LA-based model Jennifer is in Taipei for the summer and we met up last week for a quick shoot in Taipei’s trendy Ximending area. With temperatures in the mid-thirties centigrade, we tried to find some shady areas, but even still, we only shot for 2 hours or so. All images were taken with a Canon 5D Mark II and either 70-200mm f4L or 17-40mm f4L lens.
Her scarf in this first shot casts an interesting shadow on her leg. This was lit with a 580EX II fired into a convertible umbrella in shoot-thru mode to her right, and a bare 550EX to the left. Both were triggered with Elinchrom Skyport. The image was shot at f4, 1/200 at 70mm with an ISO setting of 200.
From there, we moved down the alley a bit further and chose a different bit of graffiti to use as the backdrop. Lighting this time was a single 580EX II into the shoot-thru umbrella which was to the left.
ISO400 f5.6 1/200 at 70mm
ISO400 f8 1/200 at 28mm
Moving around the corner and using yet another graffiti wall as a backdrop, although this time we had grass underfoot. It was a bit breezy here and the wind blew the lightstand down, causing the umbrella stud to snap clean off. Part of it is still stuck inside the Stroboframe shoe that the light was mounted on, despite the attempts of three people using a variety of tools to remove it. Fortunately, studs and shoes are cheap to replace. I had spares in my bag but decided to use hard lighting for the rest of the shoot instead of having the wind blow the stand down again. Next time, I’ll have to remember to carry sandbags. The photo below is one of the last umbrella’d shots.
ISO400 f8 1/200 at 87mm.
Above my position was a walkway platform of some kind, so Jennifer headed up for some shots there. We used a hard light in close to her left and I shot from below.
ISO50 f5 1/200 at 113mm
After a quick break, we set up for the final bit of shooting. At the other end of the platform was a shady area, so Jennifer moved in there. For this one, I used the soft light from an umbrella that was positioned almost directly in front of me. I was able to put one foot onto the base of the stand to stop everything from blowing over.
ISO100 f9 1/200 at 73mm
To finish up, we headed back down and Jennifer’s friend Clive joined in for some couple shots. Hard lighting was used here, coming in at a 45 degree angle to their right.
ISO100 f9 1/200 at 98mm
The last shot was set to match the graffiti behind them.
ISO100 f8 1/200 at 84mm
Despite the windy conditions and high temperatures it was a successful shoot, generating a number of different images. Jennifer and Clive were both great to work with which made the shoot flow smoothly.
Any thoughts, comments and so forth are welcome.
