SaltwaterServr
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Given that there are some photographers here, I'd thought it worth sharing.
I'm fairly good acquaintances with a internationally famous glamor photographer here in San Antonio, and we've talked about how Playboy does their lighting. He'd been on a few of their shoots with a model he discovered who was in a few pictorials, a centerfold, and had her own video as well. He mentioned once that he saw that at minimum they used about 10 strobes, and as many as 60.
Well, I found a thread on a photography website that shows the actual set up for a sailboat shot they did a few years ago...
If you'll notice, those letters go up to "V" I believe. 21 lights.
As I read, one of their former photographers mentioned that they shoot all medium format, which isn't really surprising at all. What I failed to think about, was what kind of light they need for that, for the proper depth of field.
He said they ALWAYS shot at f32 or f64 to get the proper DOF, using mostly Broncolor equipment. FWIW, Tony Mandarich was chatting in that thread as well. The guy may have been an NFL bust, but he's a damn fine glamor, boudoir, and fitness photographer.
f32-f64???? That's some serious lighting, all across the board. You're looking at the 3200 watt/second heads, and they don't give those away, not to mention the power packs run about $10K for their 3200 w/s set ups.
I have a link to another shot set up that I cannot post that shows the big Broncolor parabolic umbrella. This one:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._33_486_00_Para_330FB_Reflector_Umbrella.html
I had heard through the grapevine that it isn't uncommon for a Playboy centerfold shoot to have a quarter million dollars of equipment lighting it, but this is the first time I got a good look inside of one of their "smaller" sets.
Oh, and Pam with Butter non-stick cooking spray is widely used to give the skin the right reflectivity to it.
I'm fairly good acquaintances with a internationally famous glamor photographer here in San Antonio, and we've talked about how Playboy does their lighting. He'd been on a few of their shoots with a model he discovered who was in a few pictorials, a centerfold, and had her own video as well. He mentioned once that he saw that at minimum they used about 10 strobes, and as many as 60.
Well, I found a thread on a photography website that shows the actual set up for a sailboat shot they did a few years ago...
If you'll notice, those letters go up to "V" I believe. 21 lights.
As I read, one of their former photographers mentioned that they shoot all medium format, which isn't really surprising at all. What I failed to think about, was what kind of light they need for that, for the proper depth of field.
He said they ALWAYS shot at f32 or f64 to get the proper DOF, using mostly Broncolor equipment. FWIW, Tony Mandarich was chatting in that thread as well. The guy may have been an NFL bust, but he's a damn fine glamor, boudoir, and fitness photographer.
f32-f64???? That's some serious lighting, all across the board. You're looking at the 3200 watt/second heads, and they don't give those away, not to mention the power packs run about $10K for their 3200 w/s set ups.
I have a link to another shot set up that I cannot post that shows the big Broncolor parabolic umbrella. This one:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._33_486_00_Para_330FB_Reflector_Umbrella.html
I had heard through the grapevine that it isn't uncommon for a Playboy centerfold shoot to have a quarter million dollars of equipment lighting it, but this is the first time I got a good look inside of one of their "smaller" sets.
Oh, and Pam with Butter non-stick cooking spray is widely used to give the skin the right reflectivity to it.