Evening ambient light shoot with Studio lights on location

I was asked by a local model to produce a set of images of herself modelling different clothes which she wants to use to help her to promote her business and modelling career

This was a dual purpose shoot with the model which encompassed combining fashion and product photography in one evening's work

She particularly wanted some really good promo images taking of the red dress she was wearing for use in marketing campaigns to push her business and gain awareness

These will be the last images shot on this course as I will be concentrating more on finishing off all my blogs which will include labeling,adding more content and  adding additional images I have already shot

Shown here are my latest images from the evening shoot shot locally with my model helen. This was a TFP shoot where we both benefited from the photography 

The images were shot with my new Lencarta Safari portable studio light system that I took out on location with me. This was an evening shoot and I had specifically planed this shoot at this time to capture the ambiance of the summer evening skies

The setup cost a me over a £1000 at the time and I thought am I doing the right thing spending this amount of money on a portable lighting setup. But yes I think I can safely justify the costs as I am starting to achieve some really good results which can be seen from some of the images below

The setup allows me to shoot up to 600 watts out on location and even at 200 watts the unit delivers over 2300 pops from a single charge,amazing. Having this amount of power enabled me to shoot even with bright sunny skies as I was able to counter balance the light intensity from the sun and overpower the daylight with my studio heads

I had to consider the health and safety of my model at all times. We had blankets on hand for my model to use between shots when posing as the eveing was getting a little chilly
My model was also using a step ladder in certain shots but I had a collegeue and lighting man on hand during the whole shoot who helped getting my model up and down the steps

I wanted to mix ambient light with a studio quality light out on location and this system allows me to achieve this. I shot and metered the images for the ambient light available then introduced power from the flash heads in increments until the desired effect was achieved. i wanted to use a second flash head as a rim light to light the models hair and side physique. I found I didn't need the second head as the sun did an excellent job for me which can be seen from the top image below 


I had planned this shoot for a long time and had to wait for the right day with the right weather and cloud formations to achieve the desired results. I used photoshop and Bridge to manipulate an embellish my final images chosen from about 200 shots.

The images are now being used in E-commerce and marketed on various websites,social media websites and also used in publicity materials for advertising and promotions
Shown here are some of the images from the shoot

I have slightly sharpened the images in photoshop and cloned out unwanted articles such as telegraph poles and pylons which were a distraction in the images

Shown below is an screen shot of an advert of my model Helen advertising her services on the modelling agency website Purpleport using my images

I will be using a lot of the images produced on this shoot for my own continuing marketing plan which I use to sell my services and products. These will be included on  my website,blogs and printed media to push and advertise my business to greater levels

Shown below are some of the images I used for research and ideas which were copied fron the Internet

Legal & Ethical Considerations

There are a lot of legal and ethical considerations that photographer's have to consider throughout their careers to produce their photography. There are a lot of laws that a photographer has to be aware of and may easily come into conflict with if not the properly versed with up to date laws that apply to a photographer
Listed below are the subjects that may be of concern and may affect how a photographer goes about his or hers everyday work

Law of trespass

This has to be taken into consideration. Photographer's have to be careful they remain on public land and public places in pursuit of their images,it's very easy to stray onto private land and private property which could result in prosecution
Shopping centres for example can be considered as private places and the owners have the right to expel a photographer taking images on their properties

Shown below is an extract from a website I have researched on the Internet which I find is a really good guide for a photographer which outlines all the major laws and photographers rights

http://www.how2fundraise.org/OneStopCMS/Core/CrawlerResourceServer.aspx?resource=D9C09F0D-16DB-4F20-92DA-CA8B1FE90462&mode=link&guid=41c98c36a1c54e1283d1b27391e36803


Obsenity law

Law established by the Obscene Publications Act of 1959 prohibiting the publishing of any material that tends to deprave or corrupt. In Britain, obscene material can be for example pornographic or violent, or can encourage drug taking.There is a defence in support of the public good if the defendant can produce expert evidence to show that publication was in the interest of, for example, art, science, or literature.

Copyright

A copyright basically allows the author of a photograph (the person who took it) control over how that picture is copied, transmitted and reproduced. Copyright issues have become more commonplace since the birth of both digital cameras and the internet because people now have far more freedom and flexibility when they share images, and it is all too easy to copy or post an image that you do not own

People may be unaware of copyright laws on the internet. When they reproduce an image in digital form and copy it many times without consent of the person who took the original image they are actually breaking this law

Copyright law is there to protect your images and prevent you taking credit for other peoples work.


Health and safety at work act
All workers have a right to work in places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Health and safety is about stopping you getting hurt at work or becoming ill caused by your working environment. Your employer is responsible for health and safety, but the employee is also resposible must follow giudelines set out by this act

The main piece of legislation is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA). All work places are covered by this legislation which says that an employer must do everything reasonably practicable to provide a safe and healthy workplace with adequate welfare facilities. HSWA has been supported and extended by various sets of regulations, codes of practice and guidance, all of which deal with various aspects of health and safety. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the government body which decides upon and implements health and safety policy.

Please see a more detailed Health and safety document I have compiled on blog "Health and Safety Considerations" (Unit 205)

Photography of children or Minors

IIt is important to note that there is no law against photographing children. You are perfectly within your rights to take a photograph of a child. Ridiculous stories are common of parents being told to put their cameras away at dance competitions or swimming pools.

There are some common sense guidelines that you should keep in the forefront of your mind when photographing children. The first of these is that, where possible, you should always seek approval from a parent or guardian before you begin shooting. This is particularly important if you are doing street photography. Photographing children in public places can be controversial and is also a sensitive issue,permission should be granted first and with this in mind no real problems are encountered

If in any doubt, I would suggest when taking photo's of minor's always make sure that the parents are present when the photography takes place. I would then show all images to the parents and ask for their approval before the images are processed or printed


Contract Law

A contract intends to formalize an agreement between two or more parties, in relation to a particular subject. Contracts can cover an extremely broad range of matters, including the sale of goods,property,services etc

In order to be valid, the parties to a contract must exchange something of value. In the case of the sale of the photographs, the buyer receives something of value in the form of the photographs and the photographers services, and the seller receives money for these services and the images

There must be an offer and this must be accepted to make an agreement. While this would in the first instance appear to be self explanatory, it is important to distinguish between what the law says amounts to a valid offer. An offer can be made orally, in writing or by way of conduct.

Contract: the elements of a contract

The first step in a contract question is always to make sure that a contract actually exists. There are certain elements that must be present for a legally binding contract to be in place.

Shown below are the two most common elements of a contract

• An offer: an expression of willingness to contract on a specific set of terms, made by the offeror with the intention that, if the offer is accepted, he or she will be bound by a contract.

• Acceptance: an expression of absolute and unconditional agreement to all the terms set out in the offer. It can be oral or in writing. The acceptance must exactly mirror the original offer made.

Disability Discrimination

Consideration must be given to people with disabilities so we all have the same equal opportunities. The photographer may need to go to extreme lengths to provide resources and to accommodate people with disabilities but equal opportunities must be of paramount importance

The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person by refusing to provide any service which it provides to other members of the public

Extra provision may be needed to enable a disabled person to fulfill their every day lives and this may come at quite some considerable cost

It may be necessary to have another person available to help with people with disabilities. They may need to be lifted,guided or helped in a variety of situations to carry out their everyday duties that an able person may take for granted

A studio may need to be kitted out to meet the requirements of a disabled person and a variety of different aids may need to be put in place to accommodate this. Wider doors,lower sinks,ramps and larger toilets are all a major consideration to provide proper equal services for everybody

Similar considerations have to be taken into account when shooting on location or outdoors which maybe an even harder challenge for the photographer to complete if additional resources are needed to accommodate someone with a disability

Handling Confidential Information

Care should be taken when handling other peoples information. This information is very personal and confidential including banking details etc.. The photographer needs to protect this data and care must be taken if this data is stored on pc's etc.. There are laws governing the storage of personal data, this is called "the data protection act" The DPA was first composed in 1984 and was updated in 1998.Shown below are the basic principles of this law

The Eight Data Protection Act Principles

The act contains eight “Data Protection Principles”. These specify that personal data must be:

1. Processed fairly and lawfully.

2. Obtained for specified and lawful purposes.

3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive.

4. Accurate and up to date.

5. Not kept any longer than necessary.

6. Processed in accordance with the “data subject’s” (the individual’s) rights.

7. Securely kept.

8. Not transferred to any other country without adequate protection in situ.

There are a lot of legal and ethical considerations that photographer's have to consider throughout their careers to produce their photography. There are a lot of laws that a photographer has to be aware of and may easily come into conflict with if not properly versed with up to date laws that apply to a photographer
Listed below are the subjects that may be of concern and may affect how a photographer goes about his or hers everyday work

Law of trespass

This has to be taken into consideration. Photographer's have to be careful they remain on public land and public places in pursuit of their images,it's very easy to stray onto private land and private property which could result in prosecution
Shopping centres for example can be considered as private places and the owners have the right to expel a photographer taking images on their properties

Shown below is an extract from a website I have researched on the Internet which I find is a really good guide for a photographer which outlines all the major laws and photographers rights

http://www.how2fundraise.org/OneStopCMS/Core/CrawlerResourceServer.aspx?resource=D9C09F0D-16DB-4F20-92DA-CA8B1FE90462&mode=link&guid=41c98c36a1c54e1283d1b27391e36803


Obsenity law

Law established by the Obscene Publications Act of 1959 prohibiting the publishing of any material that tends to deprave or corrupt. In Britain, obscene material can be for example pornographic or violent, or can encourage drug taking.There is a defence in support of the public good if the defendant can produce expert evidence to show that publication was in the interest of, for example, art, science, or literature.

Copyright

A copyright basically allows the author of a photograph (the person who took it) control over how that picture is copied, transmitted and reproduced. Copyright issues have become more commonplace since the birth of both digital cameras and the internet because people now have far more freedom and flexibility when they share images, and it is all too easy to copy or post an image that you do not own

People may be unaware of copyright laws on the internet. When they reproduce an image in digital form and copy it many times without consent of the person who took the original image they are actually breaking this law

Copyright law is there to protect your images and prevent you taking credit for other peoples work.


Health and safety at work act
All workers have a right to work in places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Health and safety is about stopping you getting hurt at work or becoming ill caused by your working environment. Your employer is responsible for health and safety, but the employee is also resposible must follow giudelines set out by this act

The main piece of legislation is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA). All work places are covered by this legislation which says that an employer must do everything reasonably practicable to provide a safe and healthy workplace with adequate welfare facilities. HSWA has been supported and extended by various sets of regulations, codes of practice and guidance, all of which deal with various aspects of health and safety. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the government body which decides upon and implements health and safety policy.

Please see a more detailed Health and safety document I have compiled on blog "Health and Safety Considerations" (Unit 205)

Photography of children or Minors

IIt is important to note that there is no law against photographing children. You are perfectly within your rights to take a photograph of a child. Ridiculous stories are common of parents being told to put their cameras away at dance competitions or swimming pools.

There are some common sense guidelines that you should keep in the forefront of your mind when photographing children. The first of these is that, where possible, you should always seek approval from a parent or guardian before you begin shooting. This is particularly important if you are doing street photography. Photographing children in public places can be controversial and is also a sensitive issue,permission should be granted first and with this in mind no real problems are encountered

If in any doubt, I would suggest when taking photo's of minor's always make sure that the parents are present when the photography takes place. I would then show all images to the parents and ask for their approval before the images are processed or printed


Contract Law

A contract intends to formalize an agreement between two or more parties, in relation to a particular subject. Contracts can cover an extremely broad range of matters, including the sale of goods,property,services etc

In order to be valid, the parties to a contract must exchange something of value. In the case of the sale of the photographs, the buyer receives something of value in the form of the photographs and the photographers services, and the seller receives money for these services and the images

There must be an offer and this must be accepted to make an agreement. While this would in the first instance appear to be self explanatory, it is important to distinguish between what the law says amounts to a valid offer. An offer can be made orally, in writing or by way of conduct.

Contract: the elements of a contract

The first step in a contract question is always to make sure that a contract actually exists. There are certain elements that must be present for a legally binding contract to be in place.

Shown below are the two most common elements of a contract

• An offer: an expression of willingness to contract on a specific set of terms, made by the offeror with the intention that, if the offer is accepted, he or she will be bound by a contract.

• Acceptance: an expression of absolute and unconditional agreement to all the terms set out in the offer. It can be oral or in writing. The acceptance must exactly mirror the original offer made.

Disability Discrimination

Consideration must be given to people with disabilities so we all have the same equal opportunities. The photographer may need to go to extreme lengths to provide resources and to accommodate people with disabilities but equal opportunities must be of paramount importance

The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person by refusing to provide any service which it provides to other members of the public

Extra provision may be needed to enable a disabled person to fulfill their every day lives and this may come at quite some considerable cost

It may be necessary to have another person available to help with people with disabilities. They may need to be lifted,guided or helped in a variety of situations to carry out their everyday duties that an able person may take for granted

A studio may need to be kitted out to meet the requirements of a disabled person and a variety of different aids may need to be put in place to accommodate this. Wider doors,lower sinks,ramps and larger toilets are all a major consideration to provide proper equal services for everybody

Similar considerations have to be taken into account when shooting on location or outdoors which maybe an even harder challenge for the photographer to complete if additional resources are needed to accommodate someone with a disability

Handling Confidential Information

Care should be taken when handling other peoples information. This information is very personal and confidential including banking details etc.. The photographer needs to protect this data and care must be taken if this data is stored on pc's etc.. There are laws governing the storage of personal data, this is called "the data protection act" The DPA was first composed in 1984 and was updated in 1998.Shown below are the basic principles of this law

The Eight Data Protection Act Principles

The act contains eight “Data Protection Principles”. These specify that personal data must be:

1. Processed fairly and lawfully.

2. Obtained for specified and lawful purposes.

3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive.

4. Accurate and up to date.

5. Not kept any longer than necessary.

6. Processed in accordance with the “data subject’s” (the individual’s) rights.

7. Securely kept.

8. Not transferred to any other country without adequate protection in situ.

Health and Safety Considerations

Health and Safety Considerations in photography

The 1974 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act needs to be referred too when using phtographic eqipment internally and externally. Employees and public must take reasonable care. Risk assessments should be made for all activities, including fire precautions, using display equipment, manual handling and control of substances/chemicals COSHH etc, either in the studio or out on location

Internal, in the studio etc 


There are a certain amount of health and safety considerations to take in to account when using a photographic studio or using photographic equipment. Most of the work will take place in a darkened room so there are a number of dangers lurking for the unsuspecting photographer

1-Trip Hazards

here are various trip hazards in and around the studio,these include:

2-Tripods and lighting stands:

These are very easy to trip over and which cannot be seen easily in a darkened room. Some have long booms with large counter weights on their ends. Be careful not to bang you heads and be weary of low positioned lighting heads

3-Trailing power cables, leads and extension blocks: Again easy to trip over and carrying very high voltages.Tape cables to the floor where possible with warning or hazard tape

4-High voltage Flash and lighting heads: These units which produce the lighting in the studio can become extremely hot due to there high power outputs. The side casings of these units can become very hot, handle them with care. Do not hang or drape coats, shirts etc over lighting/flash heads. This could overheat the lighting and produce a fire risk

5-Strobe lighting and flash: Be sure to warn people accompanying you into the studio that there may be a risk that the flashing lighting in the studio may trigger of epileptic fits

6-Water and liquids: Be extremely careful if using liquids and water within a photographic studio. Liquids and high voltage electricity don't mix. Always use dry hands when using any electrical equipment within the studio

7-Fire extinguishers: Make sure you know the location of the fire extinguishers within the room. Make sue you know the right kind of extinguisher to use on a fire. There are different extinguishers for different kinds of fires

Shown below are the different types of fire extinguisher, we would use the dry powder extinguisher in our studio here at college as this is the correct extinguisher to put out an electrical fire. Using the wrong extinguisher on an electrical fire could result in an electric shock

C

O2 fire extinguishers (carbon dioxide) are the only fire extinguisher recommended for fires involving electrical equipment. CO2 is safe to use on and around electrical equipment, as the gas itself is non-conductive, and once used, there is no sticky foam or messy powder left behind. They are also effective on Class B fires (flammable liquids).

Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are painted bright red with a black panel above the operating instructions. They have a distinctive horn-shaped nozzle at the side on the smaller models with 5kgs and above having a hose and horn.

8-Telephones: Make sure you have acess to a telephone or mobile phone while using the studio. Sometimes the studio door may be locked or restricted for people entering the studio while a shoot is taking place. If an accident was to accur the use of a telephone is essential. Always notify people that you are using the studio

The links below show some basic health and safety procedures for studio photography:

http://www.ehow.com/video_2371507_photography-studio-equipment-studio-safety.html

(Externally) out and about on location etc

A lot of my location photography is taken outdoors and I normally consider all of the health and safety implications which are highlighted below

1-  Maintaining all equipment in good working order ready for use

2-  Dependent on what you are shooting and what location,use adequate safety clothing such as high visibility vests, hard hats, and safety boots to suit your location

Beware of slippery surfaces and wet floors on location. Wear the correct footware for the job in hand

3-  Being aware of the surroundings on location, careful consideration must be given to positioning of any lighting stands,lighting heads,trailing leads or other equipment that may be a danger to the public

4-  Tape down leads to avoid trip hazards

5-  Use stickers on lighting units and other dangerous equipment warning the general public of the dangers. Some examples would be.....

"Warning!! Do not touch!  Extremely hot surfaces".   

"Warning!! Do not touch! Danger off electric shock"

6-  Warn the general public there are flashing lights in the vacinity whch could pre warn people who suffer from epelepsy etc

In the darkroom

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

Photographers have to be aware of the environmental and health issues in Photography. Not so much now but many of the chemicals that are/were used in Photography can be and are damaging to your health. Chemicals have to be respected and the appropriate safety items or clothing etc should be worn when using these items

Ensure darkroom areas are adequately ventilated: there is no hard and fast rule as the required ventilation depends on the duration and type of work, but an extraction fan mounted on an external wall to provide 10 - 15 changes of air per hour will normally produce a safe working environment.

Chemicals need to be disposed of in the correct way set out by government health and safety guidlines


Below is a link to the governments heath and safty website guidlines on COSHH

http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry.htm