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Canon 1DS Mark II, 24-70 f/2.8L, f/5.6, 1/60 sec,
manual exposure, 200 ISO
Over the past four years, I’ve been photographing the fashion show put on by the Cornell Design League (CDL) at Cornell University early each Spring. This is always a “dead” time of the year for photography up here in the Northeast, so I do it as a warmup and chance to test new equipment for my weddings and portrait sessions that begin in earnest in May.
Neither the CDL nor Cornell University pays me anything up front to photograph the event, but I often make *some* money from print sales to designers, models, and their relatives, and digital sales to media organizations, like the Cornell Chronicle.
After photographing four years of shows, I’ve learned a bit about what works and doesn’t work when it comes to fashion show photography.
Backstage
Before the show even begins, I like to go backstage and take “getting ready” photos. Much like the “getting ready” photos I often take during the weddings I photograph, these are candid photos of the emotional and
sometimes quirky things that go on before the “big event”. I find them to be more interesting than photographing the event itself, because it’s all unstaged. However, there are commonly special challenges presented during this phase.
aperture priority, 1250 ISO
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/100 sec,
aperture priority, 1250 ISO |
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/60 sec,
aperture priority, 1600 ISO
|
The Cornell fashion show takes place in a large gymnasium-type building with lights 25 feet up near the high ceiling. Even when these are on–they turn them off 45 minutes or so before the show–it’s pretty dark back behind the main stage where everyone is getting ready. Some of the designers bring their own lights because it’s so dark. Needless to say, the lighting is usually insufficient and uneven. And I resist using my flash because it destroys the ambience and candidness of the moment.
aperture priority, 1600 ISO
aperture priority, 1600 ISO
So, commonly, I’m pushing the limits of my equipment. It’s not uncommon for me to have to open my aperture to its maximum setting of f/2.8 and dial the ISO up to 3200. Even then, the shutter speed for proper exposure can be 1/30, which is pretty slow, even with Image Stabilization (IS). So, the biggest challenge is getting them sharp! A monopod wouldn’t be a bad idea; I usually just steady and brace myself and take 2-3 shots in a row and keep the best one.
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/100 sec,
aperture priority, 1600 ISO |
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/400 sec,
aperture priority, 3200 ISO
|
aperture priority, 3200 ISO
Show Time – Finding and Securing a Position
Though I haven’t been good about this myself, it’s really a good idea to get to the runway/cat walk early to check out different positions to take before the show starts…and then *reserve* the best spot you can find. I haven’t tried this, but I bet I could put an official-looking sign that says something like: “Reserved for Show Photographer” on the best seat near the stage to keep anyone from sitting there. If that’s not possible, you could bring someone and have them sit there until the show starts and then move to let you in. All this assumes “open seating” and will vary from fashion show to fashion show. It also wouldn’t hurt to talk to the show organizers and see if they might reserve a spot for you.
In any case, you’ll want a relatively central spot near the end of the runway. Personally, I like being slightly off-center because I find a slight angle to be more interesting than straight-on shots. Also, you probably don’t want to be right *at* the stage, if that’s even possible. If you’re right at the stage/runway, you’ll have to use a small aperture and wide angle focus length, which is a bad combination in terms of perspective/distortion, shutter speed, and depth of focus. It’s best to be 4 feet or more back and use a normal or telephoto lens. More on lenses next…
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/3.5, 1/60 sec,
manual exposure, 250 ISO |
Canon 1DS Mark II, 24-70 f/2.8L, f/5.6, 1/80 sec,
manual exposure, 250 ISO
|
Cameras and Lenses
The last two years, I’ve brought two cameras with me and put a standard zoom (24-70mm or 24-105mm) on one camera and a telephoto zoom (70-200mm or 80-200mm) on the other. I then catch some shots as they first start down the runway with the telephoto lens, and then switch to the standard zoom for the posed shots at the end of the runway. (Tip: be sure to time synch the cameras just before the show so that all the images from both cameras are easily time sequenced afterward.) In the two previous years I shot with one camera connected to a 80-200 f/2.8L lens, a 1.6 crop factor DSLR, and positioned myself well back from the end of the runway. I think the ideal one camera + lens combo would be a 70-200mm lens on a full-frame DSLR and then position yourself within 10 feet of the runway. 70mm on a full-frame camera isn’t so far from a normal (50mm) perspective, and you still have the 200mm to catch them at the beginning of their stroll. If I photograph the show again next year, I think I’ll try this latter one camera configuration. Even though it’s nice to get some of the wide angle shots afforded by the 24-70 on a full-frame camera, I’d be able to get at least 85% of the shots I’d want with only one camera and lens.
manual exposure, 250 ISO
Lighting
The lighting at fashion shows is reasonably good because, presumedly, the designers want the audience to be able to clearly see the clothes they designed! Due to this fact and my fear of annoying everyone around me with my flash, I seldom use flash at a fashion show. Sometimes, however, there are dark areas near the end of the runway that the lighting setup people have missed. If you experience this situation at a fashion show and you have brought two cameras, you can attach the flash to the camera with the standard zoom (e.g., 24-70) and use it only when the models step into the dark area/s when they get near you at the end of the runway.
manual exposure, 200 ISO
Uneven Lighting
Even if the lighting is sufficient to keep your camera’s ISO settings below 800, it can vary along the runway. Also, occasionally they will allow different designers to incorporate different lighting effects into their presentations. This can wreak havoc with your exposures if you’re using a manual exposure setting! So, let’s talk about camera settings…
Camera Settings
Even though I was using shutter speeds of 1/60 and 1/80 sec this last show (I wasn’t thinking straight because I was coming down with a cold), I advise using shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or faster….especially when catching them during their long walk down the runway. They’ll be moving–sometimes running and dancing!–and you want some nice sharp detail. Your aperture for the distant shots when they first start down the runway can be quite large–e.g., f/4.0 or even f/2.8 is not usually problematic. But once they get close to you (like within 10 feet), you’ll want f/6.3 or f/5.6. If you’re using two cameras, the one with the telephoto lens can have the larger aperture and the other one should have the relatively small aperture. If you’re shooting with only one camera, you would be well advised to go with the smaller aperture (f/6.3 or f/5.6) and leave it there.
Canon 1DS Mark II, 24-70 f/2.8L, f/6.3, 1/80 sec,
manual exposure, 250 ISO |
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/3.5, 1/60 sec,
manual exposure, 250 ISO
|
The biggest question to me in terms of camera setting is which camera mode to use..? The last two years, I’ve photographed the show in manual exposure mode. The goal was to reduce the amount of image processing needed after the show. However, I’ve run into two problems that have undermined this goal: 1) the uneven lighting along the runway means I get darker and lighter photos depending on the variation in light, and 2) I occasionally bump either the shutter or aperture setting and end up with bad exposures.
The main reason for #2 is, I believe, because I’m using two cameras and all those camera switches end up in accidental alterations of settings (due to jostling). I could solve this problem by using only one camera, or putting tape over the controls that keep getting bumped to help keep them in place. The only solution for problem #1 (short of changing the manual settings *as* they walk down the runway!) is to switch to either aperture-priority or shutter-priority mode. So, why don’t I just do that?
Canon 1DS Mark II, 24-70 f/2.8L, f/5.6, 1/50 sec,
manual exposure, 200 ISO |
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/3.2, 1/60 sec,
manual exposure, 160 ISO
|
I photographed the first two years of fashion shows in aperture priority. But when a model walks out in a pure white or dark black outfit, the exposure the camera calculates automatically can be seriously off! Using shutter-priority makes a lot of sense in some ways–because you know you want to maintain a relatively high shutter speed–but the camera is still calculating the exposure and can be as far off as aperture priority mode. Of course you can also play around with the type of metering the camera is doing (spot, partial, average, etc), but I’ve found that all of them are off in *some* situations.
Unless the lighting varies a *lot*, I think I still prefer manual exposure for the best overall results. But shoot in raw format to best allow for exposure adjustments in post-processing. Also, if you are shooting with two cameras, you can optimize the one with the telephoto lens for the lighting at the beginning and/or middle of the runway, and the other camera with the standard/normal lens for the lighting at the end of the runway.
manual exposure, 3200 ISO
So those are my tips and “lessons learned”. I hope they help you should you too come across the opportunity to shoot a fashion show. Fashion shows can definitely be interesting and a lot of fun!..:-).
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Hey Michael,
Thanks for blogging on this topic. I’ll be shooting my first runway show this weekend and your recommendations gave me a lot of pertinent info.
Joe D.
Thanks a lot for sharing mate. Going to shoot in mid April, in massive shopping centre.
This REALLY helps! I’m challenging myself with a show next week and thanks to this I’m no longer worried!
I’m shooting my first runway show this month. I’ve heard opinions about shooting in RAW and others tend to shoot JPEG. As the amount of shots taken could number in the hundreds, I can see the reason for staying away from RAW. What are your thoughts?
Yes…hundreds, or thousands! I almost always shoot in RAW and have lots of 8 GB memory cards with me. If you have the option to shoot in different size RAW files with your camera (e.g., my Canon 1D Mark IV and 5D Mark II have the option to save as full, medium, or small sized RAW files), I sometimes set it for the medium size…especially when prints larger than 5×7 or 8×10 are unlikely to be made. I like to stick with RAW because color correction is easier and the latitude for exposure corrections is better.
Thank you, that helps. Also, what is your opinion about shooting with flash? I feel somewhat lost here, although I can’t say I’m a true amateur, (I’m a forensic photographer) I am trying to break into a field which is entirely new. Taking photos of live people is different for me. I’m using a 5D Mark II with a 40D backup. I have plenty of cards, 8gb and 16gb. I plan to use a 70-200 f4.0 and a 17-85 f4-5.6 with a 28-135 f3.5-5.6 backup. Again, I’ve read some blogs which say that only newbies use flash. I realize that the lighting being used for the show dictates my settings and some shows do not allow flash. This show is a local charity event and not a fashion mecca event. Does anyone use flash or will using it be a dead (no pun intended) give away that I’m new to catwalk shows?
Though I consider using flash every year, I never have. If I could set up a slave flash on or near the stage, I would be very tempted. In my mind, there are a number of problems with using a flash (need to change batteries multiple times, disruptive if you’re taking lots of shots, straight-on flash often not ideal anyway). If you only take one or two of each model with a flash once they reach the end of the runway–and have the flash turned off otherwise–that could work. However, I find there’s usually sufficient light on the runway–they want the audience to see the model’s clothes afterall! There may be dark parts of the runway, but the end of the runway where the model stops and poses usually is fairly well lit. (Your flash isn’t going to reach the dark parts of the runway very well anyway.) Good luck!
If anyone else is reading this blog, I’d like to leave a few comments regarding my first fashion shoot. First of all, if I were to do this again, I would definitely shoot RAW. The time I have spent in post processing with JPEG is twice the time spent processing in RAW and with lesser results. RAW is definitely the way to go. I shot most in JPEG and about 1/3 in RAW. I regret not sticking with RAW. Second, there were four other photographers who were inexperienced even as photographers. They did not use flash. About 30 minutes before start time, in came this pro photog with his two assistants. He had them set up two Qflashes on either side of the catwalk plus he used a Qflash on a monster of a flash bracket with a soft box attached. He used a Quantum Turbo battery for each of his flashes. That produced plenty of cycle time for the units. Yes, it was aggravating to see the flash going off and some of them washed out my shots. But it’s dog eat dog in this business. Again, if I were to do a runway shoot again, I would bring my Quantum Turbo along with my Speedlight. I would probably use a small beauty dish attachment. I thought the softbox was a little too much. Third, based upon everybody’s comments in this blog, I thought there would be sufficient light on the runway. If the show had not been in a tent, there probably would have been sufficient light generated by the 3200K tungsten lights. However the tent had dips and curves which caused erratic lighting patterns which would have been resolved by using a flash. In short, I should have prepared for every contingency by bringing all my equipment rather than what I “thought” would be sufficient stuff. Lesson learned, prepare for the worst. If lighting turns out to be perfect, the most you will be able to say is that you had to lug your equipment back home with out using it. (Unless it’s stolen from your car while you are inside the event.)
interesting post; thanks
Great post. Extremely helpful.
It is great article, and great photography, beautiful light, composition and photographs quality. Excellent work.
I have been in photography for 20 years, but I have been shooting Fashion Runway Show once before, and it was in the restaurant. Every photographer use flash because it was dark room,and we hadn’t got any picture without flash. Being press news photographer for many years I learn one thing. You assignment should be completed with great result and will be published, and it is up to you to make decision how to produce the best images which you could to get best quality pictures.
I will taking Fashion Runway show charity event tomorrow.I hope we could have good light on a stage, but I still consider to use Speedlight flash on camera to get good pictures. Speedlight creative lighting system with several flashes and soft boxs will not help you because it is take time to recharge the battery and you will miss the picture. I use Nikon SB900 flash with zoom,and Shutter Priority 1/200 and the camera read light very well. I don’t have time to think about camera settings, and need camera work for me, 1/200 – 1/250 is guarantee sharper images,and your role to capture the right moment, the right pose, great composition.
I will be taking my third fashion show in the restaurant with dim lights in a few weeks. I asked for extra existing light in the restaurant. I asked owner of the restaurant to put all lights on, and I fill with flash. You are creator, and you are the artist, and you will use the light to create image.
Sometime you have to work in very poor light conditions but you have to make it work.
VERY good information here – I’ve shot numerous shows and actually came to many of the same conclusions with trial and error. Many fashion shows in this area are VERY low budget and have HORRIBLE house lighting (which may even be non-evenly spaced recessed lighting creating dark zones every few feet on the runway…) and you almost HAVE to use flash or some off camera flash units with a pocket wizard or some other remote control.
Shooting RAW is also helpful…
Good post!
Great post! Found it very helpful to hear from someone experienced!
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