Quick portraits on location and to show how easy it is we have a cute labradoodle

March 8, 2024/in blog, Visions and technique/by Frank Doorhof

Quick Portraits on location

Quick portraits on location are always a challenge. You have to think fast, find a location, set up your lighting and often only have a few minutes with your client. Today we are going to take a look at how we set up a location session and what I use.

Make it easier on yourself

There is always a way to make it harder, but let us focus on the things that can make everything go as smoothly as possible. The first thing is, of course, preparation.

I love to mess around with lighting in the studio but often also have more than enough time. On location, I often have to set up and hit the ground running. This is why we talk with our clients about what they want for most on-location sessions. This means that when I arrive on location I already know where to place my lights, do a quick light meter check, and can start immediately.

Now you might wonder… “Didn’t you forget something?”
Yeah, I know what you think.

The background for a quick portraits on location

Of course, when we talk to our client before the shoot we also show different kinds of backdrops so the client can choose which one fits their look and brand. Because I’m using strobes I know that ambient light in most cases won’t cause any problems. However, don’t ever forget to take a ColorChecker image during the shoot. On location, you can have the most weird situations that can mess up your color that at first, you won’t notice because you’re using flash.

Now in the past, I’ve used solutions that worked pretty well but were always just a bit too short, narrow, or too large so they didn’t fit in my car forcing me to take the van (I prefer to drive electric of course :D)

Recently ClickBackdrops released the Clicki backdrop system and it’s become my favourite backdrop for quick on-location shoots. It’s wide enough to fit one person for wide (landscape-style) portraits. And with a little bit of AI in Photoshop I can easily shoot 3/4 shots in landscape mode because the subject doesn’t overlap anywhere. Somehow I prefer to shoot in landscape orientation which makes the width vital for me.

The Clicki fits with ease in my car (Hyundai Ioniq EV) and only needs a stand to be assembled on location in under a minute.
Of course, I also need to bring strobes.

Strobes

When we talk about speed I also have to be able to move fast and setup fast. So bringing heavy strobes or battery packs is out of the question.
For location work, I’m using the Geekoto GT200 and GT250

The main advantage is that I can easily adjust the angle of the strobes via the pistol grip. So I can use almost any studio stand, which not only saves space but also makes setting up much easier and faster. The Geekoto also supports both ETTL and HSS. Combined with a 200/250W power output and 450-500 shots per battery makes it a very versatile setup that can easily suppress sunlight outside. And you can use the thicker more saturated colorgels for some really gorgeous color effects.

And the final piece of the puzzle…

What Light shapers to use for a quick portrait on location

Of course, I’m not using the strobes bare.
Although that can be a nice effect, it’s often not what the client wants to see.
So we need something to modify the light.

If it needs to be compact I love the Rogue products. Especially the new magnetic system is awesome for creative use on location (and in the studio) and of course the “famous” Frank Doorhof Flashbender :D. But for this setup, I’m using the Geekoto 26″ softbox. The main advantage of this system is that it just folds up very small but it also has a detachable speedring which makes it super easy to carry with you.

Enough talk, let’s take a look at the setup.

As you can see we just placed the Clicki behind the table. So the dog didn’t have to move and the whole setup was done in seconds (everything was set up, I just had to slide it there). Because we mark the floor when doing the meter readings, it’s a setup that makes it possible to almost immediately start shooting and thanks to the size of the Clicki you can also shoot from a few different angles.

So let’s see the results. It’s never perfect with these kind of one-minute sessions but the owner loved them. And for the trimmer, it’s just an extra service or something they can charge for.

So now you know what I use for quick portraits on location. If you have questions, find me on social media and let me know.

see the introduction of the Clicki Backdrop on Photodays in Brussel (2023)

Our new Clicki Background in action

October 27, 2023/in blog/by Frank Doorhof

Working on location or in a small studio brings all kind of challenges, let us solve at least one of them.
The background.

As you know I use clickbackdrops in our studio and on location.
But sometimes you need something smaller, easier to transport and super fast to setup.
Enter the Clicki.
Available in vinyl and profabric and a huge selection of prints (if you can’t find your favourite print let us know, we are still adding prints).

And for a new background you need a proper introduction right?
This is probably not it…

More info at clickbackdrops.nl
or clickbackdrops.co.uk

Results from one workshop….. probably more than you think

October 3, 2023/in blog, Visions and technique/by Frank Doorhof

Results from one workshop

We get a lot of questions about what I teach during workshops, but mostly about what you can expect for results. So I thought it would be fun to post all the images I retouched from ONE workshop. Let me show you the results of this workshop.

Before we start

Now to make one thing clear before we start. Some people call shooting images of a model a workshop. I don’t… I strongly feel a workshop should be an intense learning experience with loads of information, tips, questions answered, etc. So in every set, I try to add some things I know people struggle with.

During the workshops, I always try to do at least 3 to 4 totally different sets with their own problems and solutions 😀

The used products are linked to our webshop. If you have any questions, let me know. I am happy to answer them.

In today’s blog post the results from one workshop with our model Claudia.

For the first set, we used a box to pose our model in/on. The main idea was to get interesting effects in the background and how you can manipulate these.
Of course, the added element of the box triggers creativity.

I’m using a Geekoto GT400 with the small Geekoto softbox as the main light.
In the back, I’m using a Geekoto GT250 with the Rogue Magnetic Snoot. The main thing I love about this snoot is that you can use it not only in 4 different configurations but also can be used with or without a diffusion panel (this is without) which gives it a multitude of different looks. It’s one of my (many) favorite modifiers.

Now do remember these are WORKSHOP shots, so I shoot them while teaching, meaning they are okay, but far from perfect.

Set 1.

And of course, there are always more ways to shoot something than just one 😀

Motion

For the next set, it was all about styling colors and adding motion to a shot. To make sure you freeze motion it’s important to know on which setting your strobe has the fastest T01 value. I’m using a Sekonic 858 meter for this, which besides the exposure, also meters the flash duration.

And of course, coaching the model and getting the right moment is vital.

As a backdrop we used the the Rembrandt Brown vinyl 300x244cm

And of course, I couldn’t resist throwing in some different angles for a portrait.
It’s always fun to see the responses when I start shooting from “weird” angles and the attendees see the images coming in.

Clicki

For the next set, we are using the brand-new Clicki system from ClickBackdrops. This is a great solution for photographers shooting on location who are not willing to make any sacrifice in background quality.

I’m using a pro fabric version here. But vinyl is also an option (same price)
It’s great for portraits and 3/4 body. But I thought it would also be fun to use the backgrounds hanging in the back as a backdrop. So we placed the Clicki in between two other backgrounds, to create some more depth.

I mainly focussed on portraits and angles. Here are the results, and remember; this is still from one workshop.

What gear did I use to get these results?

For these images I’m using a Geekoto GT250 with my all-time favorite modifier, the Frank Doorhof Rogue FlashBender.
And of course, when it carries my name it should be my favorite right?
Yes and no.
The main reason I love the FlashBender so much is that it’s very easy to use a bounce card. You make background effects by bending the FlashBender. You can fold it as a snoot. And that is awesome during events to really make a couple or subject stand out, even if the available lighting is poor ( like on some weddings during the dance). Or use it as a small softbox…. but mostly I use it as you can see here, with the striplight attachment and grid.

The cool thing…. when you buy the Frank Doorhof FlashBender everything is in the box 😀

The next results

For the next set, we decided to play with “light in light” where we focused the light in the model. With for example a snoot or in this case a Fresnel, opening up the shadows with a fill-in flash, often with a colored gel. The main light is the Nanlite Fresnel on a Geekoto GT400. and the Rogue magnetic system on a Geekoto GT250 as a fill-in flash. I’m using a blue gel to very slightly open up the shadows.

Of course, we also shot some portraits.

But there are more results

After these images, I thought it would be cool to throw in a microphone as a prop. And explain some very powerful techniques where I combine feathering with “fake” reflections by angling the light just correctly around the model. This is a very powerful technique to create stunning almost silhouette-like shots.

In this setup, I’m still using the Nanlite Fresnel on a Geekoto GT400. But the blue gel was now moved to the opposite side. Depending on the effect I wanted (the angle I’m shooting from) we just angled the strobe aiming it toward the camera. Love the results from this technique. When walking around your model you get a lot of different looks.

By adding the blue gel into the frame the total look and feel of the shots change.

Frank Doorhof Workshops

If you like these results and are looking for a workshop that’s totally different from just shooting images (a shooting zoo), make sure to check out fotografie-workshops.nl Here you can find information about the Dutch workshops (and location workshops abroad). Most workshops in our studio are in Dutch, but if you let us know in advance we can switch to English, most Dutch people speak and/or understand English.

1:1 workshops are always possible

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