And it is back to the studio for more experimenting with some Burlesque friends!
I had booked another 8 hours at the studio and this time had in mind to add a few things to the shoot. Last time there was an issue with the third party remote trigger not functioning with the Canon cameras Live View mode. I had a massive headache after last time from composing shots through the viewfinder so I was determined to make it work this time. Searching through the menus and a quick check on the internet found the solution.
When I shoot Cabaret shows I have the shutter sound as silent as possible. It is not completely silent but it does reduce the noise a great deal. However, this has been set for Live View mode as well and needs to be switched off for third party flash triggers. This worked a treat so no more headaches for me!
The second change was to bring my laptop with me and start using tethered shooting. I could connect up my camera to the laptop and have Lightroom open and display the shots, full screen, a couple of seconds after the shot was taken. I could also have a preset added as the image came in to add saturation and a little exposure compensation too. Lightroom would also build previews in the background as we were working so when I got home I could easily transfer all the data to my main pc for further processing.
This set up was great for me and fantastic for the performers as it allowed them to adjust a pose without having to come to see the shot on the back of the camera.
So first up we had Dusty Boudoir! I have shot Dusty a couple of times for Madam Krumpets and Afterdark Cabaret shows so it was good to meet her in person.
We started with some lingerie where we also employed the help of a small white chair, we employed the floor for the shots with a flowery dress and a fruit patterned bikini, then we enjoyed the stylings of a strange mannequin for the final shots.
Next up we have the trio, Belle De Beauvoir, Roxy Van Plume & Sebastian Angelique of Ménage à Rouge. These three are insane…
We started quickly with red costumes with flying red trim which we tried to capture. This is the final shot with added swirly lines in the background.
This was followed by some hysterical Can-Can moments with some high kicks!
We then shot individual sessions for each of the trios acts.
The session ended with what I can only describe as ‘desecration of a mannequins head…’
The time with Belle, Roxy and Sebastian flew by but I made a mental note to use an application called Flame Painter to draw out some lines for the shot above and for this fantastic picture of Belle De Beauvoir.
After the trio of insane performers left another bundle of fun arrived, Ginger MisDemeanour!
We had several outfits planned and we had been asked to finish a little early so we raced through the outfits. A red and black feather boa made appearances in the shots too!
In all each session had just over 300 shots done, give or take a couple of outtakes this leaves then with a lot to choose from!
The day went well and I will definitely be returning with the tethered shooting setup as it was so helpful!