Jean-Baptiste Guiton Shoots Make-Up

We get lots of portrait shoot videos around here, but not so much with the high-end product shots. And this one is a real treat, as it shows the full process for creating the cosmetics ad for T. LeClerc shown at left.

It is a composite shot, with each portion being shot on a 35mm-format Canon DSLR. Even if the ad runs as a huge poster, that "pieced-together" process gives you insane overall resolution.

Hit the jump for a fast-paced three minutes showing what it takes to reel in those dollars (and Euros) from women who want to look beautiful.
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Paris-based Jean-Baptiste Guiton (pictured below) spent ten years in Chicago before moving back to his native France. His company, Studio 29, will be celebrating its tenth anniversary in January.

I loved this. And honestly, I do not know why more shooters are not doing videos like this to augment their marketing to future clients.

What, is there not enough room in the budget for YouTube?

Just as much as the technical stuff, I enjoyed watching the whole crew on this. John-Baptiste (seen at left) and the others clearly enjoy what they do. And that counts for a lot.

If ur not having fun, ur doin it wrong.

You can see more of Jean-Baptiste's work at www.guiton.net, including more makeup still life work for T. LeClerc. And speaking of T. LeClerc, they are running a big version of this shot here.

(Thanks for posting this, J-B!)

London Calling

If you are a UK'er and see an idiot walking around in shorts this week, please stop me and say hello. Or for a less random approach, I'll be at The Flash Centre in London on Monday the 8th. Please stop by!

If you are attending one of the London lighting seminars this weekend, please check in here for the latest info as the date approaches.

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Nikon D3X Leak Puppy Catches Own Tail

UPDATE: Nikon Rumors has published the entire article, with jpegs big enough to read the text.
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Long plagued with continual leaks, today Nikon decided to scoop all of the leakers by (accidentally) leaking their own announcement themselves. That is to say, a Euro version of Nikon Pro magazine (seen above) apparently went out early, en masse, before they could launch the "official announcement."

This being a lighting blog, our preference is to send you elsewhere for the whole D3X coverage orgy thing. I mean, sure, I want one and all. But sheesh, I am still digesting my turkey today.

(Thanks to Tom for the heads-up.)

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T-Day Speedlinks

If you are a turkey, today is a good day get out of town. Horrible, unspeakable things are happening to your kind on Thanksgiving Day here in the US.

But otherwise, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. And after you are done feeding your face, don't forget about the big plate of speedlinks for dessert, after the jump...
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• Pixsylated has been on a tear lately, with this high-speed sync tute, and an in-depth field test of the RadioPopper RP-1's.

• If you have a teenage daughter, you probably know about Twilight, the juggernaut book series and new teen flick. Wanna guess who shot the movie posters? (We interviewed him a ways back, here.)

• How much work does it take to be a success in microstock? Way more than you probably think.

• As a result of user feedback, MPEX's Strobist Kits have been updated. Out: Batteries and chargers (which you can get just about anywhere.) In: White shoot-thru's and kit cases.

• Guinness Book of World Records, white courtesy phone please: Peter Emmett tests out the entire Rosco sample pack. Words fail me.

• From Malaysia, a new modular speedlight modifier kit.

• Not lighting, but the best reminder in a long time to always buckle up: A Nikon D3 sequence of a speedboat drag racing 200 MPH crash sequence, courtesy Mark Rebilas. (Scroll down for the good stuff.)

Colin Firth: CYA PDQ

UK Photographer Greg Funnell shot actor Colin Firth for Time Out London, and knew he would only get a few minutes. Thus the "PDQ."

He wanted a lighting scheme that was safe over a range of subject orientation. Thus, the "CYA."

Hit the jump for a video, links and an alternate way to think about the light that can allow you to have your CYA-PDQ cake and eat it, too.




Greg was working in a hotel basement (ahh, the glamorous life of a photographer) and lighting with a pair of Elinchrom D-Light 2s in soft boxes. His solution was to run the boxes at 45-degree angles from each side of the subject. The idea was to get light that wraps and worked for either direction Firth might have been looking.

At this point, I should note that I am typing very quietly because the mere mention of Colin Firth in my household sends my wife into a dizzying tailspin of knee-buckling ecstasy. Something about a "pond scene" from Pride and Prejudice.

Me, I just don't see it. But my strategy during a Colin Firth Movie is always to focus on preserving that momentum, while being very careful not to do or say anything that might actually invite comparison between me and Mr. Wonderful.

I digress.

There is certainly nothing wrong with lighting Mr. Firth on the 45's. But if you are working with two soft boxes you can keep your safety while adding some directionality to the light.

The key is to recognize that the part of the photo that makes it sing is also your danger zone if you are trying to play it safe. That part would be the shadow area, obviously. So the idea is to balance the shadows so that they are there, but also legible if something interesting happens inside them.


You Knew This was Coming...

This is where off-axis key vs. on-axis fill can let you have it both ways. Let's work this one using Greg's exact gear used for the shoot: Two medium soft boxes and monobloc flashes.

Start out with one of your two soft boxes in the vertical orientation. Place it 45 degrees, give or take, to one side, and elevate it a little for good shape and form on the face. This, of course would happen before Mr. Why-Can't-You-Be-More -Like-Him arrives. You would test on the assistant or anyone else who happened to be standing around.

Remember to use whatever means necessary to get your stand-in to the right height, too. This is something you already know because you (a) Googled it, (b) asked an assistant, etc. Also find out of your subject will be wearing glasses, as that dictates lighting style to some degree.



Your fill light will come from directly behind the photographer's head, with the box in the horizontal orientation. This light is not so much going to shape the face as to fill and wrap the light. I would elevate it just a little, because your shoulders are gonna knock some of the bottom out, anyway. Maybe place the bottom horizontal edge of the box even with your shoulders.

Given that the D-Lite 2's have a built-in slave eye in the rear, I would radio (or PC cord) sync the fill unit behind me and slave the key light.

For ratios, start out testing the light with only the fill light firing. Adjust the light and/or aperture until your test subject has a good exposure. Now, back off the fill light (either by cranking the aperture down or dialing down the power of the light) until your subject is underexposed but still holds legible detail. This is the darkest your shadows will get in the final photo. And there will be no shadows you cannot see into, because your fill is coming from on axis.

Now, the balance is between safety and tonal depth. There is no set rule, other than how much of a weenie you happen to be on any given day.

Ten years ago, I would have set the ratio pretty tight. Stop-and-a-half, maybe. Because at that point I was all about the fear of failure. But now, I'd let it drop past two stops -- heading toward three, actually. Chuck Norris might take it down even further.

After you have completed this little exercise in self-examination, bring in your key light and dial it up so the subject looks great at your working aperture. For the shutter speed, you'll want to keep that up at max sync speed to nuke the ambient. Maybe warm up that key a tad with a 1/8 CTO.

Oh, wait, he is British -- better make it a 1/4 CTO.

As for direction of the key, you might want to work your angle so the subject's shadow falls far enough away on the background so you get some light on the background in the area directly behind the shadow side of your subject. You can vary this by either changing the key light location or moving the background further away from the subject.

There are side effects to consider. Changing the key location will alter the quality of light on the subject. Moving the background will alter the tonality of the background. Use the choice that works best for you. A combination of the two moves might work even better.

So now, when Mr. OhmyGodHeIsRightHereInFrontOfMe shows up, you know exactly how your ratios are going to look, no meter needed, and you are ready to roll from Frame One. Plus, you'll get shape and details no matter which way he looks.

And if you need an assistant, Missus Strobist is available -- at absolutely no charge whatsoever.


(Thanks to Greg for making and posting the video of the shoot!)


RELATED:

:: Greg Funnell: Website ::
:: Greg Funnell Blog Post (Includes Time Out Tearsheet) ::
:: Video: That Pride and Prejudice Pond Scene ::

Nikon CLS Video: We'd Tell You, But We'd Have to Kill You

Good news and bad news on the new Nikon CLS video.

Good news is that they are now in stock. The bad news is that Nikon Mall is only listing it on the US site, and they are not shipping it out of the country.

What, are they worried that the Taliban will get ahold of this stuff or something? Seriously, Nikon, this is nuts. Tear down that wall.

You have a worldwide distribution network, for Pete's sake. You could even move the video online and sell it that way.

Why make non-US Nikon shooters have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping? Or worse yet, smuggle it out while traveling to the US and pray they don't get chosen by our lovely TSA for a cavity search?

Honestly, I am at a loss. It is on Amazon now, at least, and MPEX has it, among others. Probably just a matter of seeing who can get it to you for just an arm, rather than an arm-and-a-leg.

C'mon, Nikon. You just ran the ball 99 yards. Don't fumble it in the red zone. If I were Canon, I would do a small-flash video like this and put it up online for free, right here.

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Orbis: First Look / Ray Flash Comparison

Just received one of the first Orbis ring flash adapters to make into this part of the world. Since I will not have time to shoot with it for a couple of weeks I am putting up a quick unboxing vid (and Ray Flash comparison) video for those of you thinking about taking the plunge.

(If you are watching this via RSS or Email feed, you may have to click through on the title of this post to watch the vids.)

My schedule is such that I will not get to really work with it until after Thanksgiving, which has me feeling like the kid in A Christmas Story pining after the Red Rider BB gun. Argh.

Oh well. After the jump, an additional (Orbis-produced) video.




From the "Episode 001" title on the Orbis video, it looks as if they are going to be uploading more stuff (tutorials?) in the future, too. Glad to see it.