In the throes of a nor’easter that pasted our hometown overnight, I find myself thinking of this time last year, roughly, shooting fashion on the streets of Milan. Sigh….
It was a fast-paced day, in that amazing city, where fashion is on a pedestal and even the early morning cafe crowd seems inclined to dress for the occasion. For most of the shoot, we basically tried to make small flash look big by playing it through large light shapers, such as the Lastolite Skylite Rapid above, and the 4 in 1 umbrella, below.
Very mobile lighting, depending on a tri-flash to get as much bang out of the lights as I could, and also high speed sync and wide open lenses. Working SB-910 units at this time, so we were line of sight, TTL all the way. It got a little easier in darkness, in a cafe, for the last shot of the day.
Simple approach here. A 24′ Lastolite EzyBox fitted with a fabric grid to kill spill. It’s just about eye level, giving a bit of an evening glow to the light, and matching the subtle light in the cafe. These are all good, collapsable rigs you can tote with you on a multi-location day in a hectic city. Not too much weight, and when played right, an excellent quality of light. For the technically minded, the camera of choice for all the above was the Nikon D810. Indoor cafe shot was with the 35mm f1.4, and the 70-200mm f2.8.
I have fond memories of the day, as I look out at the sheet of ice that is my driveway. More tk….
Super Job, Joe!
I went through Milan when I lived in Germany many years back. I’ve always been a fan of how well you can blend in light with the natural environment – especially when it’s in a place that brings back all sorts of good memories. Good work, Joe
I bow before the master once more and thank him for this constant dose of inspiration. Do you need to take permissions to shoot on the streets the way you do ? If yes how is it managed?
Always a pleasure to view your work Joe, wherever you are in the world:)
Just bought your book “The Hot Shoe Diaries”. Just starting to read it today.
All really great Joe. Favorite is the cafe…beautiful light.
Joe, regarding the last photo in the café. What white balance did you use – and did you use any gel on the flash? I know that tungsten and full CTO combo will do cool effects, but how do you do it here?
Do you use automatic settings ever or only shoot manual?
What f stop do you use in portraits?
all over the lot…..
both…i use principally aperture priority and also manual…
Very dreamy, and very beautiful….
Joe is there a reason you use a tripod as I can’t imagine the shutter speed is that slow..or is that just what you’re used to using.. I Find it more flexible to hand hold..
Awesome portrait photography and too professional ..
amazing work.. alot of great info and very insighful
With what i am seeing i think this guy got it all with the camera setup, the lighting equipment, the editing software and background. He made the best out of this picture i must say. Thumbs up