Previsualizing is key

After a meeting with the Sports department about shooting a unique photo for the CU Preview section front a couple days ago, the reporter Kyle Ringo and I discussed an idea of having two guys ready to kill an offensive lineman. The original idea was to do full-bleed across the section front. (Not sure if it's going to happen now because of a strip ad on the bottom of the page now.) After thinking it over for a day or two I decided that it would have to be three lights minimum I've got in the trunk to do. In some respects I wish I had two more lights, but what do you do with limited resources? You adapt and make due with what you have.

Thankfully had a D3 to use full-frame with a 14mm and the Live View feature as the camera was inside another helmet. I could barely see the composition. Being given barely five minutes to shoot with the guys due to a mix up during media day for the Buffs didn't help matters much. George Hypolite had to get to a conditioning session. Luckily I was 30 minutes early and was able to get things sorted out as early as I did. While the sports information team scrambled, I moved a bunch of furniture and darkened a room as much as possible. Then guessed on where to set up the lights so all I would need to do is have the two guys get into position and adjust as fast as possible.

Strobist: Two SBs @ 1/2 power @ 50mm into umbrellas tilted upside down into the faces with a SB on a cord on the floor (accidentally) into the helmet of the camera. I didn't call slop, so it doesn't count.

Luckily it worked out fairly well, considering I fired off seven shots of this version and quickly had to work in a different pose as backup. Sports wanted a vertical just in case the original idea wasn't going to work on the front.

I'm satisfied with the result, but the only thing I'm running into is that a lot of my portraits are starting to look the same. I really need to work on some new tricks for my bag o' tricks. And quick, considering there's not much time left in my tenure. A wee bit more time to work with a subject might help as well.

UPDATE: My managing editor really dislikes this photo and has essentially demanded a re-shoot of the photo. "The face mask and angle make the giant football players look small." After a heated discussion I'm pretty much deflated over the whole deal. On to the next thing...