The Aims of this Photoshoot
I did this photoshoot with Yollanda Musa, a truly excellent model with whom I have worked on numerous occasions. Yollanda is very sporty and she arranged this photoshoot with Woking Leisure Centre. I am very grateful to Yollanda for arranging the shoot, and to Woking Leisure Centre for giving us permission to use their basketball court.
We had three aims;
- To capture some dramatically lit portraits with a basketball theme
- To capture a taste of basketball action using composites (ie multiple people or balls in the same image)
- To capture a sense of the dynamic movements in basketball
1. Dramatically lit portraits with a basketball theme
Beauty photography is one of my favourite genres. However today our principle goal was not so much “beauty” as “basketball”. So I restrained myself from doing any retouching on any of Yollanda’s photos. She appears here just as she does in the flesh. Albeit with dramatic and/or flattering lighting.
2. Dramatic basketball action
I wanted to capture some action shots. Especially using composites to create “stories”. I discovered I needed a bit of practice! Time after time Yollanda put the ball through the net, and I stopped taking photos at that exact moment! It was a bit of a surprise, but I had to force myself to keep shooting after the ball entered the hoop. Strange but true, and a bit mystifying to me. I think my brain registered “success” so I stopped taking shots at that moment! Silly Ian.
3. Capturing dynamic movement in basketball
Is it possible to capture a moving target in a still image, and still retain something of the movement? That is an interesting question. I used a technique often used in dance photography. It is called “rear curtain sync”, and it means the flash fires just before the camera shutter closes (typically the flash fires shortly after the shutter opens). When combined with a slow shutter speed, and if you get the exposure correct, movement is frozen at the end of the exposure.
Photography and lighting
A photographer needs some serious kit for a photoshoot like this. Apart from the usual, you need high powered studio flash with a high repeat rate. Preferably battery powered so you don’t need cables all over the place (and if the shoot is outdoors away from a mains electricity source, then battery power is essential). The high repeat rate is necessary to capture several images a short time apart. As for example the shots of Yollanda putting the ball through the hoop.
If people are interested it might be possible to arrange to do shoots like this for other people.
