When Stephen Segal approached me to put the Nikon Z6 mirrorless through its paces, I thought that the various requirements of the day to day creation of media for a hotel, spa, bar and restaurant would be the ideal testing ground.
Everything needs to happen fast, from production to publication. All the deadlines are “last week, Tuesday” and its a myriad of scenarios with various lighting conditions.
So… this is how we do it.
Shooting Day
Unlike most of the images I take at the hotel, today was a bit different. 20 Photographers and Models came to the hotel for a friendly, photographic shootout! It’s been a long and tough year, and everybody just needed to let their hair down and enjoy a creative day out!
The goal: Take your Best Shot… combining the look and attitude of the model with the feeling and mood of the day, matched to the textures and decor of the venue.
So, instead of finding a venue to match your vision, the photographers had to take a more commercial approach and match the provided setting…
The big challenge was the lack of light. At the best of times, the beautifully shaped and subdued light of the hotel is a challenge for photographic gear, but rain and heavy overcast weather meant that we would be shooting in even lower light than expected, so I was grateful that today I was shooting with the Nikon Z6 and its full-frame sensor!
My model, Nadia Theron, worked just as well as the camera (although I think I pushed her much harder…)
Our Royal Lounge is the centrepiece and anchor for all the design elements in the hotel. In it is a very old, but beautifully carved fretting mounted mirror. Damaged by time, it’s more gold than silver, and simply sets the perfect mood.
I wanted to create an image around this specific decor piece. Something to show off how versatile our little nooks and crannies could be.
Setup:
Just available light… no flash, LED or reflectors. The low light meant I was shooting at ISO8,000 and 1/80th of a second. I sure was glad for the built-in stabilisation, because even at f/5 the long side of the 24-70mm Nikkor S will easily pick up a tremor or unstable hand.
I added some scratches and a soft blur to the final image in photoshop to match it a bit more to the age of the decor pieces.
Even though Nadia’s shoulders and chest is the lightest part of the image that draws the eye first, the triangular thirds created by light and shadow throw your eye to her face in the mirror. Then her expression mirrors the “state” of the mirror, strengthening the shot no end!
Take-away:
When shooting commercially, it is rare that everything goes according to plan. Technical glitches, weather, wardrobe, model, location, etc, etc, etc… there are just too many variables!
Don’t hold on to your expected outcomes to tightly. The sooner you learn to let go and adjust to the new circumstance, the faster your creative juices will go into overdrive and the quicker you will start to get the shots you need to get the paycheck… This is not the shot I planned for the day, but this is probably the shot that made my day!
Pro-Tip:
Just start shooting…
When your creativity takes a break, and your shoulders are heavy because of the changing circumstances… simply pick up your gear, measure your light, aim the lens, and start shooting… Before you know it, you have tricked your brain into creating something awesome! Do it enough times, and your comfort zone becomes a state where you are looking forward to the challenges instead of dreading them!
