The 2015’s version of the Real Shoot Experience workshop took place in Amsterdam on June 12, 2015. The photo production was inspired by the popular Hollywood movie The Hunger Games. I participated in this production as a photography instructor and photographer. As an instructor I was in charge of teaching fellow photographers portrait photography and lighting concepts.
The Production
The photo session was organized in the Schinkelbuurt neighbohood in Amsterdam. It was the first time one of these workshops is organized outdoors. One of the reasons for this was to better match the Hunger Games story which develops, to a large extent, outdoors. The second reason was to give participants the opportunity to practice natural light techniques. In addition, by organizing the workshop outdoors the production team had plenty of space to set up multiple stations and, to easily host a team of about 25 people including 12 photographers, 6 models, stylists and assistants.
The location was perfect for the photo session. It offered photographers plenty of options for staging their photos. There was an old warehouse used for storage and maintenance of Amsterdam’s old trams. It also provided a wooded area, old railway tracks and an old pavement road.
Logistics
As usual with RSE photo productions the day was organized in two parts with a break in between. During the first part photographers were teamed up in groups of 2. Each photographer had a 10-minutes slot to lead and shoot, while the other photographer assisted the lead photographer. The teams were rotating through all 6 stations. In the second part all the participating photographers were working on the same station at the same time. Each stations offered photographers the freedom to move around and work with the models to setup their scenes and photos.
In order to work on each individual photo session, photographers had the chance to collaborate with stylists and wardrobe specialists. To assist photographers, the production provided each team with reflectors and diffusers to modify the available light.
Planning my Work
In order to prepare for this Hunger Games photo session I dedicated some time to watch the movies. My intention was to study the characters, stories and the lighting techniques used in the films. This allows me to minimize the chances of making mistakes or forgetting something the day of the shoot. I also spent some time studying camera angles in order to draw inspiration for my compositions and poses. I payed special attention to scenes staged outdoors and to the use of ambient light to set the mood.
For the main portraiture work I used a Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 and a Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR2. For contextual and environmental photos I brought with me the Zeiss 25mm f/2 lens. My cameras for this occasion were a Nikon D800 and Nikon D810. The last items on my photo bag were a Nikon SB-910 speedlight, a 0.9 ND LEE filter and a couple of 5-in-1 reflectors.
Conclusion
Overall this was a great event. It offered plenty of options for developing interesting artistic ideas. Photographers had the chance to work with a team of very talented people. This included models, stylists and make-up artists.
If you live in Panama and would like to join one of my portrait photography workshops then get in contact with me for the workshops schedule and pricing.
Photo Session Gallery
View the photo gallery with all the photos made during the Hunger Games Photo Session.
Project Details
- Name: Hunger Games Photo Session
- Date: June 15, 2015
- Location: Amsterdam
Credits
- Production: Real Shoot Experience
- Models: Sebasteaan van Arnhem, Valeriya Maleyeva, Mariska Mulder, Yanick Schults
- Makeup Artist: Alena Dick
- Hair Stylist: Samuel Boss
- Styling: Rebeka Kadlicsek
- Video Production: Guy Seaton
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