Shots are good when you take them using simple means – and when the shots are simple themselves. And your life is easier that way.
Like this shot from the other night. We started with a great outfit and great make-up, done by the model herself, and hair by Francis. Then we added a simple setting and great technique:
And another version, perhaps even better:
What did we do here?
- First, we adjusted the shot to the available space. A floor. A floating wall. But the floating wall had a TV on it. So we had the model sit down below the TV.
- Then, I got on the floor. I wanted the floor to lead to the model, and that meant I had to be close to the floor. I suppose I work out to be able to do this stuff!
- Then, the light. I used one off camera flash, shot through an umbrella, on our right. I made sure we had a nice reflection – reflections rock. The camera was set to manual exposure mode, and for the flash I used remote TTL. I used a prime 50mm lens. (That would be a 35mm lens if you had a crop camera).
- In post-production, I cropped, and gave the image a slight vignette; and in the second image, I made it black and white and popped up “orange” just a tad.
The entire shoot took just a few minutes. Learn technique (I teach pro flash courses, remember?), keep your compositions simple, and think about the light. And Bob’s your uncle: pro shoots with simple equipment and little time spent on the shoot and on post- production. Go try it: your camera is for more than just snaps.