Review: Fashion Shoot in the Optics Lab

Never in my lifetime have I had so many things to think about on one shoot before. Don't let the models overlap, don't forget where the gutter is, don't bump the camera, don't let anyone else bump the camera, make sure you switch your focus, make sure the models look like mannequins or robots, make sure you are getting variety in the posing, and definitely don't let the models touch anything...not even the door handles. I actually believe I was more mentally exhausted than physically when we finished yesterday. We started at 8am and went straight through until 4pm. I was in high gear the entire time handing all of the details that came with the concept for the editorial spread.

The concept for the shoot was about a mad scientist creating swimsuits made out of new materials. (New materials being the newly engineered fabrics being used by swimsuit designers.) The main cause for concern when we first started talking about the shoot was the location. Where in the world would we find a visually appealing lab within one week that would let us spend an entire day taking over the place and photographing scantily clad models in suits? Luckily, my genius clients knew there would be a few labs at the nearby University of Central Florida Campus. We scouted several locations, including one ophthalmologist’s office, one week prior to the shoot. We were lucky that one of those labs we scouted was a perfect fit for what we needed. Of course, there was a catch. It was an optics lab. I didn't know what a person would do in an optics lab or what it could possibly be used for. All I could imagine were the optics one would find in my camera lens. My assumption was way off. Turns out, the lab was a special high tech lab which uses lasers in different processes. The "catch" to using this lab was that it was a "clean lab". Things like dust, dirt, and oils from the skin were not supposed to get into the lab or around the equipment. So, we had to suit up before we could enter the lab. A full body bunny suit, booties, hair net, and plastic gloves were all required. I felt like the only thing I was missing was a face mask. The lab also came equipped with overhead lights which were a yellow/amber color. Our guide explained that this yellow colored light used overhead removed all of the blue wavelengths, so not to harm the processes the students were doing. I was confident I would figure out a way to shoot around all of these road bumps and reassured my client... The lab was perfect!

The lab was amazing, with plenty of space for my studio lights and visually appealing machinery. The models had enough room to move around with no problem. With our concept of having six people per shot, we were definitely in need of some extra space. We even had a handy room just off the lab for makeup, hair, and wardrobe. Look for the spread in the June issue of Orlando Magazine.

Models Jamie Womach & Melissa Pollock http://www.bmgmodels.com/

Model Lydia Penso

Make-up by Sunha Fajardo http://www.artofbeautybysunha.com/

Hair by Caroline Van Haastert http://www.carolinevh.com/

Styling by Shelley & Jillian at Orlando Magazine http://www.orlandomagazine.com/

The photos below are some behind the scenes shots taken throughout the day of our activity.