On the run

"The Classical Academy's Kaitlin Hanenburg poses for a portrait at Mary Kyer Park in Colorado Springs, Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. Hanenburg, a junior, captured the 3A State Cross Country title for the second year in a row this past Saturday." JUSTIN EDMONDS, THE GAZETTE

On Monday afternoon I had the chance to shoot another prep athlete of the week portrait. 

I talked with Kaitlin the day before to choose a location and time to meet. 

I asked her and her mother for location suggestions and they came up with a great one. In reality it was just a park but it had great views of the mountains as well as a nice water feature that I could use. I planned to shoot it at 5pm just before sunset that way I could get some images with the sun and some without. The timing couldn't have been better. 

I lucked out and found power about 100 feet from the location I wanted to use near a gazebo in the park. I've been falling in love with the light quality of my Dynalites and when I have the time to set them up they just can't be beat. 

I use my speedlights all the time for speed and efficiency but they just can't match up to the raw power and quality of the big strobes.

I wanted to be able to work quickly as the light fell so I decided to set up two one-light stations about 15 feet apart each with their own pack and head. For the first set up I used a medium soft box as the main light and the fading golden sun as a rim light. The light was perfect and held for about 12 minutes with gave me time to shoot several different versions with the same setup. 

I can work really quickly with one light and that was the key to getting several looks in the short amount of time.

Most of the first set of images are what I like to call "safe images." I can shoot those any day of the week and can get them done in a flash. After I get the safe images then I always try something different with my subjects that way I've covered my behind but I also push the envelope.

The second set up was a little more difficult because it required Kaitlin to run through the shot. Believe it or not it was not easy to get the image that I was hoping for. 

I wanted to exaggerate her running style so I wanted to get both of her feet off of the ground in the image. The lighting was simple, just one head/pack with black wrap to act as a snoot. 

Katy Booth, our writer, is always willing to lend a hand so I used her as a voice activated lightstand to try and keep the light pointed on Kaitlin's face and she ran. I made a few ok images shooting from the front lit side of her (the sun was behind the mountains but the sky still created a deep blue tone). Then I moved to shoot backlit with the mountain range in the background to add another layer or depth to the image. Her legs were falling into the black hole created by the silhouetted mountains so I had Katy take the snoot off the head to make Kaitlin pop in the frame.

I shot 65 frames in 23 minutes creating roughly 11 different looks. I'm constantly working with my subject, pausing, moving the light and keeping them engaged in the process so that they don't feel like a statue throughout the shoot. 

The thing that I have learned about the most from shooting portraits is that the engagement between the subject and the photographer makes or breaks the shoot. Most subjects aren't used to posing so they get tired relatively soon. I like to show my subject an image or two about 2/3 of the way through the shoot. That way I can show them how "cool" I'm making them look which allows them to relax and as a result I can capture some great images in the last few minutes of the shoot.

A week or so ago I was assigned to shoot the fall prep athletes of the year section which requires 12 athlete portraits for the cover, 12 inside large portraits and if I can accomplish what has never been done, a 12 column double truck to run in the center of the section. I was really amped when I got the assignment and can't wait to get started. I have to come up with a consistent theme for all the images. I have a few solid ideas but I'm just ironing out all the details in my head. I really want to shoot all 12 athletes at once for the double truck purely for the fact that it has never been done. Scheduling 12 athletes for one portrait will be a nightmare but I'm up to the challenge. 

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com