The other day I spent a few hours in the studio creating the following photograph for a client on mine. My client is actually a design firm that wanted a photograph of a lab technician wearing a lab coat. They had the lab coat embroidered with a new logo design they created for their client "National Jewish Hospitals". The photograph is going to be used for the cover of a "Case Study" piece they are designing show casing the work they have produced for their client. My client will be using a frame like the one below to frame the image and to place type around the edge of the photo.
I started my business here in Denver back in 1983 and it was this design firm Monigle & Associates that I shot one of my first professional assignments. I'm very proud to say that they are still clients of mine after 26 years! Professional service and quality work keeps them coming back year after year.
The lighting was quite simple, the main light was a DIY Home Depot florescent light with a grid attached and the background was lit using an SB-800 fired using a PocketWizard. The grid on the florescent light was used in order to create interesting reflections in the models glasses.
The set-up involved shooting through a large sheet of glass looking up at a technician working with petri dishes. The petri dishes where filled with orange jello in order to complement the colors in the embroidered logo on the lab coat. This large piece of glass actually came from my master bathroom shower renovation which I've been working on since last May...In order to hold the glass in place, I used two Bogen Super Clamps as stops on a pair of sawhorses and a background stand in the front of the set to support the glass. I used black fabric in front and below the glass in order to kill any unwanted reflection. The background consisted of a short roll of gray seamless and several light stands as design elements.
The photo below show the Bogen Super Clamp configuration to hold the forward section of the glass. You can also see extra weight on the stands to secure the entire set-up as well as the view from the subjects prospective.
Here are just a few more production still from the shoot.
The pole you see on the black fabric was placed there for a reflection through the photo. The florescent light are wonderful light sources but do not travel well. I use them only in the studio or in town shoots.
11 comments:
Wow! I love the thought that went into setting up this shot. It's a great perspective of the subject with the petri dishes. Thank you for the inspiration!
Way cool, thanks for sharing the details of the shoot.
Thanks! I really appreciate all the detail you've shared in this and the previous post...it's great to go not just inside your studio, but somewhat inside your head.
Home Depot, here I come for some strip lights and daylight bulbs....
David, Excellent job as always.
I like the use of lightstands as a non-descript element in both the background and reflected in to the bottom side of the glass. Thanks for all of the behind the scenes shots.
this is a great post! good to see what goes in to MAKING a photograph.
Wow you clamped everything! Clamps for the glass. Clamps for the lab jacket. It's amazing that the initial shot looked like she's working in her environment and you step back and can see the entire "set". Thanks for sharing.
This is the first shot I have seen with florescent lights and it came out fantastic with the grids on it. Now I want to go out and get those lights from Home Depot just to try out some stuff. But I also love how you shot threw the glass nice angle.
I love how you set up this shot! It came out great man!
Glad to get a peek into the day since I couldn't be there! Looks great and so thinks the boss, thanks David!
David,
As a scientist and photographer, I can appreciate this photograph in so many ways. I have learned so much from you. I feel it necessary to share something with you. Ok here goes . . . the specific of a body heated to subcombustible temperatures will vibrate at a frequency inversely proportional to its mass. . . . call it even?
Great job...
It's always amazing how you come up with all the ideas.
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