I posted some images from my "black box" series of shoots. This is the first set I've posted in this series, though not the first shoot I've done with this setup.
The shoot was relatively unscripted, and I ended up shooting a new model with her boyfriend. These two had a good vibe together, and I'm hoping to use them again for a couple of environmental type shoots.
Here's a bit about the setup for this gig -
The Black Box is a set I constructed in my studio earlier this spring. The set consists of a 16'x16'x16' half cube, which I've heavily textured with plaster and varying degrees of black paint. The result is a backdrop that can be lit in certain ways to emphasize either the harsh texture of the walls, or the graduation of tones embedded within the plaster textures.
For this shoot, I used a three light setup. The main light is a home made softbox, mounted on a boom above the set. The softbox is similar to a strip light, but the throw of the light can be varied depending on how it is rotated. I designed this so that I could have variable softbox quality light on the subjects, and also sometimes prevent the light from falling behind the subject, so I have more control over how the background is lit. The walls of the box are lit by two grid spots which, at times, are tuned much lower than the main. I changed the setup a few times during the course of the shoot.
All technical stuff aside - it's rare that I get to shoot with a couple, and so it's something that isn't really in the forefront of my mind when it comes to planning a shoot. I think this one came together well, and I'm hoping to use these two again soon.
It's starting to get warm enough to do some outside shoots, so that's where I'm headed next...