The Moment It Clicks: Photography Secrets From One of the World's Top Shooters

moment she stepped on the seamless, she owned the camera. The sweet simplicity of the photograph belies the complexity and hard work just below the surface.

    “The only way to keep your heart beating as a photographer is to shoot what you love.”

    Believe it or not, she’s standing on white seamless paper. I always advocate independent control of the light on the foreground and background, and in this case, because of the environment, I lost control of the background. The enemy here was the big white box of a ballet studio I was shooting in. White walls, a white ceiling, so the light from the strobes bounced everywhere and onto the white background, which was not what the art director wanted. How do you tame the background?

    How to Get This Type of Shot

    In a case like this, the control of the light on the background is as important as the control of the light on the foreground. We cut the foreground light so it did not spill as much with a 12×12′ solid (a large piece of black cloth positioned just out of frame to the camera’s left). This is called a “flag” (in this case, a big flag) and what it does is soak up the light. I used an Octabank [ 1 ] and a floor skip, which is a strobe bounced off the floor (usually off a Lastolite panel [ 2 ] ), positioned directly under the main strobe to the right of the camera. I shot this with a 70–200mm lens. The blue striations of light came from one strobe (no softbox, no umbrella, no nothin’) with a blue gel over it, placed low, and I positioned a number of the workout bars in the dance studio in front of the lights to give the background some variation.

    [ 1 ] Octabank: A large softbox, slightly over 6′ wide. A source of very soft, reflected light. An industry standard for both studio and location portraiture.

    [ 2 ] Lastolite Panel: A kit that has both diffusion and reflective material that fits onto a rigid, collapsible frame. Comes in 3×3′, 3×6′, and 6×6′ sizes. Ideal for diffusing or flagging light sources, or simulating window light. Breaks down into a small, light duffel bag. Very roadworthy.

     

Chapter Two: Keep Your Eye in the Camera

     

     
     
     
    Dress the Part
     

    Wynton Marsalis

    “A professor I had in college used to tell me that if someone won’t listen to what you have to say because you’re not wearing a tie, then put on a tie, ‘cause what you have to say is more important than not wearing a tie.”

    Respect, and the lack thereof, is always a hot topic on the photog threads. Apparently, we think of ourselves as a bunch of Rodney Dangerfields with motor drives.

    Well, who’s to blame for that one? Can you really expect red carpet treatment showing up in cutoffs, four-day stubble, and a t-shirt that poses the question, “Did You Get Yours Today?”

    I got sent to New Orleans to shoot a pre-Super Bowl story for Sports Illustrated . Great job, and it just happened to coincide with the death of the former Mayor, Dutch Morial. There’s nothing like dyin’ in New Orleans. They have a party for you.

    So I hit the street to shoot the jazz procession heading for St. Louis Cathedral. I was in dress pants, suit jacket, white shirt, and a killer tie. I was lookin’ good, if I do say so myself. (Despite the festive nature of the funeral, it was still a funeral.)

    I made my way to the balcony in the church, to make general views. There was a dignified gentleman next to me holding a trumpet. He turned and looked at me. “Man, that’s a bad tie,” he said. “I’d like to take your picture,” I replied.
     
    And the great jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis came over to the window for a quick portrait.

    A professor I had in college used to tell me that if someone won’t listen to what you have to say because you’re not wearing a tie, then put on a tie, ’cause what you have to say is more important than not wearing a tie. He was right.
    The Light in the Doorway
     

    “Your light could become unpredictable. That’s a good thing. Predictable is not where your lighting wants to be.”

    We go through doorways all the time. So does light. So put a light out there, in the hallway. Fly it through the door. See what happens. You just might be done.
     
    The doorway actually frames the light, and gives it shape and edge. Might even give it some color, depending on the paint job in the hallway. If there is variation to the paint, or a shine to it, or the door itself is reflective, or has a pane of glass, your light, when