I have been quite irregular in sharing my work.I am trying to change this habit of mine.
I was yawning hard and was half asleep when I got a call from BBC Good Food’s magazine writer. The offer was to shoot a portrait for their story on a Cheese producer, in Delhi. Editorial magazines mostly have small budgets and this was no exception. We decided on dates in accordance with the schedule of the Lady who had to be clicked.
The assignment brief was – Vertical portraits; because they were following the same style with the rest of the story and also because of the layout of the page. The woman had to be photographed in the process of making cheese and looking in the camera. She has a huge store in Shanti Niketan (South Delhi) but had to be photographed her at her residence.
So first, I used Google maps to find out Shanti Niketan’s coordinates. It always helps to find the location beforehand in order to judge the distance to be covered and also take into account the level of traffic usually encountered in the the particular time frame. Punctuality can and should not be compromised. Yes, I also called a couple of friends who know Delhi quite well. A bit of non-computer knowledge always has its edge. :P
There was no time or opportunity to see the location before hand, as our subject was a real busy business lady. Knowing that I had to photograph her in the kitchen, I started imagining the kitchen in my mind. I always imagine things, though most of the time the exact place is different. Though this was little similar. Imagination is a tricky friend.
I had taken a Elinchrom medium stripbox, Elinchrom medium softbox and a flash. I always attempt to carry minimal gear as carrying extra bulk on my shoulder isn’t the most inviting experience. And with the lighting I just keep it simple.
Now when I surveyed the kitchen, the problem was that it wasn’t small.; medium-sized but with a huge refrigerator. The other side, there was a wall and slab. I was foxed on where to place my light. I shifted the refrigerator a inch or two with the helper’s aid and somehow set up my key light (medium softbox) and a strip box for a little rim light. I didn’t use the speedlight. I squeezed myself into a corner to be able take the photograph.
When I was done with the setting up of the lights and my exposure settings.I called Ayesha, my subject, and I took some shots which I call Warming shots - as I converse with the subject and make him/her feel at ease and relax. Meanwhile I also got to know little about her business which is quite interesting and involves lot of hard work.
At the end of it, I got 3-5 shots, which I liked and mailed the low-resolution files instantly to the editor. She liked them but as the big tumbler wasn’t translucent and the cheese wasn’t visible in it. She told me to do a different setup where Ayesha could be seen with some visible cheese. Ayesha had kept the cheese for condensation process but I requested her to keep it out for 5-7 minutes. I tried a different set up and we were done. Ayesha was quite co-operative and friendly through the whole deal; small thing to do when the other person is trying to make you look good. ;-)
Though the editor chose a different image to be published in the magazine, I like this one more – it’s more natural; I had cracked a PJ and Ayesha had a cracked up and that did the trick. The published one is more contrived but then magazine has their own preferences and editor has his/her own taste.
