Streetwear Fashion Photography – Skater Girl

Lighting fashion images on location creates its own set of problems from finding the right location, styling the shot and working with or against the light. In this special chapter, Karl tries a completely new lighting modifier to produce the quality and bite to the light that he desired.

After working through the previous fashion photography classes, which demonstrate how to work in a studio, Karl takes this next fashion shoot out on location. Working on location creates its own set of problems – from finding the right location to styling the shot and working with ambient light. Karl shows how to overcome this and, using a completely new lighting modifier, is able to produce the urban street style he’d envisioned.

In this class:

  • Photographing on location
  • The importance of planning and pre-visualisation
  • Finding and testing possible locations
  • Sourcing outfits
  • Using flash on location
  • The best lighting modifiers for fashion photography
  • When and why to use polarisers and other filters
  • How to use post-production to enhance an image

Questions? Please use the comments area below.

Comments

    1. I ment the siros 800L. I’ve seen the satellite with the brackets on the side. It may be an evolution. Will that fit and work properly because the umbrella holder is directly underneath.

    1. Hi DJ, no it couldn’t i’m afraid. If you look closely at the light on this one it is very unique, it is extremely focused and hard (very sharp shadows) it’s even more crisp than a Para and it creates an almost perfect spotlight which is unique to that modifier and the physics of that modifier. In fact I recently made my own modifier similar to this. This was the mini satellite and bron used to make a much bigger one called the Satellite Evolution but they stopped making it. I made my own from a Solar Cooker and I will have a video of it in action soon.

  1. Hi Karl,
    I can see that the main advantage of the satellite is the huge coverage distance. Is it possible to achieve that with another modifier?

    1. Hi, if you mean is it possible to achieve the large distance then the next closest would be the Paras but they are not as ‘crisp’ or can light as far as a satellite but you could also purchase a large convex mirror.

  2. Hello Karl, I’ve watched this video a few times, love the light of the mini satellite. Any suggestions on alternatives that would achieve the same circular ball of light on location?

    1. Hi Craig, a P70 reflector with a grid but would be softer edge. A Pulso 4 (more expensive) but could give perfect circle if you wanted.

  3. That mini satellite was impressive. Was it the powerful 3200 J barebulb that enabled you to place it so far away, or it that mirror surface just ultra reflective? Great shoot!

    1. Hi Peter, it’s mostly the mirrored surface and how it focuses the beam of light. I didn’t have the light anywhere near full power. Urs showed me it flash from the top of a building and create a spot of light way down below it truly is impressive.

  4. Hi Karl.

    Great tutorial, I’ve never come across the mini-satellite modifier before, really cool look. I was wondering what your thought are about using less expensive alternative modifiers such as a zoom reflector or small beauty dish with a grid? What do you think would be the main differences?

    Cheers.

    1. Hi Mark, I’ve never used a modifier quite like the mini satellite, it surprised even me as I thought I knew pretty much all the effects of the modifiers. It has a very crisp ‘clean’ light with very sharp shadows. If you look at the circle of light on the wall as it flashes you can see how clearly it is defined, yes a P70 or a silver beauty dish would give you a small hard light source but it would be interesting to compare the ‘crispness’ and definition on texture.

  5. Hi Karl what did you need to do to secure the car park for the shoot? Did you need to obtain permission or did you just wing it a bit?

    1. Hi Peter, it was on top of a shopping centre after it had closed so virtually empty, so we just winged it!

    1. Hi Yogendra, no in fact if you look closely when the shot pans across in the video you can see a very faint shadow. The angle of the low sun glancing off the car park surface has helped.

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