Emily Jean Designs represented at Glamour at the G
A description of my first time shooting a live fashion event…
Well it was a mixed evening, I arrived in plenty of time to check the light and pick my position. It was a ‘different’ sort of runway, in reality it was a corridor that passes between 3 rooms. I was told that the models would stop inside the entrance of each room before moving on along the runway. I picked a position which got me an unobstructed view of the entrance to the brightest room, great stuff enough ambient to use ISO400 @ f/2.8 with a little flash fill, noise was a worry going higher than that, so I was pretty happy with the situation. My “client’s” head pieces were out third, but a friend of hers was out second and she asked me to see if I could get some of them, lovely – practice on the first lot, then start in earnest on the second, and be perfected by the third.
First batch of models arrived out, the first one makes her way up the long runway towards me, gets to my doorway, hold… hold… then, oh christ, she’s not stopping – fffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu- they’re walking to the end, and not stopping, oh sh*t! There’s no way I can relocate unless I’m prepared to srtut my stuff down the runway, as that’s the only way to the end.
My AF is hunting in the light, and by the time I’ve focused she’s moved on, a rash of models are out together and I’m starting to panic! Seems like they’re walking the runway twice though, so that’s ok, at least I’ll get two bites of each cherry. Start to get into it, but focusing is still a problem, up my ISO to 640, pump up the flash and change the shutter speed to 1/250 (max synch speed, thank christ I already knew that!). OK noise is going to be a problem now, but less of a problem than blurry pictures! My client’s friends pieces are out now, and they’ve switched to once up and down (Murphy’s law at work), it’s getting close to time and my AF is still hunting.
In desperation I switch to manual focus, something I only ever use with an f/22 landscape, this can only end badly. Shoot a couple of badly badly out of focus pics when I notice my client’s first pieces coming down the runway, crap! Switch back to AF, raise the camera as the first one gets to me, click, but no whirr, check the LCD – sh*t, I’ve left the lens in MF, and only flipped back on the body, switch the lens just in time to see the model heading back down the catwalk, disaster!
Settle down a bit as the next one levels, raise the camera and do my best to frame, focus and shoot as quick as possible, god damn my AF, seems to take a lifetime to find her. Lather, rinse, repeat for the next 5 or 6 models. Alternating between getting them coming down the runway, and coming back from the end. Then it’s all over, retreat a safe distance to check my shots. Thanking the gods of computing for Bibble 5.0, noise ninja and sharpening!
Anyway here’s a few that, hopefully, aren’t too bad. Valuable lessons learned, and in the end of the day it was me or no photographer for her, so she knew she was taking a chance on me but was ok with it, I’m very grateful for the opportunity. Definitely something I’d like to try again.
Results are here:
http://emilyjeandesigns.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/glamour-at-the-g/
Hey Hugh, gosh i had no idea all that was going on behind the scenes, a bit ironic seen as i was the one behind the scene! If it’s any consolation it was daam fast trying to get the hats and that swimwear on, it was a bit of a whirlwind back there!
Well done on the night, it’s great to have those shots, i am really happy with them and will put them to good use.
I look forward to seeing more of your talented work.
Many thanks,Emily-Jean.
Thanks for the nice comment Emily – yes I can only imagine the work that goes on behind it all to get them down the runway on time and looking so well – glad you’re happy with the results – makes the panic all worthwhile!