"FORE!!!"

 

 

 

Shooting golf clubs…

Photography really doesn’t get much harder than this. Of course it depends on the kind of club and the finish – but you really have to think of the clubs as big round mirrors - because many of them are. If you have to photograph a large putter with a “chrome” type finish, be prepared for a major challenge. The only thing harder is a whole bag of them that point in every direction!!

Think BIG.

The key to good lighting here is large, soft light sources. So put those umbrellas away! And your 3-foot softbox is going to look like a little, hot dot. I could get into the inverse square law here, but just know that everything in the studio, from every angle, is going to be reflected in that club… you, your clothes, the exit sign, your tripod, and that coffee cup across the room. Get the idea? So the answer is large, soft sources that will “milk” out the entire surfaces of the club(s).

I usually get out my 6’ and 8’ silks (on frames, stretched tight) and bang large sources through them. Move them in really close to the clubs. And I try to use the smooth white walls of the studio cove as well. You will also notice my 55” EZ Cube light tent. That will work for a few things, but the client wanted everything shot against black!! So the white tent just won’t work for most of these shots.

Fix it in Photoshop???

If you have large curving surfaces to light, you need large curving light sources to reflect in the shiny metal clubs. This is often impossible to do without having seams and blank spots. So inevitably, a substantial amount of retouching is going to be required. But our job as good photographers is to produce the best product possible in-camera. I usually take several exposures of each club, lit from multiple angles and blend them in Photoshop with layer masks. But that’s a blog for another day. Stay tuned. Happy shootin.’

"Photography with a Boom!"

 

 

To Boom or Not To Boom - That is the Question.

I hate clutter! Having a clean studio helps me approach a shoot with a clear mind. The fewer light stands around me, the better. A telescoping boom arm allows me to work underneath my light and not have to work around it. And from a client’s perspective, they have a clear line of sight back to me. Many people are uncomfortable being photographed to begin with, and I find this open approach increases both comfort and communication.

But there are other reasons to “boom.” We all know lighting trends come and go: umbrella vs. soft box vs. light panel; high key vs. low key; hard light vs. soft. We like one style for a while, then tire of it and drift away, and back again. We’re supposed to, we’re quirky artists! Well, I’ve noticed another trend I have drifted away from and that is the standard key light / fill light approach to portraits.

I photograph a lot of business people, as well as models. Lately, I really prefer the punch I get from a small soft box or even a beauty dish. By putting the key light on a boom over my head, (as well as the subject’s), the boom also affords me a healthy shadow under the subject’s chin, which I quite like. And if you like “butterfly” lighting, this is the best way to achieve it. With my light on a boom, I can keep it on the same axis as the lens, or place it just left or right of center, and get a good key / fill ratio… much like that from a standard two-light combo, but with a smaller studio footprint. If I need a little help on the fill side, I bring in a fill card or reflector from opposite the key side.

A boom arm is also great for backlights. I like my backlight to illuminate evenly over the top of the hair and across both shoulders. To accomplish this effect with floor stands will probably require two backlights on two stands, and you still never get light on the crown of the head. Not so when booming. My backlight gives me the “throw” I need. By the way, I take this rig on location, too.. One light for a backlight - right where I need it. It's perfect for dark suits.

Outdoor Photography.

My approach is the same outdoors. I like the same sculptured chin shadow look when shooting outside. So here my weapon of choice is a Profoto monolight on a Matthews boom. I also like my backlight to carry over the entire subject, just as I do indoors. To accomplish this, I often shoot directly into the sun, letting mother nature be my backlight. But obviously, this can cause problems like extreme lens flare and lack of contrast in the lens. To combat this, I use a Matthews or Bogen Avenger C-Stand with a large Matthews gobo / flag placed low and directly over the lens on an arm. That’s right, it’s like a mini-boom.

It is these same C stands that I recommend using to support your boom arms. The beefier, the better. How much are these booms? I always stress you get what you pay for. Expect to pay $150.00 or a little better for a good one. Put it on a good stand with a sand bag counter balance and away you go. I do want to point out, however, that this rig can be a little cumbersome to move, so I rarely use one that isn’t on a roller stand, as I’m using here to support an Elinchrom 1200 RX and a Chimera soft box.

Always use a safety chain when using a boom! You can make you own with some wire and snaps from Home Depot.  Happy shootin'