June 2008 Tech.
To Quote Benjamin Franklin “ A closed curtain brings an audience to its feet.” Well… in this instance there is a peek behind the curtain but just a little. The object was to create drama in the set and light and a seductive image. In addition to the first two points I wanted the subject to be haughty and aloof. So here is how we did it.
First I gave Whitney the character portrayal I needed. I explained that I wanted a confident air to her pose but not to look at the camera and hence keep the image impersonal.
Next we choose a garment that was teasing but not revealing, The sheer dress would create an illusion and when photographed at a distance it would be impossible to see through it. There is the closed curtain principle.
Now I needed the drama to the light. We shot late afternoon when the light was low and warm. I did not want NASTY overhead sun shadows. I metered the image and the setting was 1/250th at f=11 so far so good. First drama trick was set the camera to under expose one stop ( f=16 ). Now I added the flash. I selected TTL Flash and let the flash take the image. The TTL ( through the lens ) metering of the flash exposed Whitney properly but since the flash had no effect of the background it went dark.
The flash was placed on a stand NOT on the camera. A little diffuse glow and toning in Photoshop and the image was done.
Many times rookies and experienced shooters are afraid to play with mixed light or have the flash overpower the daylight reading. You don’t know till you try.
Model: Whitney Peyton