Dawn revealed clouds on the horizon. There was a noticeable letdown amongst the crew, until an unseen seam behind the distant clouds let loose this fiery pink light. The sky blazed and the ocean added the blue shadows. We screamed for the girl running late in H&M and she ran across the beach and jumped in place. We shot a Polaroid, and started shooting film. Less than 36 frames later, and before we pulled the 'roid, it was over.
Dawn revealed clouds on the horizon. There was a noticeable letdown amongst the crew, until an unseen seam behind the distant clouds let loose this fiery pink light. The sky blazed and the ocean added the blue shadows. We screamed for the girl running late in H&M and she ran across the beach and jumped in place. We shot a Polaroid, and started shooting film. Less than 36 frames later, and before we pulled the 'roid, it was over.
I found the hardest part of any swimsuit shoot to be the end of the morning shoot. If you've had a good morning, you have all this adrenaline going , but the light just keeps getting worse. Everyone is hungry and getting tired, but by 8:30, you're all also hitting on all cylinders, and everyone on the crew feels that. This was the last shot of a really strong morning and with the simple help of a gold reflector, we called it a day.
When the wardrobe spills out of a tagged Glad sandwich bag, you know you'll need to be discreet. There was a house beyond the hedge in the distance, and we just waited out the guests until they took their stroll on the beach.
Without the luxury of proper location scouting you make do with the location you're booked in. This spectacular beach house was minimally furnished...and painted predominantly yellow. This was just the first of many "yellow" shots. I'd gotten into a rut of overlighting some of the shots and was trying to get back to a more natural feeling.
Efficiency during sunrise and sunset on swimsuit shoots is crucial. The key is to find a location with multiple options to maximize your take in the time at that time of day. Make sure there are backgrounds to use in case clouds scuttle your ideas. This rock was used for four shots starting in almost total darkness, and this is where we finished up in the harshest light.
This location was a model home just miles from our house. Every room had countless options because of the detailed decor. This was one of my first shots with an Elinchrome Octabank. That unit just solves so many problems.
An old prison on the northern fringe of Center City Philadelphia, Eastern State is literally and figuratively off the beaten path of Philly's tours. With every color of rust and mold covering the penitentiary's walls, it proved easy to find a location that matched any available swimsuit. I shot this test just to get away from the beach. I like using layers of textures if available and this place was a labyrinth of passage ways and odd rooms.
Another yellow room! This may have been one of the most challenging assignments of my life. Sparsely decorated, predominantly yellow color scheme, and 44 shots in 96 hours. Between noon Monday at noon Friday we totaled 18 hours sleep.
Swimsuit shoots are inherently difficult to prop because of the travel involved. There's only so much stuff you can take before it becomes cumbersome and expensive. I've always said Mother nature is the best lighting tech; well she provides some great props as well.
We capped off a chilly week in Cape May on a beautiful June evening. This kind of evening light makes a photographers job easy, but so does the model's ability to walk with confidence.
