I teamed up with Luquire George Andrews, an ad agency in Charlotte, NC, to create four images for a corporate brochure for Lincoln Harris, a commercial real estate company with properties in 26 states. LGA wanted to feature b/w photographs of executives in Lincoln Harris' properties.
We started by scouting locations in Charlotte to determine which would work best. We also had to decide what time of day to schedule each location. Next, we reviewed models from several agencies. They would portray our executives in each set up. Finally, we had to schedule our shoot days around the availability of the locations and models.
The first shot was on a balcony with the city's skyline as the background. We were mostly in the shade of the building, but I knew the sun would move up and around the building before we completed the shot. So my assistants set up a Matthews 12x12 overhead frame with an artificial silk to soften the direct sun. We placed two large Chimera banks with Profoto heads to camera left and one medium bank over the camera for fill. The image was shot with a Sinar X 4x5 camera with Kodak Tmax 400 film.
The second image was created in a large conference room. We positioned our model near the large bank of windows. A Profoto head with a reflector snooted with black wrap was positioned in a corner and very close to the window to mimic sunlight coming from outside. Next we bounced another Profoto head with magnum reflector into the ceiling for fill. On camera left, and far back in the conference room, we placed a medium Chimera with Profoto head for additional fill. The image was shot with a Horseman 8x10 camera with Kodak Tmax 400 film.
The third shot was in a corporate classroom. The key light was a Profoto 20.5" white beauty dish on camera right. A large Chimera bank from camera left (and far back) provided overall fill. A medium Chimera on the left side of the room provided fill to the background wall. One small bank powered down very low was directed at the foreground subject just to record a bit of detail. The camera was a Horseman 8x10. The film was Tmax 400.
Finally, the fourth image was in a smaller boardroom with plenty of light coming from the windows on three sides of the room. A medium Chimera on camera left provided the main light. Another head, bounced into the ceiling, was used for fill. Again, I used a Horseman 8x10 with Tmax 400 film.
Here are a few behind the scenes photos:
Respect.
Thank you!
This right here...is stupendous. For a n00b just starting to investigate strobes and lighting, seeing the diagrams and actual shoot photos is what I've been missing from many, many tutorials out there. MOAR please.
And THANKS.
Thanks Tony. Glad you liked the post. Let me know if you have any questions. Glad to help any way I can.
Beautiful images! I shot 4x5 for years but finally sold my last camera a year ago. I definitely miss using it. I'm all digital now but digital doesn't hold a candle to 4x5 film.
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, most of the work I shoot is digital too. I miss those 4x5/8x10/Hasselblad days. I still try to convince clients to go with film. But that's getting harder and harder to do.
Thanks!
oops I just realized these were shot on 8x10. Fantastic!
The shot with the skyline is 4x5. I didn't have a wide enough lens to use the Horseman. I think the widest I have is a 240mm.
It's great to see someone practicing the real craft of large format photography. For me it's the root of pure photography. I love using 5x4 and 10x8 for my personal work but don't get enough time to do it as often as I'd like. Thanks for the diagrams and bts shots.
Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the post. I'm like you. My large format shooting is more and more for personal work. Clients don't want it much anymore. But every now and then, I can twist their arms into letting me shoot film.
how many sheets of film did you shoot for each scenario?
Hi Steve,
I have 10 - 8x10 holders, so I shot 20 sheets of 8x10 on each set up. However, I also shot 10 to 20 sheets of 4x5 as back up (except the skyline shot which was all 4x5).
Thanks!!
The look of these images has something I just can't put my finger on. Is this the reason for shooting film? I think this work is simply beautiful.
Hello!
Thanks so much for the kind words. Glad you like the images. Yes, to me, film has its own look. That's why I like it. My all digital friends tell me that if my post production skills were better I could make my digital files look like film - ha! They are probably right. But I also think I enjoy the "process" of film, especially large format. Each sheet seems like an event.
Thanks again!
this is why I come to fstoppers, not for religious/political views/insults...
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Wow this is really inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Pierre! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Very few people will realize all the hardwork behind creating those wonderful pics,,M really impresses and thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it!!
Why do you have cross lighting in two of your diagrams?
Hi Eliot. In some cases the lighting probably wasn't as crossed as it appears in the diagrams. The shots probably had more depth than what shows in the diagram. Also, the key or main light "carried" the shot, with the others as fill to be sure we could record details.
Thanks for the question!
Nice to see others keeping it alive...great images and a timeless quality to them
Thanks Jonathan. I really appreciate the compliments!
Impressive.
In this fast paced world it is nice to see images that are meticulously planned and executed. I really makes me want to get back in to film and in to medium and large format photography.Thanks
Thanks so much for the kind words. Yes, like I have said, I most often shoot digitally. That's what clients want. But it sure is nice to slow down and plan a shot every now and then. I like both. Digital gives me plenty of options. Film makes me slow down and think.
Did the client request 8x10?
Hi Stuart. When they asked me to bid the job, I sent it with the idea (and price) of shooting 8x10. Wasn't sure they would go for it, but they did. Of course if they had called back and asked for digital, I would have done that too - ha! These days you can't afford to turn down anything.
Thanks!!
excelentes imagenes 4x5 es magnifica . felicitaciones y gracias enseñar tecnicas .yo tengo una Linhof tecnika. con ganas de hacer fotos.
Thank you!!
Kudos to you. I still shoot film for some clients and most of my personal stuff.
I'd just be glad the client didn't come up to you a couple of weeks later and ask "can we see that stuff you shot in colour too please?"
Rob
Ha!! Thanks Rob. I get that too. In fact, on this job we shot on a Friday and Saturday. On Monday morning, I got a call from the AD asking if I would be posting a web gallery that day. I had to remind him that we shot film and the film was sitting in a FedEx box waiting to be picked up - ha! He didn't seem too upset. He just had to wait a few days.
But all clients get used to having it now with as many options as possible.
Great for you to still shoot film as much as possible. Keep in touch.
Wonderful work Milton! In fact, incredible! The whole crew did a stellar job! Love the images; top shelf stuff! Who lied to us and told us film was dead! lol
Hi Richard. Sorry for the late response. Thank you very much for the compliments!! Glad you liked the post.
Yes, when I mention something about film these days, most clients (and some photographers) will honestly ask, "do they still make film?" and "where can you buy it these days?" Ha!