What was the concept of the shoot?
For this shoot I had the opportunity to photograph Olympic Triple Jumper Olu Olamigoke. We wanted to do a long exposure photo shoot to show his movement and action. We used green colored gels to represent the colors of Nigeria, the country he competes for.
What setup and lighting did you use to get the shot?
For this shoot, I used a 3 light set up. My key light was an octabank with the outer diffusion sheet removed, and I used two rim lights, one on each side of the subject, with a green and blue colored gel.
How did shooting tethered help you achieve the shot you wanted?
Using the Air Direct Remote to tether to Capture One Pro was a great help on this shoot. When shooting long exposures you want your camera to be very still, and I find that sometimes when I press the shutter on my camera, it will create a slight shake. Tethering allows me to do remote triggering on my computer, so I eliminate any camera shake which allows to me get sharper images with my long exposure portraits.
What was your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was eliminating light. When shooting long exposures, I prefer complete darkness to have complete control. As you can see in my behind-the-scenes image, I had one of my large parabolic umbrellas close to the ceiling, blocking out some of the light from the sunlight.
What type of post-processing was involved?
I used Capture One Pro for my basic editing, to increase the shadows and to bring up the highlights and saturation in the colored gels. In Adobe Photoshop, I went in for basic skin smoothening.
What was the logistics and/or gear needed to achieve this shot?
- Canon R5 + 70-200mm f/2.8 lens
- 3 Godox SK400II lights
- Pocket Wizards
- Air Direct Wireless Tethering System
- Colored gels
- Octabank
- SKB Laptop Case + light stand
- Tripod/Light stand
About Bee Trofort
B. Alyssa Trofort is a sports and portrait photographer for commercial and editorial clients, based in Los Angeles, CA. A graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2013, she received her Bachelor’s in Fine Art for Photography & Film. She has been published in numerous publications including PEOPLE magazine, Estetica Hair Magazine, Richmond Magazine, B.O.S.S. Magazine, KRAVE Fit Magazine, UPTOWN Magazine, Elegant Magazine, and many more. Her resume extends to working as a photography and production assistant, assistant to prop stylist, freelance camera operator, and grip for various photography and film sets. She is determined to become the master of her craft, using every day as a blueprint to learn, grow, and create.
