For this fashion shot, we used a hair/make-up/clothing stylist. It's a good idea to have a stylist on fashion sets because while you are focusing on lighting, camera settings, and getting your subject to interact with the camera, they are able to focus on the details of the shot. They will watch for stray hairs, bunched clothing, and the positioning of props and elements in the background.

When the stylist and the model arrived on the morning of the shoot, we set up a makeshift dressing room in the studio's office and adjoining bathroom. During the time it took for the stylist to apply make-up, fix hair, and select the right clothing for the shot, we went about building the set (figures 1 & 2).

In the studio space, we suspended a 12-foot steel pole parallel to the ground with ropes that run through ceiling-mounted eyehooks (figure 3) and down to nautical cleats mounted on the walls (figure 4).

NOTE: An alternative to setting up a built-in background pole like this is to purchase the Photoflex ProDuty BackDrop Support Kit, which is simple to set up and break down and is easily transported.

Metal clips connect the ropes to the pole, and can be unclipped easily to allow a roll of seamless background to slide over the pole. If you shoot in one space often, like a small studio or garage, then this method may work well for you.

In this situation, we suspended a 9-foot roll of white seamless paper, secured it to the pole with an A-clamp, and taped the front edge to the floor using gaffer's tape (figure 5).

For lighting, we started with a Photoflex Starlite Medium Digital Kit, which uses the Starlite head and 500-watt Tungsten lamp, and mounted it to a Photoflex Boom and Boom Stand. We then positioned it over the center of the paper, where our model would be crouching. Since the model was nearly ready, we had her come out to the set so that we could frame up the shot while the stylist finished up (figures 6 & 7).

Once the camera was mounted vertically to a tripod, we zoomed all the way out on the lens to keep lens distortion to a minimum. Looking through the viewfinder, the shot already looked great. We set the aperture to f/4 to keep the background soft, set the shutter speed to 1/125th of a second, and took several shots as the model gave various crouching poses (figure 8).

Reviewing the images on the back of the camera, we were particularly drawn to this image. Not only was the model's pose captivating, but the lighting was elegantly simple. The soft box overhead did a wonderful job of lighting the model's hair, face and body while creating a subtle, soft shadow on a background that transitioned from light to dark gray. All from one light!

Since our main light was lit with a 500-watt lamp, we set up a two light Starlite Medium Digital Kit 2, each with a 1000-watt lamp, and positioned them on either side of the background (figure 9).

To make the foreground and the model 2/3 of a stop brighter, we opened the aperture to f/3.2 and kept the shutter speed at 1/125th of a second. After the stylist touched up the model's hair, we took several more shots with various poses (figures 10 & 11).

In these final result shots, notice how the background and foreground are now white, while the light levels on the model have been maintained. As you can see, the set up for creating high quality fashion/portrait shots can be very straightforward.

Also keep in mind that if you switch out the Tungsten lamps with Photoflex CoolStar CFL lamps (daylight-balanced), you can shoot similar shots in areas where daylight is present -- light coming through a window, doorway, etc... These lamps allow you great flexibility with respect to where and how you shoot.

Remember to experiment with your lights and have fun!