Preparations for our location shoots always start with a weather report! Being winter and finding a suitable window with the right conditions becomes increasingly difficult, torrential rain or snow is definitely not what we want for our web latest shoot. We studied the forecasts and tide times, assembled our wardrobe and sourced our model, scoped out our locations and took our recce shoots…. all our plans were in place.
6am alarm call and what an absolute shocker to look out of my window and see snow falling through the dim glow of the street lights! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? The forecast said sunshine! So double layers, hefty scarf and gloves it will be then!
Our location was the beautiful little seaside town just 15 minutes from our studios called Old Leigh. Famous for its seafood and summer festivals… AND the happiest place to live in England, this tiny fishing village with its cockle sheds and fishing boats, bursting with character was the perfect backdrop for our winter shoot.
The sun slowly rose over the horizon as the snow continued to fall; we all stood out on the wharf freezing as a chilling wind rolled in off the sea. We tried a few shots but the light evaded us so we had no choice other than to seek shelter in a local cafe to thaw out and think of a game plan. An hour passed and it was like Mother Nature knew we were waiting on her. The snow stopped, the thick cloud separated allowing the sun to peak through; this was good enough for a bleak January morning!
Still bitterly cold, off we went, switching up our locations once we’d nailed the shots. Our goal was to capture some winter fashion and alternatively get a working fisherman style shot.
Andy says: “When we first started shooting the light was quite flat as it was really overcast and snowing. However, when the sun broke through it cleared up nicely. I used the sun to back light Steve giving some nice lens flare as well. I used a bit of full flash to balance out the image. I also used a wide angle to get more of the background whilst still keeping Steve dominant in the frame. And I shot wide open to knock the background out so it didn’t become distracting. “
Please click HERE to see the whole shoot. We offer location photography as a service in addition to our studio work, so if these images strike a chord and you’d like a quote please e-mail: info@ec2i.biz
Shoot Team:
Photographer: Andy Wakeling
Model: Steve Coster
Stylist: Hannah White
Creative Assistant & wordsmith: Chris Summers
Kit:
Nikon D810, lenses: Nikon 85mm 1.8 & 50mm 1.4, Nikon sb600 flash off camera with wireless trigger, with a Magmod grid and diffuser attached.