The end of a year and I find myself in one of the planets great nature conservancies,  the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
The Park is extensive, measuring some 400km from north to south. Photographic opportunities abound for the patient. For me, I enjoy the smell of the African bush, the heat and above all, the tranquility.
I dearly would love to capture great wild life images but I lack the patience and the specialist equipment to succeed in this highly competitive genre.
This time last year when I was here in Kruger, I brought down my Hasselblad with an HC 300mm, my longest lens, which translates to a focal length of about 220 in 35mm speak. I lugged it around in the vehicle whilst traversing rutted gravel roads cringing every time I hit a bump and dreading to know what the vibration was doing to my kit.

Eventually, perchance, I came upon a black rhino. All fingers and thumbs with excitement I fired up the Hassy. Split seconds were needed to meter light, turn on an Elinchrom ranger pack and strobe head - set speeds and apertures far removed from my comfortable studio setting of 320th sec and f11 only to hear a resounding thunk from my camera and a lens error number 42 notification. Camera completely jammed.  The accommodating Rhino sniffed around the vehicle for a few moments and trotted back into the thick bush from where it had come. The lens had to go to Sweden for a $1000 service.  So ended my brief career as a Medium format wildlife photographer.

Nowadays I bring down my Fujifilm XPro1 and snap away knowing that I am not capturing anything particularly memorable, hey, I am on holiday!
I did shoot this published image of African Wild Dogs sparring in 2011 on a Nikon D3X just to prove  I can direct animals as well as models!
On serious notepaper though, those who know me will be aware that I am a huge advocate of Medium format in the fashion and portraiture industry. Certainly the bush though, is not ideal for MF.
Nikon and Canon make great telephotos for wildlife and nature. More than that though this equipment is bombproof really "journo" tough and quite reasonably priced.
Phase and Hassy lenses top out at 300mm which is not enough for serious wild life work. Sure you can get larger lenses custom built at a price but the reliability of a MF system in harsh conditions is my concern.
Years ago I remember filling out a questionnaire for Hasselblad on what improvements I would personally like to see. I did mention that multiple focusing points could be nice but my major wish was that the body could be built by Nikon.

A safe New Year to everyone.
                                                             

Light Fall-Off and the Inverse Square Law

 18% grey 5 m wide cyclorama side lit actual measured percentage brightness at 1m intervals

Are you placing lights in a studio thinking about f stops, angles, hardness and the resultant shadows but not about "Fall Off.?" Perhaps you never did "get" the inverse square law.

FACT: Light  looses 75% of it's intensity in the first two meters from the source. Three meters out, it's down to 90%. Having lost most of it's punch in the first few meters it then looses very little as it travels further away from the lightsource.

A key to producing professional images, certainly in the genre fashion and beauty, is a clear understanding of light fall off and what causes it  i.e.  the inverse square law of light.

Fall off can range from zero to intense and is much more evident when the model is side lit.

Zero fall off light is termed "flat light."  Much like you get on a overcast day. If we were shooting the face or mask of a model on an overcast day and turned the one side of the mask to the sun (well where we knew the sun should be) the light would be evenly distributed all over the mask. Meter the one cheek then the other, the readings would be the same.  Zero fall off.

Model on an overcast day © Simon Stewart

Rapid fall off is when we turn the mask to a light source - say a softbox - and the one side of the mask is well lit but the other side is quite dark. In other words the light that first strikes the one side of the mask has lost it's intensity rapidly just in the space of a few inches. The kicker here is that the closer the subject is placed to the light source the greater the fall off. The further away from the lightsource the flatter the light.  The reason is that light looses it's intensity at a phenomenal rate in the first few critical meters and then eases off. So for maximum light fall off you need to work really close to the source definitey within 3 meters of a reflector or  the diagonal of a square or rectangular soft box or the diameter of a circular one. i.e with a 60cm x 60cm softbox 85cm to the subject is the ideal distance for rapid fall off.

There are masses of theoretical diagrams out there showing this relationship between light source and intensity fall off but I shot the image above in the studio up against an 18% grey cyc 5 meters wide instead.  The excercise was hardy scientific so the results were not quite as accurate as they should be but they are factual.  It should give you a good idea of what I am rambling on about.

Put a model in the left hand zone and the light will be faling off by more than a half (75% in theory) over her body and face - high drama indeed. Now move her two meters away (adjust the apperture) and the fall of is minimal. The lighting ratio much closer, garment evenly lit, not much drama and typical catalogue look.

Black Velvet....

Most fashion photographers I know have a huge amount of respect for black fabrics.  I honestly still have restless nights prior to shooting a collection that has black garments, especially if the fabric is a velvet or velour or the nightmare of them all, silk panne-velvet.

Black fabrics really suck up the light - guess why they are used as backdrops -  and to try and bring the required detail out one needs to pay special attention to exposure and lighting or risk the possibility of "closed blacks" that are not recoverable regardless of your post processing abilities.

One of my solutions to the problem - and believe me I wouldn't have sleepless nights if I had all the answers - is to expose at least half a stop more on the fabric if I have a fair skinned model and up to one and a half times more if the model is dark. If the garment has pleats and folds I position lighting to express these details as much possible in the same manner you would carefully skim light over a models torso, if you were looking for muscle definition.

The best velvets are still made from pure silk and have a sheen that can cause additional problems and require the softest most diffused light source you can lay your hands on as fill, with a snappier harder light source to skim the fabric as a side light.

When I browse through the clients garments and fabrics prior to a shoot I try to get involved with model selection if there are black fabrics involved. Hey, even if there aren't I still interfere. Seriously though, if the post production budget is tight, the client will simply be better rewarded with choosing a darker skin tone. If the funds and time are there, I am happy to shoot Nordic "Ice Maidens" in black panne all day long.

For me shooting digital medium format at as low ISO as the back is capable, allows a bit more tolerance when trying to draw out fill light in post production using Capture One.  Ideally though, get the lighting right and use fill as a bonus.  As both a Phase and Leaf user I personally feel my Leaf Aptus backs handle these conditions better than my P45+ but that is a very subjective comment.

Finally thanks to Alessandro for the crop suggestion on the above image which was shot this week during a "time out" break at Studio Yellow.Simon Stewart - Fashion & Beauty

Sue Wong.....The Queen of Beads

Model: Christina Wen  Photographer: Simon Stewart
  Stylist:Kendrick Osorio

Miss Wong recalls the luminescent bottle of glass beads she received from her grandmother when she was 3 years old and still living in Mao & Jiangs Communist China.  She considered this bottle of beads her most prized possesion and the inpiration that would eventually make her one of the West Coasts most celebrated designers.


Sue Wong tries to capture that fleeting beauty that exists in the very fibers of both fashion and nature. 

The words of American author and poet Henry Thoreau recounting his experience of living on Walden Pond, her inspiration:

 "The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat intangible and indescribable as tints of morning or evening. It is a little star dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched." 


Taking specifics from vintage garments from the Twenties, Thirties and Forties, Sue extracted the hand-made detailing such as beadwork and embroidery and redesigned an entire new garment, incorporating the elements of the vintage embellishments into her new design.

These elaborate creations were displayed and hung from wires suspended from the ceiling to create a gallery effect in her boutiques. She attracted a glamorous following including Bianca Jagger and Goldie Hawn who were drawn to the beauty, magic and uniqueness of her designs. With complex beadwork, feathers, lace and embroidery to enhance ultra-feminine lines, her dresses have the power to transform any woman into a goddess.


Sue Wong never fails to astonish. It’s hard to believe that when she was five years old, her mother bribed a border guard with her wedding jewelry to get them out of China and into Hong Kong. A year later, Wong and her mother finally arrived in Los Angeles. Neither spoke English, and Wong had yet to see her father, who had come to the United States before she was born.

Today, Sue designs about 1500 garments a year, making every moment count isn’t a choice it’s a necessity. She’s involved in every aspect of her business, from the designs, to sales, to making deals with Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus, to PR, to putting on events ― all on an average of four to five hours of sleep a night. 

Still employing the revered age-old couture techniques implemented by the finest Couture houses in Europe, and evoking the allure and glamour of various eras such as Weimar Berlin, 1930s Shanghai and Pre-code Hollywood - every design though, belongs in the now and is decidedly very Sue Wong; exquisite fabrics shimmering with incandescent beads, unique embroideries and layered textures embellished with passementerie and soutache combine to create works of art that are graceful, elegant, unique,timelessly beautiful and truly humbling to photograph.


Sue Wong truly captures and embodies through her work, her mantra of:

"Beauty. Magic. Transformation. "

Makeup Artists ..

In the fashion and beauty industry your make up artist is a key to creating great images. Sadly, fashion is not all about shooting images for Vogue or Elle. Catalogue work, often for lower end brands, is the “coal face” of the industry. Budgets are tight and often the client may provide their own MUA who is an unknown entity.

Always bear in mind that the final image results will always be a direct reflection of your ability in the clients mind at any rate. Attempts to blame abysmal images on the lack of a competent creative team, will fall on deaf ears after the event has occurred. So best be in a position that you can take an inexperienced MUA under your wing for the day and get the best possible result.

If I am at all in doubt about the MUA’s experience I will always mention even in a humorous way that it is much easier to edit imperfections and warm up flesh tones in post-production than attempting to fix flesh tone and colour with excessive makeup. It follows that If your MUA is not trying to match the colour of foundation to the natural colour of the models skin in neck/chest area you may want to heed this as a warning that you may be working with an artist who may be more at home with makeup for weddings and such social events than he/she is with a photographic shoot.

My approach, is to spend a few minutes chatting to the MUA before she gets to work.  I help her set up in the make up area and by doing this get a first hand peak at what kit she has with her. The range and quality of brushes and how well worn they are. The products she is using gives me a heads up on who I am dealing with. In the general chit chat about what looks we want to achieve for the day I’ll name drop and see if they have heard of photographers Steven Meisel or Craig Mc Dean or has any interest in high end fashion and make up. If this is positive I go deeper and ask what they think of the work of Pat McGrath (mua who Meisel prefers to work with) Stephane Marias and Francois Nars?  We may then natter about latest products from MAC and Bobbi Brown and "has she used the uber kewl new illuminating powder from Guerlain?"

Sure, I sometimes ruffle feathers but in general by understanding that the photographer is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their craft,  the MUA will be happy to accept guidance if she/he needs it  -  or at least take your opinion seriously if he/she doesn’t.

Does top end equipment produce exceptional images...??

I recently posted a Fine Art Nude image on a photography site - www.photosig.com - which seems to be one of the better managed sites focusing on image critique.

I had an interesting comment from a photographer who questioned quality of images vs quaity of equipment.  Another sage observation by a sculptor photographer who commended the apparent three dimensionality of the image. I replied to both of these critiques briefly on the site and mentioned that I would prefer to discuss both the query and the observation in depth on my fledgling blog -  so today I am tackling the equipment issue.

In Fine Art Nude studies the model to me is the primary input and key to a successful image. Without a great model who takes direction well and is willing to to go the extra yard to finesse an image - the project will be stillborn. Lighting folows in second place and the camera - for sure - taking the bronze.

Lighting set ups can be as simple or complex as the photographer desires. The key being, to keep the set up as simple as possible making sure that any additional lighting instruments added, whether backgrounds, hair /accents/rims and kickers actualy improve and augment the image and are not there just to show off your prowess as a master lighter or your inventory of toys and tricks.

Cameras in third place?  Absolutely. A bottom of the range DSLR today with a cheap prime is all you need to capture gallery quaity images - so why spend more?  Many photographers - myself included - will try and justify the additional expense of buying top of the range cameras and lenses. We all have our reasons, some more sensible than others.  Personally I capture 90% of my images on digital medium format.  I can - and will in this blog - extoll the virtues of MF above that of 35mm. The fact though remains that great images can be captured on entry level cameras.

Is flash photography going to make an exit.....?

I have a friend who is a pro photographer in Boston. A few years ago when the US economy was lying mauled and bleeding and the rent he was paying for his high street studio was approaching the income derived from it, he made this observation.

"It's this cheap Chinese studio equipment that's killing the pro market." He whinged.
"Couple of hundred bucks, two lights a few umbrellas and a backdrop and your'e a portrait photographer."

Realistically good studio lighting kit doesn't come cheap. I recently bought ten 450 joule/second monoblocks of the Chinese persuasion for less than a single ProFoto head.  Could they replace professional equipment by Bron, Hensel and others?  No of course not but for the occasional high risk or specific application where cycle times, colour consistency or longevity isn't an issue, they are fine.

I am sure photographers have been complaining about innovative cheap products making the profession more accessible since Kodak introduced the "box" brownie in 1900. Bet you the same thing happened after WW2 when the Germans and then the Japanese started manufacturing affordable entry level SLR's and that's before digital. When the first digital cameras came out pros didn't seem to be overly concerned as the thought that these digital toys could compete at the same level as film cameras seemed absurd. It only took a few years before film cameras were becoming obsolete. Then die hard film aficionados were predicting the end of the professional photography world so to speak.  The professional imaging industry is a pretty resilient beast though. Even today where a few hundred dollars will buy you a camera and lens so good that professionals were using the same system a few years ago, there is still a need for professional photographers. It's really about the ability to produce consistently good images often under difficult or less than ideal circumstances that identify the pro.

The real game changer in this evolution of image capturing instruments  and accessories is ISO.  With useable ISO now in the thousands you really don't need to blast away with gallons of watt seconds of strobe lighting. Pro wedding photographers are capturing glorious images on Canons and Nikons with f1.2 and f1.4 lenses inside places of worship in available light. Ten years ago the same image would be illuminated with hundreds of watts of ozone burning lumens as the vicar glared at the photographer with disdain.  Portrait photographers are beginning to use continuous light to illuminate their clients. Not continuous as in blinding hot 1000 watt Arris but gentle 100 watt light sources equivalent to your bedside reading lamp. The advantages are enormous working this way. The obvious  being that this truely is a  WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) approach. Sure strobes have got modeling lights that enable you to anticipate the final result of the capture but anticipate it is. Once the strobe fires the surge of light is a lot different from the modeling light as the pulse is diffused, bounced and scattered around the subject. Using a continuous light source makes it much easier to refine and finesse an image resulting in better images that are easier to produce - now that's a recipe that should make the pros loose a bit of sleep.