Shooting a covergirl photo contest - any advice?

[stormrider]

We have a local covergirl contest here and during the month long competition, there will be a photo shoot contest which photographers can enter. What happened last year was there's 8 gals who come out in turn to pose for about 5 to 10 mins using just a car as a prop and the photographers can stand anywhere to shoot them during this time period but must stay behind a line - usually we can get to about 5 feet away from them. It will be held at 4pm in the afternoon outside a mall, the building itself will probably make it shady.

I'll bring my Canon Elan 7 and a 70-200mm f2.8 and an 85mm f1.8 lens. I got a 380EX flash unit too. Any recommendations on shooting this, to give me the best chance of winning the contest? Thanks.

[another view]

I'm not the best one for advice on this, but I'd look at magazines for ideas. Once you see some shots you like, try to figure out how they were done. You don't have much time or control over the situation so you'll have to be flexible.

If you're in the shade, the flash will help a lot but you might think about getting an off-camera TTL cord for it. Flash from straight on axis with the camera never really looks good. The problem will be holding it - a camera with 70-200 f2.8 will take two hands and the flash will take a third. You could probably shoot one-handed with the 85 f1.8, but if you had someone to hold the flash for you (if allowed) it would be much better. Plus with the zoom you'll have some more flexibility.

[stormrider]

I'm not the best one for advice on this, but I'd look at magazines for ideas. Once you see some shots you like, try to figure out how they were done. You don't have much time or control over the situation so you'll have to be flexible.

If you're in the shade, the flash will help a lot but you might think about getting an off-camera TTL cord for it. Flash from straight on axis with the camera never really looks good. The problem will be holding it - a camera with 70-200 f2.8 will take two hands and the flash will take a third. You could probably shoot one-handed with the 85 f1.8, but if you had someone to hold the flash for you (if allowed) it would be much better. Plus with the zoom you'll have some more flexibility.

Thanks for the suggestions. Yep, I probably won't have much time to fool around with an off-camera thing ... once I'm set in a spot, I don't think I'll be able to move around much as all the other photograhers will be right besides or behind (and if I have knelt down - then on top) of me ... that is until the model physically moves, then everyone will scramble for another position.

[Dylan8i]

sabatoge, get your pictures done quick and then use a laser pointer or something to make the other peoples pics not as good :-) j/k

i would say def use a flash as outside lighting can shift quickly with the coulds and what not. also i'd say try shooting unsual pictures, bring a ladder to get a shot from up higher, that kind of stuff.

[stormrider]

sabatoge, get your pictures done quick and then use a laser pointer or something to make the other peoples pics not as good :-) j/k

i would say def use a flash as outside lighting can shift quickly with the coulds and what not. also i'd say try shooting unsual pictures, bring a ladder to get a shot from up higher, that kind of stuff.

Thanks. Speaking about a laser pointer - I have a Sony digicam that uses a holographic thingie to focus, maybe I could use that to screw those other people up ;-)

Actually I already did some shooting when the gals were doing a talent show last weekend and I saw some pillars that I could stand on (substituting for that ladder you mentioned). You are right though, if I see an opportunity for a shot that perhaps no one else is getting, that might be the edge I need!

[berrywise]

Make friendly with the models to get them to pay attention to your camera.

[stormrider]

Make friendly with the models to get them to pay attention to your camera.

This one will be tough, getting her attention when 20 other people are doing the same LOL ... but I'll try to holler louder if I can. Thank.s

[another view]

You're all shooting the same thing at the same time from roughly the same spot? Doesn't sound like much of a competition to me other than for photographic technique. Good experience, though.

Dress up and talk like Austin Powers. That'll get their attention. Seriously, this (or some other crazy idea) might just be the thing to make *you* stand out and have them make eye contact with you more than the others.

[Asylum Steve]

Dale, I won't go so far as to call these kinds of events "scams", but they're close to it.

Suffice to say they are marketing gimmicks, with little to actually offer the photog other than the off chance you grab a nice shot that you can use in your book. And even that is watered down, because the way it's set up, a dozen or more other shooters will most likely have the same exact shot.

I say this from experience, not because I've taken part in these kinds of shooting contests (I haven't), but rather because they blatantly ignore the most important aspects of shooting a cover shot with a model.

If you have any experience with fashion or model photography, and then take a quick look at all the magazine covers on the newstand, you soon realize that technically, cover pics are very simple. Lighting-wise and pose-wise, they are about as straight forward as they can be.

So, and this may come as a surprise to some, the key to getting a successful cover shot is not in the technical details, but rather the intangibles. And intangibles in both fashion as well as portrait photography always mean the HUMAN element...

When shooting a cover, the two most important things are the styling (or the "look" of the model and the overall shot), and the model herself (and especially the way the photographer interacts with her).

The shooter needs to be involved with both of these big time, spending as much time as possible talking with the model as well as the stylist and hair and makeup artists before the actual shoot to make sure evreyone understands what look and feeling you're trying to create.

As you can already tell, with your "contest" you're completely shut out of these aspects of the shoot...

So, what can you do? Well, IMO the best thing is to think of the shoot as a sporting event, because by all accounts that what it will be. You need to think like a sports photographer and concentrate on the two most important things to them: position and timing.

As Steve already suggested, get a good look at existing covers, and get a feel for the way a car/model shot should be composed. Try to position yourself with that framing in mind, maintain focus on the model, and simply try to capture those moments when she is posing good or looking at you, or hopefully both. Don't waste time shooting when she is not posed or looking towards you.

If these models are at all experienced or professional, they will at least make an attempt to pose for and look at each photog individually, and you do NOT want to miss the moment when they look at YOU.

In this kind of a situation, you do what you can, but you're still going to need a bit of luck...

[stormrider]

You're all shooting the same thing at the same time from roughly the same spot? Doesn't sound like much of a competition to me other than for photographic technique. Good experience, though.

Yes, wherever the models go, we'll all follow and try to jockey for position.

Dress up and talk like Austin Powers. That'll get their attention. Seriously, this (or some other crazy idea) might just be the thing to make *you* stand out and have them make eye contact with you more than the others.

Austin Powers? Yeah baby LOL .... thanks.

[stormrider]

Dale, I won't go so far as to call these kinds of events "scams", but they're close to it.

Suffice to say they are marketing gimmicks, with little to actually offer the photog other than the off chance you grab a nice shot that you can use in your book. And even that is watered down, because the way it's set up, a dozen or more other shooters will most likely have the same exact shot.

I say this from experience, not because I've taken part in these kinds of shooting contests (I haven't), but rather because they blatantly ignore the most important aspects of shooting a cover shot with a model.

If you have any experience with fashion or model photography, and then take a quick look at all the magazine covers on the newstand, you soon realize that technically, cover pics are very simple. Lighting-wise and pose-wise, they are about as straight forward as they can be.

So, and this may come as a surprise to some, the key to getting a successful cover shot is not in the technical details, but rather the intangibles. And intangibles in both fashion as well as portrait photography always mean the HUMAN element...

When shooting a cover, the two most important things are the styling (or the "look" of the model and the overall shot), and the model herself (and especially the way the photographer interacts with her).

The shooter needs to be involved with both of these big time, spending as much time as possible talking with the model as well as the stylist and hair and makeup artists before the actual shoot to make sure evreyone understands what look and feeling you're trying to create.

As you can already tell, with your "contest" you're completely shut out of these aspects of the shoot...

So, what can you do? Well, IMO the best thing is to think of the shoot as a sporting event, because by all accounts that what it will be. You need to think like a sports photographer and concentrate on the two most important things to them: position and timing.

As Steve already suggested, get a good look at existing covers, and get a feel for the way a car/model shot should be composed. Try to position yourself with that framing in mind, maintain focus on the model, and simply try to capture those moments when she is posing good or looking at you, or hopefully both. Don't waste time shooting when she is not posed or looking towards you.

If these models are at all experienced or professional, they will at least make an attempt to pose for and look at each photog individually, and you do NOT want to miss the moment when they look at YOU.

In this kind of a situation, you do what you can, but you're still going to need a bit of luck...

Thanks for that mega reply, a lot of food for thought in there ... I tried to respond to most of your points but when I went to submit the reply, looked like I timed out and lost it all LOL

[Asylum Steve]

Thanks for that mega reply, a lot of food for thought in there...

Well, it pretty simple. You won't have any control over many of the important things photographers usually control leading up to and during the shoot. So you'll just have to concentrate on what you can control, and that's framing the shot, exposing properly, and waiting for those moments when the model looks into your lens...

[poker]

What ever happens...good luck and have fun!

Come back and post as many shots as possible...I'd like to see the good and the bad.

I've never heard of such a contest.

Is there a website for it?

[stormrider]

Well, it pretty simple. You won't have any control over many of the important things photographers usually control leading up to and during the shoot. So you'll just have to concentrate on what you can control, and that's framing the shot, exposing properly, and waiting for those moments when the model looks into your lens...

I was shooting with my Canon Elan 7 and the 70-200mm f2.8 lens last year and I think I was in Av mode most of the time set at f2.8 or 4 with some professional 160 and 400 ISO film (don't recall if it was Fuji or Kodak). Most of the shots I took were waist up I think, which was a mistake because all the winning shots were face shots. They didn't have any backdrop last year either so there were some distracting elements in the background. So I'll try to be more careful with the framing this time - go for more face shots too. What do you think about shooting wide open with a 50mm f1.4 or 85mm f1.8? I can typically be about 5 feet away from the model. I'll be attaching those lens to a new Rebel XT I got yesterday (I gotta watch out for the 1.6x magnification). I don't think those guys have fast lens like those from what I gather last year. I'm worried about focussing properly with those two lens wide open but if no one has fast lens like those, maybe my shots will look different.

As far as exposing properly, do you think I should be using exposure compensation? I'm going to use my Canon 380EX external flash. I'll be outside in some shade from the building around 4pm in the afternoon. This is the first time I'll be using my Rebel for an event, maybe I can fool around with a bunch of different things if I feel comfortable with the camera by the weekend.

Thanks.

[stormrider]

What ever happens...good luck and have fun!

Come back and post as many shots as possible...I'd like to see the good and the bad.

I've never heard of such a contest.

Is there a website for it?

Thanks, I'll do my best. I already saw the gals from a couple of previous events, they're nothing to write home about compared to some other similar contests though. This is a small time event but this is their website:

http://www.thecrystalmall.ca/2006%20...rGirl2006.html

[stormrider]

Come back and post as many shots as possible...I'd like to see the good and the bad.

I went, I shot (around 400 shots ... could have been a lot more but all I had was a 1GB card so I was watching myself halfway thru), and now I have uploaded .... lotta bad shots and some that I'm ok with, I posted a few on the critique forum - maybe I'll post some more today but I don't want anyone to kill me for my self indulgence and breaking the posting guidelines LOL (I'm desperate for feedback though, cuz I do have to get 10 shots printed and submitted by the end of the week and I think my fave photo lab usually takes long with a pro printing job). Thanks to you and the others for the help in this thread again.

[another view]

Glad to hear it went well. I think that was a good plan about using wide apertures to make your work look different. Like I said, I'm sure there are a lot of similar shots so doing something (anything) to make your work stand out is going to help. Plus, those wide apertures are a lot of help with distracting backgrounds.

[stormrider]

Glad to hear it went well. I think that was a good plan about using wide apertures to make your work look different. Like I said, I'm sure there are a lot of similar shots so doing something (anything) to make your work stand out is going to help. Plus, those wide apertures are a lot of help with distracting backgrounds.

Thanks and for sure, there were people walking in the background sometimes and there were stores in the background as well since this was at a mall. I tried a lot of shots just kneeling down to minimize the background too, though at that angle, the shot might not be the most flattering. I wasn't able to stand on the pillars close by though, there was always a couple of people there.