Shooting with professional models for the forum, Andy said, “I love using the H4D because of its quick response and fabulous lenses. My friend Clay Blackmore and I tore up the cool space that Hasselblad provided, moving lights and props until we got just what we were looking for.”
© Andy Marcus
© Andy Marcus
Broncolor, an event sponsor, provided the soft boxes, strip lights, beauty dishes and reflectors Andy and Clay used to create their stunning images, including those shown on this page. Preferring to keep the lighting simple, they primarily used two umbrellas and a sliver reflector, adding a background light occasionally for separation.
“I love photographing people and enjoy the challenges they present,” says Andy. “I am always looking to give clients images that capture their personality. The Hasselblad format is ideal for this. The quality of the images is unparalleled. With the H4D’s True Focus feature I can stand in place and move the camera vertically or horizontally and not have my focus point change. It’s very cool. And the Phocus software does an amazing job of pulling all the fine details out of the images. It’s easy to use and the results are amazing.”
Andy shared a few tips with participants.
- “When shooting indoors, my first concern is the lighting, next the background, and then the composition.”
- “Once that is achieved, you need to work on the expression of the subject. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your subject will be. If you are constantly fidgeting with the equipment, or not sure how to use certain features, you’ll become distracted easily and your subject will lose interest quickly, generally resulting in lackluster images. Establishing a relationship with your subjects is essential.”
- “Pay attention to the direction of your light, its strength, and what it does to your subject. Experiment, learn to see the light and try different ways to modify it, with or without umbrellas, soft boxes, reflectors, etc.”
- “When shooting a subject that is not moving, i.e., one who is posing, shoot at a slower speed, dragging the shutter to pick up ambient light in the background. Usually with this technique I shoot on a tripod to avoid background streaking.”
“Remember, all rules are made to be broken. Play, experiment and make your photographs yours!” concluded Andy.
For more images from Andy Marcus, visit
www.fredmarcus.com.
For more on True Focus, Phocus, and the H4D,
click here.
Text by Alice B. Miller