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.
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/80 sec,
aperture priority, 1250 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, 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.
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/50 sec,
aperture priority, 1600 ISO
aperture priority, 1600 ISO
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/250 sec,
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
 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 |
Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L IS, f/2.8, 1/25 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.
Canon 1DS Mark II, 24-70 f/2.8L, f/6.3, 1/80 sec,
manual exposure, 250 ISO
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.
Canon 1DS Mark II, 24-70 f/2.8L, f/4.0, 1/80 sec,
manual exposure, 200 ISO
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.
Canon 1DS Mark II, 24-70 f/2.8L, f/3.5, 1/40 sec,
manual exposure, 3200 ISO
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!..:-).
Michael Grace-Martin is a professional wedding, portrait, event, stock, and fine art photographer based in Upstate New York. He is also the author of this blog. All images and text are (c) Michael Grace-Martin Photography.
Hey Michael,
ReplyDeleteThanks 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.