I was recently given a set of Zhiyun B-series constant lights and I really wanted to try them out in the studio. Also, I worked with a new model whose very name gave me inspiration for this shoot: ‘Crystal’.
I shot “Crystals” in the studio with Elena aka (@crystalsnowyy). I wanted something a little ethereal, bright and shiny, with soft light and lots of reflections.
Setting the scene
I used a seamless grey paper backdrop and then lined the studio with silver mylar sheets. These had been crumpled up to created 100s of creases. I used an old table and also covered that with mylar. For props we used chandelier crystal drop pendants suspended from the ceiling. I wanted to keep it simple. My model worked a few different tops and jewellery selections throughout the short. The above image shows a rudimentary diagram.
- Top left & Right: Lumecube and colored lights
- Bottom left: Zhiyun Molus B200 and Phottix 65cm Softbox with gel
- Bottom right: Zhiyun Molus B300 and Phottix 85cm Softbox with gel
For the lighting, I used a Zhiyun Molus B200 and B300 with the Phottix 65cm & 85cm softbox/beauty dishes. I positioned my lights on either front corner and angled at 45 degrees from the model, up quite high, and angled down. The bottom of the softbox was roughly level with Emily’s head. Just enough to stop the light from reflecting in the hanging crystals. I also used the Lumevcvube RGB lights as further light in the back. I had gels of various colors on all the lights. Red/Green, Blue/Pink, Green/Yellow for different looks.
The other item I used was Fractal Prism lenses. I have covered them before, but it’s been some time since I got them out and used them for the beautiful prism of light they gave. These are best used just in front of the lens and twisted and turned to catch the light.
Camera gear and settings
- Camera: Sony A7RV
- Lens: Sony 50mm f/1.4 GM
- Camera settings: ISO640, f/2.8, 1/250 secs.
You can check out the actual setup and the behind-the-scenes video below:
