about this image
This jazz guitarist came to me specifically because he wanted promo images with a high "wow" factor, so right off the bat I knew we'd probably be shooting for a composite. I actually went out and bought some new lighting gear specifically for this shoot because I wanted to be able to match all the subtle nuances of the selected background. Fortunately, the final image packed a lot of "wow" and made him appear larger-than-life, so he was definitely pleased.
strobist info
Three Elinchrom Ranger Quadras were used to light this image; two placed in gridded 42x18 stripboxes on either side of the subject and slightly behind for rim, and one in a 22" beauty dish boomed overhead as key. The rim lights were set to approximately two stops hotter than the key.
[thrive_leads id='2363']tools & gear used
As you can see above, there's lots of Photoshop trickery going on in this image. Once my subject was placed on the new background, I artificially enhanced the lights on the buildings to match the studio lighting as well as add a little extra drama. I also replaced the original sky so that a full moon was prominently featured (the client's album was entitled "Luna Loca", or "Crazy Moon" in Spanish). Everything was finished up in Topaz Adjust.
- Canon 5D Mark III
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens
- Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Studio Strobes
- Elinchrom 22" Beauty Dish w/ Grid
- Westcott 42" x 18" Strip Softboxes
- Westcott 40-Degree Egg Crate Grid for 42" x 18" Strip Softboxes
- Avenger Light Stands
- Avenger Boom Arm with Counterweight
- Background image: Fotolia