Tuesday found me on the campus of Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL In terms of “volume,” I do a large amount of work for them. All aspects of photography. Editorial, sports, portraits, events. The Fighting Scots are very good to me! They support my business, and I’m grateful for that. Faculty and staff are fantastic. The students polite. And it’s always a good experience to go and make photos on the beautiful campus.
This recent trip over was a prime sampling of the type of work I do there. One sports portrait. A session that will make for a magazine cover. And the rededication of Grier Hall, a campus dormitory.
Thomas Lesniewski is a senior linebacker who will graduate mid-term. Portraits were needed to accompany a magazine story. Jeff Rankin, who coordinates a lot of the photography sessions, and myself, discussed ideas. With the unpredictable weather, we agreed upon the locker room. I began thinking of lighting set ups. Anywhere from two to three lights were used for the portraits. Speed lights. One shoot thru umbrella, One reflector umbrella, and a Rogue grid. Jeff sat in as my test subject. When Thomas walked in, we went to work. I was able to get 3-4 different lighting “looks” from one basic set up by moving lights, or shutting one down. One example is included in this blog.
The next stop was the Buchanan Center for the Arts, second floor. The versatile Rankin had painted a wall black, Had artwork added, and secured students for the shoot, whom he directed. This session wasn’t too difficult. I mostly “pressed the shutter button.” A three light set up here, too. See the “behind the scenes” photo. Normally, the two outside umbrellas would be more to the outside, and behind the subjects to rim light them. Space, and a bad shadow on the background from the overhead heater, prevented that. Still. They were set “hotter” than the main light to give an extra kick.
The third and final stop was the rededication of Grier Hall, a dormitory. This session included photos of rooms, a reception, and ribbon cutting. An on camera flash with a diffuser, bounced into the ceiling, was the main light. Most all photos were made with short zoom lens. Always looking for detail shots, I found one that helped tell the story of the event. Two photos from this session are included here.
