Ode to Ake
Today we had to cover a pretty complicated job for a corporate client. The assignment asked for more hands than I posses myself so I got help from my intern Marisa and my favorite assistant Ake.
Ofcourse it’s very handy to have someone around to carry and hold equipment but a good assistant has to be much more than a mule. Ake is working hard on her own career as a photographer and she does great. She has the technical knowledge, she sees work and knows my way of working. Usually I don’t need much words to make clear what I want and often she is doing something even before I think about telling her to do it. Social skills are a very underrated asset of a good assistant. Talking to clients without being annoying is like walking on thin line. Ake keeps her balance on that line and by chatting to the client she gives me time to think, be creative and look for technical solutions.
The hardest part of being an assistant is probably the creative side. I want creative input from my assistants but at the same time I keep the right to ignore that input. It’s nothing personal but I’m not sure I could cope with it if I were assisting.
Because it was so stormy we set up each shot with Ake or Marissa as a stand-in. That way the client only had to be outdoors for a few minutes at the time. At one of those tests, I made this shot of Ake.
This shot is backlit with 2 Vivitar 285HV’s on both sides behind Ake. They are aimed (almost) past Ake’s back so only the edge of the beam feathers on Ake’s hat, hair and jacket. I think the flashes were set at 1/2 or 1/4 power. A third Vivitar with a Lastolite 60×60cm softbox was next to the camera (right) to light the face. I think it was at 1/4 or 1/16th. We let just enough ambient light in to get some blurred texture from the brick wall behind Ake in.
Hopefully the client will soon give me permission to show a few of the results from the actual shoot.
I really like this shot. Soft, symmetrical and with a great “pop”. I see you use the bigger version of the Lastoilte Ezybox. Do you know how it compares to the smaller one? If you just had a small Ezybox and a couple of flashes, what would you add to your lighting setup (in terms of diffusers that is)?
Once again, what a great shot!
Great shot ! It’s really beautiful. Congratulations to the photographer and his assistants (and models) !
Hello
How do you fire the Vivitar 285HW? With PW,Skyports or Cactus Triggers?
Thanks
Basti
Thanks
@J-A: Never used the small one, so I have no idea how they compare but bigger is softer. A good shoot true umbrella is nice to use. I love my Elinchrom shoot through.
@Bastian: Pocketwizards! they rock!
Bert this “test” shot is actually very pleasing, well done!
Hi Bert,
Great shot, love the light and your trademark long lens work! Keep it up.
Hey Bert,
Great way to thank Ake, very classy.
Assisting is very comparible to being a caddy for a pro golfer. You tell him the range, the wind, advise on club selection then suck it up when he totally ignores you and takes *his* shot!
A great read on this is “Four Iron in the Soul” by Laurence Donegan.
Cheers,
Duncan
thanks
@Duncan: Yes, I guess it’s the same thing.
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