How to use the umbrella for editorial high-fashion photography. The umbrella is not dead and this fashion lighting tutorial is the proof. Later, we also demonstrate how to use a beauty dish/satin panel setup for beautiful lookbook fashion lighting.
UPDATE: I previously forgot I had a behind-the-scene video of the shoot, so here it is!
Last year, I photographed Madina Vadache’s Spring 2011 Collection. The week before the lookbook and editorial fashion shoot, we all met and had a production meeting. We discussed which model we would like to use as well as the shoot location and the overall look for the catalog or lookbook images.
Madina also needed a editorial fashion images for the “splash page” of her new website. For the editorial images, we decided to use the lobby area of her condo building. The lookbook setting would be a corner of her design studio, a modern looking window with white blinds.
Read on to see the lighting diagrams and final images from the shoot.
Editorial Fashion Black Dress – Thorsten Ott Fashion Photography St. Louis
Editorial Fashion Wedding Dress – Thorsten Ott Fashion Photography St. Louis
Editorial Fashion Wedding Dress 2 – Thorsten Ott Fashion Photography St. Louis
Editorial Fashion Orange Couture Dress – Thorsten Ott Fashion Photography St. Louis
The lighting diagrams are listed below:
Fill & Backlight Umbrella Fashion Lighting Diagram
Key & Fill Umbrella Fashion Lighting Diagram
Shoot-Through Umbrella Fashion Lighting Diagram
Lookbook/Catalog Fashion Couture Dress 1 – Thorsten Ott Fashion Photography St. Louis
Lookbook/Catalog Fashion Couture Dress 2 – Thorsten Ott Fashion Photography St. Louis
Lookbook/Catalog Fashion Couture Dress 3 – Thorsten Ott Fashion Photography St. Louis
Lookbook/Catalog Fashion Couture Dress 4 – Thorsten Ott Fashion Photography St. Louis
Tim and I had to work pretty fast on the editorial images. We used a basic architectural lighting technique, bouncing umbrellas off of white surfaces. For the Key Light on the model, we slid the mono-head all the way forward on the shaft, giving us a soft spotlight effect. The 3 editorial images took about 1 hour to light and photograph.
White Satin Umbrella Setup – Thorsten Ott Photography St. Louis
For the lookbook images we used the 5′ x 8′ White Satin Panel/22″ Beauty Dish setup. We added a black cloth to the lower half of the panel to reduce glare from the wood floor tiles.
Beauty Dish/Satin Panel Catalog Lighting Diagram
Simple lighting and zero Photoshop post production for lighting fixes.
8 Comments
Lighting balance on these shots are really nice, gives the feel of soft elegance to the models and dress – Great job!
A proof that a lot of times less is in fact more! Your lighting is simple and so effective. Thanks.
lighting is so simple but creates such a great result!
Photographs are awesome!! Please explain how you assemble the white satin panel stands and where were you able to find the material?
http://www.zeroplusplus.com/octabox-ring-light/
At last…. a photographer (& a talented on at that!) who has the heart to share. Thank you for sharing your lighting wisdom, it is rare in the photography world. Your images are great, I can’t wait to do some tests of my own with thanks to your help.
Fashion lighting? Each set up looks the same. Flat lighting through out. Try other “fashion” lighting set ups for others to learn from.
Thanks for the comment Tim. I will beg to differ, LOL. The client wanted soft even lighting for her lookbook. C’mon, you should know better since you shoot for nice clients, the client is always right.
Very nice portfolio BTW!
Warmly,
Thorsten
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