I had been looking for a time and an opportunity to just get creative in the studio. No client pressures, no ultimate end goal, just to make some art. I've had this cool textured backdrop from Background Town that I wasn't quite sure what to do with. I was hoping that I could integrate into my creative session and was thinking through different ways it could be used. The jade green and cooper colors were great as a base for whatever I had decided to do in the foreground.
GENERAL CONCEPT
The general concept for this session was to play! I wanted to side step from my calculated (some would say Virgo tendencies ... whatever that means haha) and get in the studio to create for the sake of art. After going down quite a few rabbit holes of *oohhh that's cool*, I revisited the work of Paolo Roversi and the beautiful work he had done with clients like Dior, Vogue, etc. As I looked more into his work, I came across a video that Lindsay Adler had done where she utilized similar elements of Paolo's style to create her own work.
I thought "well this is going to be an adventure" and I got to planning.
THE SETUP
The overall setup was fairly simple. I used my small home studio space (aka my garage) which was perfect as I knew I would need to eliminate as much ambient light as possible. I set my backdrop up at one end of my garage, and not gonna lie, it was nice not having to worry about space for different lights and modifiers. Speaking of which, I used my StellaPro Reflex S modified with the wide optic adapter and a bit of cinefoil to better shape and direct the light. I also had a small LED flash light that I had taped a orange gel disc onto as a second light.
I placed my camera on a tripod since I knew I'd be photographing with a long shutter speed. I tethered to my laptop, which I had hidden behind the black side of a V-flat to avoid any unnecessary light spillage.
THE SETTINGS
This is where things get interesting. Every scenario seems to be different. The first few frames I had shot were at F/16, ISO 100, and 8 seconds. I had the power of my StellaPro around 400 and things just weren't looking right. Most likely user error, and I'm not one to be "Let's change just one variable to see how that's affecting it" ... nope ... I changed almost everything haha. I went to F/11, and 10 seconds, and turned the power of my light down to around 200 and even 100 at times. By opening up the aperture a bit and increasing the time I had to wave my magic light wand, it gave me more light on my subject without being too bright. This was roughly my sweet spot that I then spot the rest of the shoot in, settings wise. On occasion I would pop in the small orange LED and it worked okay, but the light itself wasn't as powerful to make as much of a difference.
THE PROCESS
Once I had the technical side of things squared away, I was able to focus more on the creative and interacting with my model. For wardrobe, we kept things simple. This allowed for the focus to be on the model and the technique rather than a particular garment we were trying to sell. The background texture was pretty substantial as well and I didn't want the clothing to compete with that.
I had my model seated to start. This allowed him to get in a pose that he could hold comfortably, especially while we were doing our initial test run of getting the settings right. I loved integrating in intentional motion blur during the session though. This added another layer of texture and interest to the photos.
- FOUR TIPS WHEN ATTEMPTING LIGHT PAINTING FOR PORTRAITS -
Keep it Dark:
Since the main thing with light painting is about controlling the light, it's really important that you work in a space that is as dark as possible. This helps avoid any unwanted light spilling onto your seen. Also, remember to be safe for both you and your client. Turn the lights on when needed to avoid any unnecessary tripping hazards and to keep taps on your gear, like tripod legs.
Find Your Focus:
This was probably one of my hardest things to get right, and is 99% user error haha. Is my tripod the best, nope, so finding focus on auto and then switching to manual before pressing the shutter release was not really an option haha. I shot in manual focus the whole time. I would have my client close their eyes, shine the light on their face, get focus, and then turn off the light prior to pressing the shutter release. Sure would a shutter release cable have been helpful ... possibly ... but this was just a test shoot, so I didn't go down that road haha. Also, having your model in a comfortable pose that they can hold is also important to help secure focus.
The More the Merrier:
Looking back on the shoot, I think it would have been awesome to have a second set of hands. 10 secs. to shoot isn't a lot of time. And I felt like having someone else press the shutter and I could be in better range to get to my model quicker would have been helpful. Also, if I wanted to include a second light, an assistant would have been great for that as well. I looked like I was at a rave waving two lights randomly while trying not to blind my model.
Enjoy the Process:
This is the best part, at least for me. While I was kinda stressing about getting at least a few good shots, I kept reminding myself this was just an opportunity to be creative and have fun! There was no need for any pressure. My model was down to be part of the process and was excited with whatever we were able to create together.
CONCLUSION
Would I do light painting again? Heck yeah! Would I think about the process a little differently knowing what I know now? Also, heck yeah! Haha
It's so important as creatives to set aside time just to play! Let's be honest ... it's pretty stressful out in the world and letting your mind, and your creative soul, have an opportunity to just create for a change is a great way to let go of any client pressures or stagnant setups. Change is good and creating art is great!
MODEL // Sage Smith
AGENCY // Tribe Talent Management
BACKDROP // 8' x 10' Fleece 'Plaster Wall Jade' from BackgroundTown
MODIFIERS // Cinefoil / Small color gel disk / Gaff tape
LIGHTING // StellaPro Reflex S / Small handheld LED flash light
CAMERA // Sony a7iii
LENS // Sony 24 - 70 mm F2.8 G Master
