Today I’m taking a break from my recent Sunday Series on Available Light Portraiture to throwback to the original theme of Outdoor Portraits. Next week, who knows?
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bayWatching the tide roll away—Otis Redding
It’s not often that I get to photograph a Playboy Playmate but I once did have a chance to do just that at a group model shoot. Heather Carolin was Miss April, 2002 and like many Playmates she was not as tall as most fashion models tend to be. While 5-foot, 10-inches is typical for runway models, Playmates tend to average around five-foot, three-inches and Heather was 5-foor, four-inches tall.
Sittin’ on the Dock
How I Made this portrait: Before you get to excited, this is a PG-rated portrait of Playboy Playmate Heather Carolin. One of the advantages of this particular group model shoot is that it was held on the back lot of a movie studio on Arizona. One of its sets was this dock that had a Mark Twain feel to it that perfectly matched the “Huck Finn” clothing the subject was wearing during our one-on-one time together. (see below.)
To photograph Heather, I used a Canon EOS D60, nor 60D, and an EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM lens (at 28mm) that I unfortunately sold. It was a great lens. Fill flash was provided by a Canon 420EX speedlite. The exposure was 1/200 sec at f/7.1 at ISO 400 with a minus two-thirds stop exposure compensation .
Maximizing your image quality at Group Model shoots: If you’re lucky enough to attend a ground model shoot—they seem to be few and far between these days—here are a few tips I would like to share. Typically two or three photographers are in a group and are assigned to a specific model, so here are a few do’s and don’t’s:
- Do introduce yourself to the model and use her name when photographing her. It’s not just the polite thing to do but will result in better images too because she will relate to you better when you treat her with respect.
- Don’t: line up with the other photographer and use too-long focal lenses, blasting the model in Continuous mode—all at the same time. She may direct her eyes to one of you which means that the others won’t have the best photograph. And only one of you is going to get the best angle for her and that may not be the shooter who has made eye contact with her,
- Do: Divide your time with the model among all the photographers in your group. You may only get twenty minutes with the model but they will be one-on-one where she and you can interact directly and create your own unique and much, much better images. And you know what? It’s better for the model to. She will enjoy the session more and have fond memories of each of the photographers in the group rather than a group of paparazzi.
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