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Behind The Lens
Location
This is a promotional photo of international DJ/producer, Osunlade. The shoot took place in my home studio in Chicago.Time
We did this shoot about 4 or 5pm in my home studio, shortly before he performed in Chicago.Lighting
I used a beauty dish and strip boxes on each side. Most notably, I used a dark gray background and lit it from behind the subject with a red gel. Since the background was actually a bit wrinkled, it ended up giving a little texture to the shot. It almost looks like a cloud of red smoke.Equipment
I shot this with a Nikon D750 and an 85mm at F5.6Inspiration
As a DJ myself, I'm a big fan of Osunlade's work. I've DJ'd with him several times and have gotten to know him quite well. As a photographer who primarily shoots performers, artists, musicians, etc, I really wanted to do this shoot with him.and invited him to my studio when he was in town for a show. We were able to create some great shots, but this one is my favorite. Out of nowhere, he just gave me this pose and I was able to capture it.Editing
There isn't much post-processing done on this shot. Just some minor exposure and shadow adjustments.In my camera bag
I primarily shoot with a Nikon D750. My go-to lenses are an 85mm F1.8 and a14-24mm F2.8. I also carry 2-3 Godox/Flashpoint ad200s with grids and gels, and 25" softboxes. In the studio, I use a beauty dish, 54" strip boxes, and sometimes a 65" parabolic umbrella.Feedback
Since this is a studio shot, there is room to experiment. If you have a willing and patient subject, use that opportunity to practice different lighting setups. It takes time and experience to learn what works best for you. When you're with a paying client, you won't have time to play around. I typically start out with rim lighting using strip boxes and adding a beauty dish up top, and then start moving things around from there. What really makes this photo are two things: the use of a gelled background light, and the subject's pose. I chose to light the background to add some flare....some sort of color pop to make the shot more interesting. The pose was all him. He just gave me that and I caught it. That being said, learning to find comfort and to communicate with your subject allows this to happen. If your subject is comfortable, trusting, and feels confident in you, they will give you a whole lot more to work with.