll still get great shots!
It's not about the camera.
Shoot from the same
distance and angle
So you've set up the backdrop, you've got the model in
the right spot, the lights are all set up, you've
worked out your camera settings... and then you shoot
from exactly the same spot – front and centre! – all
afternoon. For a start, you'll get a whole bunch of
very samey shots. But, more importantly, you're not
using the potential of your position and the lens'
focal length to create a great shot.
To get a really great shot, you might need to alter
where you're shooting from, the angle that you're
shooting at, how close you are to the subject, and
your focal length. Despite what some portrait
tutorials will tell you, the best shot won't always be
from some distance away with a long focal length and
at eye level – so move!
Don't use the
modelling lights
As well as a flash, studio lights have a modelling
lamp - this is just a continuous light that can be set
at a power that is proportional to how strong the
flash is going to be. The studio photographer can use
this light to see where the shadows will fall, where
the catch-lights and hot-spots will be and – with
practise – what the final image will look like.
However, many inexperienced studio photographers will
take the shot, and then look at that dinky little
screen on the back of their camera to determine how
good their shot was. This takes an unnecessary amount
of time and disrupts the flow of the photoshoot, and
that little screen is really not big enough to quickly
assess whether every element of the shot was correct.
So use the modelling lamps!
Under-expose white and
over-expose black
If you're shooting a high-key shot, you want the
backdrop to be white. On the other hand, if you're
doing a dark, low-key shot, then you may want the
background to be completely back. Many photographers,
when they first come into a studio, look at the
histogram on the back of their camera and adjust their
exposure so the peak is sitting nicely in the middle.
And what does that make? Grey. If you're trying to
shoot with a white or black background, you need to be
sure that the lighting is set up suitably - a white
background requires one or more lights to be angled
straight at the backdrop in addition to the lights on
your subject, while for a black background, you need
to make sure that your lights don't spill onto the
background (the easiest way to do this is often to
bring your subject and lights away from the backdrop).
And once you've got your lighting right, make sure
that your camera is set for a high/low enough exposure
for white/black, not grey! Unless you want grey...
Faithfully reproduce
what they can see
If you're using the modelling lamps correctly, the
light should be falling in the right place and you
should have a good idea of what your image will look
like. However, if you want to photograph exactly what
you can see (and there are plenty of times when you
do), you don't even need the studio lights to fire -
just grab a nice fast lens and shoot in aperture
priority without the strobes flashing. If, on the
other hand, you want to actually use the studio lights
to make an image beyond what you could do with the
ambient light, you should be setting the exposure on
your camera correctly to bring about a much more
dramatic picture.
Ask the model to "move
about and stuff"
As the photographer, it's your job to pose the model.
You know what image you are going for, you can see the
whole scene, you can see how the light is falling on
your subject – the model can't see any of this, so
don't ask them to "move about and stuff" or "do a
pose". Many models do know instinctively the position
to get into and where the light is falling – and
that's the mark of a great model and a good working
relationship with the photographer – but it's still up
to the photographer to direct the model. As a rule,
models don't mind being directed – it's their job and
they'd rather know exactly what you want rather than
just hoping they find the right pose by chance.
Also, it's a good idea to discuss how you – the
photographer – work and direct. Some photographers
like their model to move about and change poses, while
personally I like my models to remain still until I
tell them to move. Similarly, when altering positions,
I'll be very clear about whether I want the model to
move half an inch or to completely change position.
Focus on the face but
forget the body
A portrait is all in the eyes... well, yes, but don't
forget about what the rest of the body is doing! It's
very easy to set your focus on the eyes and forget
about the rest, particularly if you don't assess the
position and lighting before you lift the camera to
the eye. So check that the
arms/legs/fingers/everything is in the right place
before you click that button.
Move the model but not
the lights
So we've spent 20 minutes setting up the lights,
trying a few different things, experimenting with a
couple of different poses, and then getting that
absolutely killer shot. And then the photographer
says, "Turn your head the other way now", and starts
to shoot. Not surprisingly, the lighting isn't even
close.
In some cases, the lighting is quite forgiving – for
example, shooting in high key, there's loads of light
and very little shadow, so moving your model's head
will (probably) not be catastrophic. However, if
you've spent some time to set up perfect Rembrandt
lighting, for example, then the effect will be
completely destroyed by only a small movement of the
model. So, remember to alter the position and power of
the lights when you move your model. If you've been
paying attention so far and you're using the modelling
lamps properly, you'll spot what's changed and where
your lights need to move to before you even put your
viewfinder up to your eye.
Rush a shot and assume
that "okay" is good enough
Some lighting set-ups can be put together in seconds.
More sophisticated or experimental set ups, however,
may take a little time to get perfect. You're in a
studio, everything is under your control, there's no
excuse for settling for "good enough" unless it's
perfect. Studio lighting takes a lot of practise, but
that's half the fun, so keep on experimenting until
you get it absolutely spot on.
Take ten identical
shots
Okay, this won't actually ruin your shot, but it does
mean that your photoshoot will run really slowly and
may get boring for the model. It's also particularly
infuriating during a workshop when other photographers
are waiting their turn. It's a studio... the second
shot will be identical to the first one, so you only
need one. Get it right first time.
So those are the things that come straight to mind
when I see inexperienced studio photographers
shooting. Ask another professional photographer and
they'd probably come up with a list of ten completely
different things (oh hang on, there are 11 things on
my list), but if you have the right kit, prepare
properly and pay attention to what's happening in
front of you, you'll always get great shots!
Cheers,
matt g