# Model & Fashion Photography



## ganafbbyx (Feb 3, 2012)

Ive been taking pictures for bout a year now. I want to start taking pictures for my friends scarf line. So basically its fashion& modeling. 
I have a Canon Rebel T3
Kit lens. 
70mm-300mm sigma lens
Should I get a 50mm 1.8
I just dnt know what to get for these pictures. Its mostly face shots. 
Idk. Someone give me advice.


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## ganafbbyx (Feb 3, 2012)

ganafbbyx said:
			
		

> Ive been taking pictures for bout a year now. I want to start taking pictures for my friends scarf line. So basically its fashion& modeling.
> I have a Canon Rebel T3
> Kit lens.
> 70mm-300mm sigma lens
> ...


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## Village Idiot (Feb 3, 2012)

Lights. You can do more with a single flash and an entry level camera with kit lens that you can with a top of the line body and pro line lens, imho. At least for the type of photography you want to do.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Feb 3, 2012)

^^^^  I agree and if its serious pro pics for marketing you might want a good  setting,lighting/boom/reflectors/space/possibly wind machine and  knowledge to use the stuff, model with makeup and hair artist, etc etc  that will produce the results worthy of "public advertising". Just sayn'.  Studio time can be had on the cheap and come equipped ready for the shoot.

Of course if its a FB shoot to hit "Like" on her page....    ignore all of the above =)


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## Alpha (Feb 3, 2012)

Your 70-300 will be fine for these shots. What you really need is lights. Second to that I would say makeup and hair. If your "models" are doing their own makeup tell them they MUST wear wet foundation and not mineral powder. In my experience, powder is extremely hard to get photo shoot quality unless it's done by a pro (though I hear it's great for daily use).


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## ganafbbyx (Feb 5, 2012)

Thanks so much guys! And I do makeup& hair so that will be fine! Gotta go shopping for lighting! .


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## chuasam (Feb 16, 2012)

Forget that advice, find a GOOD new Makeup Artist willing to either work for a kit fee to develop her portfolio or get your friend to cough up for a MUA. A fan or wind machine is always fun.
Decent lights and modifiers for a proper fashion shoot will run  you in the $2,000 bracket. If you're willing to shoot outdoors, you might be able to make do with the sun and the flash as a fill. 

It boils down to style. The 50 f/1.8 is much better than the 70-300 for this shoot. Problem with the  70-300 is you're gonna need a HUGE studio if you want more than a headshot.

Yes you do makeup but it'll split your attention if you have to handle both makeup and photography. Especially when you're new, you'd want a second set of eyes to check the makeup continuously. 

Do you plan to shoot in a catalogue/commercial style or do you want something more editorial looking?


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## Village Idiot (Feb 16, 2012)

chuasam said:


> Forget that advice, find a GOOD new Makeup Artist willing to either work for a kit fee to develop her portfolio or get your friend to cough up for a MUA. A fan or wind machine is always fun.
> Decent lights and modifiers for a proper fashion shoot will run  you in the $2,000 bracket. If you're willing to shoot outdoors, you might be able to make do with the sun and the flash as a fill.
> 
> It boils down to style. The 50 f/1.8 is much better than the 70-300 for this shoot. Problem with the  70-300 is you're gonna need a HUGE studio if you want more than a headshot.
> ...



I can put together a lighting kit for 1/4 of the price you suggest.


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## chuasam (Feb 19, 2012)

Village Idiot said:


> I can put together a lighting kit for 1/4 of the price you suggest.


Yes but will it be any good 10 years from now? Will you be able to still use the same modifiers many years down the road? Will you have a constant colour temperature throughout all your lighting system? When you are travelling, will you be able to rent similar equipment for a shoot? Are you able to rent light modifiers and other packs that will match your existing light modifiers?


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## tirediron (Feb 19, 2012)

chuasam said:


> Village Idiot said:
> 
> 
> > I can put together a lighting kit for 1/4 of the price you suggest.
> ...


Will it be any good ten weeks from now?  If you're shooting commercial work, you should expect to pay an absolute MINIMUM of $500/head for a decent system (NOTE:  "Decent" not "GOOD").  $1000/head is  a pretty reasonable price for top-end strobes. Lighting AIN'T cheap!


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## chuasam (Feb 19, 2012)

I'm too poor to afford anything but the best. I tried using AlienBees in my early days. Decent inexpensive lighting but the modifiers are a joke - flimsy and hard to assemble. They're good for the Amateurs who don't need it to fire continuously for 8 hours a day. Problem with starting with an AB system is that if you go pro, you can't really find the modifiers so easily.

My vote for a budget set is either Elinchrom DLite series (and then you can upgrade to the pro series and keep the modifiers). If you have a budget to keep, get a used Speedotron Black series (avoid the Brown). Dynalite is also very good, inexpensive, very portable and compact. I've used Broncolor is a previous job. Amazingly heavy duty and breathtaking expensive. Like the price of a brand new compact car expensive. I myself use Profoto, my deciding factor is that the school where I studied photography uses it and I really like their modifiers.


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## Village Idiot (Feb 21, 2012)

chuasam said:


> Village Idiot said:
> 
> 
> > I can put together a lighting kit for 1/4 of the price you suggest.
> ...



If you want to talk about expensive modifiers, absolute constant color temps, rental, etc... I can then argue that $2,000 won't even be enough to purchase one pack. You'd have to spend about $8,000-$10,000 to get anything to fit your bill.

For someone just getting into lighting, you can buy 3 decent monolights for about $100 each. For the OP, they never mentioned specific criteria but most people come on to TPF looking for entry level equipment and lower budgets.



tirediron said:


> chuasam said:
> 
> 
> > Village Idiot said:
> ...



BS. Speedos. They're used everywhere, super available at rental houses, and a _new_ blackline head is about $350. Profoto and Broncolor may fetch those prices, but there's plenty out there that won't cost you an arm and a leg and still stack up to the "best".

Edit: And if you've ever used a modifier on a light, you should already know that you can purchase different speed rings for mods to get them to work on whatever, so your question about compatible mounting systems is moot. I'm using the same beauty dish I've used on Alien Bees on Speedo Black Line heads. I have an Elinchrom Deep Octa on the same heads. That same beauty dish can be used with speed lights.


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## ganafbbyx (Feb 21, 2012)

chuasam said:
			
		

> Forget that advice, find a GOOD new Makeup Artist willing to either work for a kit fee to develop her portfolio or get your friend to cough up for a MUA. A fan or wind machine is always fun.
> Decent lights and modifiers for a proper fashion shoot will run  you in the $2,000 bracket. If you're willing to shoot outdoors, you might be able to make do with the sun and the flash as a fill.
> 
> It boils down to style. The 50 f/1.8 is much better than the 70-300 for this shoot. Problem with the  70-300 is you're gonna need a HUGE studio if you want more than a headshot.
> ...



Hi. Well I want a catalogue style. The person that makes the scarfs does makeup as well so il just have her do the makeup. Thanks for that tip. I think im going to start outside dont have the money for lighting at the moment. . I am going to purchase the prime lens! Thanks!


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## chuasam (Feb 21, 2012)

Whatever you do, don't cheap out and get the crappy stuff. Learn to work around it and then buy the good stuff when you can.
a 50/1.8 is a great lens for what you are doing.

Build a large 6'x4' scrim out of piping and ripstop nylon. Great thing to use if it is a glaringly sunny day.


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