Concept - test shots 2

Test shoot by Ruth with help from Andy and Kevin.  Used these two templates to project images and colour wash:

 

The colours were too pale initially so reduced the opacity:

Initially studio set up as shown below but without the umbrella flash.  Using high ISO because of low light led to grainy images. 

Also lighting from behind the model cast a large shadow on the wall:

To eliminate the show added the flash to light the background.  Here the model is standing between the flash and the wall so the projected image and the entire blue colour wash has been lost in the flash.

Tried standing the model in front of the flash so that it lights the wall but not the model – model becomes a silhouette!  Here the colour wash should have been orange:

Reduced the intensity of the flash and tried to make the projected image darker – you can just about see the words on Kevin’s back.

Because Kevin’s shirt was too dark to show the projected image properly we tried putting a large piece of paper over his back to provide a pale background more like skin tone (you have to use your imagination here!!)

Then tried a cropped in shot.

Tried changing the size of the projected image so that it doesn’t cover the whole area with colour and leaves the background white so only the model’s back will be coloured.  Despite playing around with various sizes of the projected image and light settings this doesn’t work as we end up with a big orange square!

Next we tried making the lighting all white and colouring the map/words rather than the background:

 – despite trying different exposures we still end up with a big white square as the intensity of the different lights isn’t the same:

Cropping right in – the projected  image is a bit wishy washy and grey and even trying to imagine that this is projected onto a naked back and not a piece of paper it’s going to be a bit boring!

Tried cropping down the original blue shot which cuts out the shadow we were trying to get rid of – its still really boring when you crop it right down:



We could have tried using gel lights to backlight the curve in the same colour as the image but didn’t get round to trying this.  Instead we tried out a slightly different idea .....

..... we tried out putting the model (not Kevin) very close to the projector and projecting the image onto different parts of the body and taking close up shots.  This gives a similar effect to a tattoo and is much more interesting than just projecting straight onto the back.   Could work well if we came up with the right words/phrases and/or images to project.

 Also, need to try using some reflectors to enhance the lighting and so make post production easier.

There are lots of ways this could be varied:

·         Using different parts of the body – lower back, stomach, biceps, shoulders etc

·         Positioning the model in different ways  eg sitting, kneeling, lying, twisting, bending etc

·         Angling the projector (You need to place the projector on a stand so that it doesn’t move but it can be angled by propping it up on one side etc.)

·         Distorting the image by pointing the projector at an angle and/or bending/angling the body

·         Could use body paint to provide a coloured background/enhance the muscle tone

·         Projecting a coloured image?

·         Would work well with a really buff model and use lighting and camera angles to really capture the muscle definition, body shape etc.