TJ and I always shoot outside. Even the indoor shoots seem to lack enough insulation-wise to constitute as outdoorsy. But last week, we had an offer from Light Reflections Photography to shoot at Broadway Studios in Westford, MA. To be honest, I found the idea of shooting in a studio both overwhelming (I know practically zippo about artificial lighting) and boring (black backdrops are so very uninspiring). Still, it seemed like a great opportunity to learn something new, use some wardrobe pieces that never quite “work” with any of my outdoor shoots, make a mini top hat, and buy some balloons (just because). I was also promised that the studio, being in an old mill, would be as inspiring as any abandoned building, albeit without the rush of trespassing.
And so it was, at 9am on a Saturday morning, TJ and I packed up our gear, 5 bags of clothing and accessories, grabbed a dozen balloons at Party City and drove north in the pouring rain. I think that may have been the most amazing part of all- it was raining, and it didn’t matter. Second best part was getting to work with Sarah again, since she is so much fun to dress!
It really was a fun studio to shoot in, with several rooms offering everything from a classic studio set up to gritty walls, an old industrial fan, wood floors, and even amazing natural light.
But we were there seven hours, which was plenty of time to step out of out comfort zone and try some studio lighting setups, even some black backdrops. TJ experimented with studio flash, gels, and a three light set up. I kept things simple with continuous lighting and a beauty dish, but took things one step further by deciding to only use my new Lensbaby Edge 80.
After all, there is no harm in trying something new on occasion. You just may find something you love. We certainly did. Pretty sure there is a large beauty dish in our future.
Light on!
*****Kayt
Credits:
- Date: April 26, 2014
- Location: Broadway Studios, Westford, MA
- Model: Sarah Sybicki
- Photo/edit: TJ Bynes and Kayt Silvers
- Styling/hair pieces: Kayt Silvers
- Lighting Assistant: Andy MacBrien