Filling in The Blanks with Accent Lights - Lighting a Classic Location

The Corvette Cafe is a classic setting with a nostalgic look and feel to it. When given an opportunity for a model shoot in such a location figuring out how to light it is vital to obtaining the desired results. When combined with a time limit of 30 minutes to complete the shoot, well one must work quickly and effectively to be able to identify those key areas that need a bit more light, a sort of filling in the blanks approach.

The key to good accent lighting is to make it appear natural. What you do not want is to make your lighting look like a bunch of harsh flash cubes have gone off. So, let's take a look at how the lighting on this photograph was setup.

First of all the natural light streaming into and across the room looked pretty good to the eye, but taking a quick photo using the natural ambient light revealed just how dark it really was, especially back in the corners and behind the counter. Way too many shadows and bright spots scattered here and there that made a natural light photo look flat and empty. The room required some help to lift the light where it look natural and exciting. To make it work, I had to strategically place 4 speedlights around the room to provide colorful accents.

The main light was fitted to a 20 x 30 softbox and was situated so it would cast a natural looking light across the front of the model. I set the speedlight to a wide area setting and powered it up to around 1/2 power. This helped to enhance the natural light filtering in from the large windows by the entrance and gave a look to the room where it appeared a strong outside source of light was filtering through.

The main counter possessed a wonderful shiny brushed chrome patina which included the bar stool chairs. There was also a good splattering of red painted walls and the bar stool padding was also colored red which added an exciting vintage look to  the scene. In the far back corner was a recessed booth with a single soft incandescent light hanging from the ceiling. This area proved to be rather dark, so I added a speedlight angled upward to fill in that dark area. A reddish gel was added to provide a splash of color in the background and to help tie in with the red seats and painted walls and to provide a bit of color vibration.

Cafe Shoot Lighting Layout

In order to highlight the chrome and shiny surface of the counter I placed another speedlight to the right and attached a blue gel which cast a wonderfully cheerful bluish tint across the room. This bluish tint was caught and reflected by the chrome and also complimented the models dress which caught a hint of blue across the back edge providing a subtle separation from the background. Her white lacy hat also caught some of that blue light which helped it to contrast and stand out as an interesting compositional element.

The room seemd to vibrate more with the hint of blue light as compared with a more normal white daylight. A fourth ungelled light was placed well off camera to the right and simply angled straight up to fire against the ceiling and add a bit more ambient light across the room. All of these accent lights were powered down to between 1/16th and 1/4 power to provide just a enough light to do the job. Some experimentation was required to find the right combination for each light.

The exciting checkered flag floor added a wonderful balance to the scene and reflected bits and pieces of all the lighting. The area behind the counter remained a bit dark, but all the shiny surfaces caught and reflected enough of the extra light to fill it in enough to allow it to become more visable.

Compositionally, the angle of the shot was critical and the high angle used was simply a spur of the moment attempt to try a different look...to take the image farther down the compositional path. The checkerboard floor and wide angle lens skewed the look just enough to make it appear like leading lines directing the eye into and across the image. In reality, the checkerboard floor is what made the shot, yet it does so naturally and without overpowering the image. It simply looks like it belongs which is what it should do.

So, lighting a scene like this one requires the ability to see the corners, recognize the potential of what is there, and then enhance the natural flavor just enough to give the composition a powerful yet subtle appearance by filling in the blanks with effective accent lights.

The Quick Shoot - When "Classic" Was Lived (Part 2)

The Corvette Cafe at the National Corvette Museum retains a nostalgic flavor which returns one to the glory days of the 50's diner experience. When the opportunity presented itself to do a model shoot inside this iconic looking location, there was nothing else I could do but accept.

As part two of the Quick Shoot post lets take a look at how we pulled off an exciting throw back photo shoot staged inside this classic looking venue.

One of the prevailing visual elements inside the diner is all the chrome that sparkles like crystal when light falls across the fixtures. As part of the shoot, I wanted to capture this look, but I also wanted to take advantage of the reflective properties one can find inside the cafe. I decided to use 4 lights. One main light with a 20 x 30 softbox used mostly as fill light on our model, again the lovely Katie. I used two gelled lights, one with a red filter and one with a blue filter. These gelled lights were primarily used as background lights to bring interest and color to the dark corner areas. The blue light provided a crisp clean look and was used in some of the shots to enhance the overall contrast against the red background light and to also create some nice reflections off the chrome fixtures. I used a fourth light simply set way in the back and pointed straight up as a bounce light against the lighter color of the ceiling. This provided a brighter ambient light to the overall image.

Again we only had 30 minutes to complete our shoot so we had to work fast. The first setup was to use one of the corner free standing tables and two high chairs. The blue gelled light was placed outside just off the corner of the cafe and pointed through a window so its light would fall across the wall. The red gelled light was placed in the opposite position inside and pointed to illuminate the other side of the wall. My main light with the softbox was positioned out in front at a slight angle and used to fill in the light on our model. The forth light simply bounced straight up from behind. A few adjustments here and there to get the gelled lights to fill in correctly and we made a good number of simple but interesting shots from this corner.

Next we stepped into one of the isles and took advantage of the outside ambient light. We still required a main light as a fill light, but we managed a few 50's biker girl shots. I loved the way the black and white checkered floor created a classic look in these shots. The Black and White version of the images worked great with this setup.

About midway through our shoot we moved over to the counter where a row of chrome high chairs nudged against the shiny front surface of the counter. The background appeared a bit dark so I moved the red gelled light over to the far corner and angled it upward about 45 degrees to create a unique red fill light in a dark area. The blue gelled light was pointed toward the model from the back of the room. This effectively filled the room with a cheerful neon blue cast. The main light with the softbox was placed about 10 feet or so to one side and pointed at Katie and the fourth ambient light simply bounced straight up from a far corner again to provide a little exptra ambient light.

As always, some experimentation was required to get the proper adjustment levels on each light some no one light overwhelmed the composition. The key to good lighting is to make it look natural. These photos turned out rather exciting with the vibration of blue and red colors contrasting with each other, yet it look natural as though a series of neon signs were glowing in the background. We kept the Biker look for a few shots and then had Katie change into her light blue flower dress. When combined with the white lacy hat, her wonderful look was classic 50's. These turned out to be some of the best shots of the day.

Again I tried eye level, mid-level, and ground level shots along with standing on a chair to obtain a high vantage point to look down. What I wanted to capture was a wide-angle skewed look using the checkered floor as a vanishing point that lead toward to main subject.

Before we knew it, our 30 minutes was over and we had to start breaking it down so the good folks who work at the cafe could go home. We had a great time in the short amount of time we were given and much thanks goes to the NCM staff and the Corvette Cafe staff for allowing us to do this shoot. Thanks also to Bill for inspiring the idea and to Katie our model for being a such a good sport. Her genuine and snappy smile really enhanced the finished photos.

The Quick Shoot process I discovered is a great way to obtain spontaneous fresh looks with a portrait model. Being placed into this kind of scenario forces one to work rapidly to set up simple compositions that will retain a nostalgic feel just as though one had simply stepped back in time and captured someone as they might have been.

The Quick Shoot - When "Classic" Was Lived (Part 1)

Growing up in the 1950's and 60's created visual snapshots of life adventures from nostalgic events, places, and iconic moments where even today they retain a special place within our memories. Seems like today many photographers are shifting their focus more and more to reproduce images reflective of those years as well as the 1930's and 40's. All for good reason; they were a time when the term Classic was lived.

For the past year and a half or so I've been fortunate to work part time at the National Corvette Museum (NCM), so I am surrounded by restored reminders from those bygone days. One section of the museum is dedicated to Nostalgia where displays are set in period times with the classic cars of those days being the emphasis of the exhibit, and a throw back attempt to recapture those distantly familiar hot rod or car scenes those of us who lived during those times so fondly remember. Also, on the south end of the museum is the Corvette Cafe where one can return to the simplistic days of the old style diner with chrome counters and bold colors to order a good hamburger. It retains the sights and sounds and aromas that at once take us back to those good old vintage days.

When a photographer friend of mine inquired about the possible use of the cafe as a setting for a 1950's model shoot, I jumped at the opportunity to obtain permission to do so. Permission was granted but with some restrictions; we'd have about 30 minutes to do the shoot. That alone makes it difficult as you really do not have much time to experiment, so you gotta know ahead of time what you want to accomplish...thus the idea of the Quick Shoot comes into play.

Actually what happened is that we were granted permission to do two shoots on two separate days; one in

the cafe and one in the Nostalgia section of the NCM. The first shoot was to be in the Nostalgia section during after hours and again we would have about 30 minutes to complete the shoot. A few days before I took a few test shots to get an idea of the angles and how the ambient light worked. This helped to formulate how to position the model well before hand so we could concentrate on shooting and less on setting up the shot.

Our model, the lovely Katie, arrived about 25 minutes before the museum closed and we quickly moved to the Nostalgia section where several classic 1950's era Corvettes were on display in front of a Toy Store and barber shop and in another section, a vintage Mobil Gas station. Lights were set, I used three for the toy store / barber shop shoot and 4 for the Mobil Gas Station shoot.

At the Toy Store / Barber Shop location, one light was set as a backlight and pointed toward the barber shop from the side to provide some extra light on a dark area. Another light was set toward the back in a dark area and pointed toward the model. On it was placed a red gel to provide a splash of color and hint of outline. This effect gave the shot that evening look being set aglow by neon lights. The main light was set in front with a 20 x 30 softbox. I set the red gel backlight on medium power.  My main light with a soft box was set at about 1/2 power, and the third background fill light was set to near full power as it was to broadcast its light across a broad area.

I wanted the shoot to resemble a cross between a PinUp shoot and a Nostalgic shoot with the model performing simple pinup like poses along with the everyday things a 50's era girl might do.

The problem was the angles because there was only a narrow path through which to frame and shoot. I tried eye level, mid level, and ground level looks. I also repositioned the lights to obtain the maximum effect from the gelled backlight. I wanted the lighting to become a subtle part of the story where key accents were used to emphasize the situation. With only 30 minutes or so to shoot, we had to work fast and take chances.

The Mobil Gas Station setting provided a wider array of lighting challenges because not only did I have to light the model, I also needed to light the garage area, the Mobil Pegasus sign, and also provide some red gel light to enhance that night time neon sign look.

Over all in spite of having to work quickly, the effect turned out quite well I believe. Next up will be the Classic 50's Diner shoot...looking forward to it.