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Rolling with the BIG Dog Inspiration - Everybody needs it - part 2 of 1 2 3 4

by Damian McGillicuddy Published 01/12/2013

I found some of that rare inspiration the other night. I'd been commissioned by Olympus to shoot the portrait of fashion photographer and industry icon, Barry Lategan. Mr Lategan is perhaps most famous for helping launch the career of Lesley Hornby in the 60s, she is the fashion model better known as Twiggy!

The portrait of Mr Lategan is a good example of continual professional development. Why - because being on form gave me the confidence to handle such a potentially nerve-shredding encounter and get the job done, quickly and painlessly in the scant few minutes I had before the 'audience with' event started and Mr Lategan was taken away from me to address his public.

This, in essence, is a tried and tested, and therefore a simple shoot setup for me, it's a simple four-light set-up. In these circumstances getting a good result is an absolute imperative, so I want everything under control and me in control.

The 'key' to camera left is one of my own designed 36" multimodifiers, the outer layer of diffusion stripped away to leave just the inner baffle adding a contrast and specularity to the light.

The density in the shadows was controlled by a second speedlight married to the 'bare bulb' enhancer from my Portaflex kit just set to the left of my shooting position.

Light three is a speedlight to camera-right and behind Mr Lategan, aimed forward to glance past him, adding separation in the form of this accent light.

The final light in the piece was a speedlight shot through my Classic 19" beauty dish. I'd fitted its front diffuser to soften and control the output contrast and I'd aimed it obliquely at the white scoop that I was using as the background of my study, offering a slightly gradual sweep of light to my image.

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Contact Damian McGillicuddy

1st Published 01/12/2013
last update 09/12/2022 14:58:37

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