# Retro Pin Up Photography



## plp85 (Jul 10, 2011)

Hi I'm an amateur photographer, relatively new to the art (and these forums)...

Recently a friend has expressed an interest in retro / traditional pin up modelling (vargas girls) and asked if I would do the photography.

Having zero experience in modelling / portrait photography I would appreciate some advice on the sort of setup required for this.

Thanks in advance.

Phil

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## mfo (Jul 10, 2011)

What's _Vargas_?


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## Derrel (Jul 10, 2011)

You mean WHO is Vargas....Alberto Vargas pin-up girl images 1 - The Pin-up Files

And to do real retro pin-up photography, you first need to get your car up to precisely 88 miles per hour...


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## KmH (Jul 10, 2011)

How much money do we have to spend?

Your going to need the right clothes, set, lighting, film camera, and slide film.

You'll need to learn how to pose a model and do strobed light photography.

You'll want main, fill, hair, kicker, rim, and background lights with several types of light modifiers like umbrellas, softboxes, diffusion panels (silks/scrims) flags, snoots, etc.

Reflectors come in handy for both adding and subtracting light.


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## y75stingray (Jul 11, 2011)

KmH said:


> How much money do we have to spend?
> 
> Your going to need the right clothes, set, lighting, film camera, and slide film.
> 
> ...



I've found you can achieve a great pin up lighting set up with four strobes. Two blowing out your white background and two on 45 degree angles from the subject about 12 inches over her head angled down with 7 inch reflectors attached to the bare bulb.

example


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## plp85 (Jul 13, 2011)

Another question, would the type of lighting / camera settings vary with skin tone? are there any differences between shooting a white model, an oriental model, a black model, etc?

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## y75stingray (Jul 13, 2011)

plp85 said:


> Another question, would the type of lighting / camera settings vary with skin tone? are there any differences between shooting a white model, an oriental model, a black model, etc?
> 
> Sent from my HTC Desire using PhotoForum




shouldn't matter too much with pin up lighting. You will be using really even lighting so it wont make much of a diffrence with skin tones. use a light meter to set up your lights.Play around with your camera settings a little bit if your previews look too dark open up your apeture a stop to light close it a stop.


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## unpopular (Jul 13, 2011)

I disagree that pinups are always in flat, unattractive lighting. While it is true that the majority of pinups were pretty basic lighting setups so that they could photograph as many girls as possible - relying on the model more than the photographer - there are plenty of examples of pinup images which do not fit this stereotype. I suspect that flat lighting might seem blasé to modern audiences (no offenses intended, stingray). This doesn't mean to you need to be unauthentic, look to lighting trends of the 1920's to 1950's for inspiration.

A good book on the topic, Pictorial Lighting by William Mortensen, is available for download at Open Library. This is an excellent source for this kind of material from the period which you are interested in and it is written very clearly. It is also available at Amazon.

You will need Adobe Editions to download, but the book is currently checked out.

Pictorial lighting (Open Library)


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## y75stingray (Jul 14, 2011)

unpopular said:


> I disagree that pinups are always in flat, unattractive lighting. While it is true that the majority of pinups were pretty basic lighting setups so that they could photograph as many girls as possible - relying on the model more than the photographer - there are plenty of examples of pinup images which do not fit this stereotype. I suspect that flat lighting might seem blasé to modern audiences (no offenses intended, stingray). This doesn't mean to you need to be unauthentic, look to lighting trends of the 1920's to 1950's for inspiration.
> 
> A good book on the topic, Pictorial Lighting by William Mortensen, is available for download at Open Library. This is an excellent source for this kind of material from the period which you are interested in and it is written very clearly. It is also available at Amazon.
> 
> ...




I never said pinups HAD to be done in the lighting I suggested. from what I gathered from what the OP posted he is new to lighting a model in general. I suggested a very simple lighting set up that gets the job done. I do agree with you that pin up lighting can be many diffrent types of lighting.


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## scottfishel (Jul 14, 2011)

Derrel said:
			
		

> And to do real retro pin-up photography, you first need to get your car up to precisely 88 miles per hour...



I think you're forgetting the flux capacitor, McFly.


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## Markw (Jul 15, 2011)

y75stingray said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > How much money do we have to spend?
> ...



Honestly, this looks more like a lingerie shoot than a pinup shoot to me.  Too often the two are confused.  And, you have outlines around the feet and legs where your dodging was flawed, by the way.

Mark


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## plp85 (Jul 16, 2011)

Markw said:
			
		

> Honestly, this looks more like a lingerie shoot than a pinup shoot to me.  Too often the two are confused.  And, you have outlines around the feet and legs where your dodging was flawed, by the way.
> 
> Mark



Do you have any better examples Mark?

Thanks in advance
Phil

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## leashzilla (Jul 19, 2011)

unpopular said:


> I disagree that pinups are always in flat, unattractive lighting. While it is true that the majority of pinups were pretty basic lighting setups so that they could photograph as many girls as possible - relying on the model more than the photographer - there are plenty of examples of pinup images which do not fit this stereotype. I suspect that flat lighting might seem blasé to modern audiences (no offenses intended, stingray). This doesn't mean to you need to be unauthentic, look to lighting trends of the 1920's to 1950's for inspiration.
> 
> A good book on the topic, Pictorial Lighting by William Mortensen, is available for download at Open Library. This is an excellent source for this kind of material from the period which you are interested in and it is written very clearly. It is also available at Amazon.
> 
> ...



and Vargas, being paintings of ONLY the model then ya blow out the back ground etc... study the look your trying to simulate for sure. the artists  i am trying to recreate is sort of complicated. for that im looking at every Gil Elvgren i can find. only the sets and shiny skin have been   hurdles so far....good luck


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## joealcantar (Jul 19, 2011)

KmH said:


> How much money do we have to spend?
> 
> Your going to need the right clothes, set, lighting, film camera, and slide film.
> 
> ...


-

If all they want is the photography the above should do.  But if they are looking for the finished product you will also have to have some knowledge of post-processing.
You may also want to look at Robert Alvarado site for ideas, he does this quite a bit.  
robertalvarado's Photos | SmugMug
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Shoot well, Joe


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## compur (Jul 19, 2011)

Uh ... Vargas was a painter, not a photographer.


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