It’s “Tricky Tuesday,” a way for me to share some of the tricks, tips and techniques that I’ve used over the years when shooting portraits in the studio, Today’s post features the always amazing Pam Simpson. Pam and I have scheduled a shoot for next month, marking our 14th year of working together.
Today’s Post by Joe Farace
“Look, I’m not an intellectual – I just take pictures.”—Helmut Newton
Inspired by Gary Bernstein’s book Burning Gold, I once published a series of posts featuring portraits of Pam Simpson that appeared off-and-on over many Sundays. These images were released under the theme “The Many Faces of Pamela Simpson.” To find many, if not all of these posts, just use this blog’;s Search feature (magnifying glass icon).
During that time I highlighted different images that were made over the fourteen years that I’ve been lucky enough to have photographed Pam, showcasing her many, many looks in many different styles. Today’s featured image did not appear in that series and is hereby presented today for your approval.
The Many Faces of Pam
How I Made this Portrait: Continuous light sources are wonderful light sources for glamour photography because the lack of flash pops can help relax the subject who may just be slightly uncomfortable in a state of undress. Continuous lighting not only makes for a pleasant shooting atmosphere but the soft, enveloping light that’s provided by the lights and softboxes that are/were part of Westcott’s Two-Light Daylight D5 Softbox kit, for example, produced excellent exposures.
Today’s image is from Pam and my nineteenth portrait session together. The lighting was supplied by Westcott’s Two-Light Daylight D5 Softbox Kit. The five CFL bulbs used in each of these light’s heads can be safely recycled and Home Depot, Lowe’s, and IKEA provide drop-off programs for used CFLs. Nevertheless, CFLs have fallen out of ecological favor and the D5 lighting system is no longer available. The company replaced this kit with their (more expensive) U60-B Bi-Color LED 2-Light Softbox Kit that I do not currently own. Impact lighting systems from B&H Photo offers a florescent two soft box kit that’s inexpensive but, perhaps, not as versatile the Westcott D5.
Instead of firing a light at white seamless paper (or a white wall,)yo create this portrait’s high key look, I used Savage Universal’s Translum background, which is made from frosted Mylar. and placed one of the D5 heads behind the backdrop with all its five lamps turned on. A second D5 with a Westcott 24×32-inch soft box attached had three of its lamps turned on to balance the backlighting and was placed at camera right. Pam was seated on a posing stool but I don’t have a posing table, using instead a Savage Tech Table that was covered with a white polyester backdrop to kick light from the softbox under her chin. The camera used was a Panasonic Lumix GH4 with a Lumix G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 (at 45mm) with a Program mode exposure of 1/50 sec at f/5.6 and ISO 800.
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Gary Bernstein’s book Burning Cold is out of print but used and collectible copies are available from Amazon starting at $13.54, as I write this. Ms. Simpson is featured on the front cover and several inside pages of my book Posing for Portrait & Glamour Photography. Used copies are available from Amazon for $49, as I write this. Kindle copies are $29.99 for those preferring a digital format.