Andy Hoang is a fashion and commercial photographer based in London with an incredible eye for detail and lighting, and will be joining us at the NEC in Birmingham to talk us through creating amazing images with the Profoto B10. Before The Photography Show 2019, Andy talks us through one of his cover shoots.
California Dreaming
"The editorial was titled ‘California Dreaming’ but we didn’t have the budget to fly the whole team out to the states. The alternative was to shoot on a clear day in the South of England.
Thankfully the Portishead Lido were kind enough to loan their space to us for half a day, at the expense of their customers queueing up to cool off on a hot day!"
The set-up
Within the shoot, Andy's aim was to create a California sun kissed feeling that was full of character and colour.
"The sun was our key light and a Profoto B1 with OCF octa as fill light, which was handheld by my assistant. The sun gave that hard light and we balanced it nicely with a soft Profoto light shaping tool. As the sun was the key, the flash was set to a lower power setting to compliment and not overpower.
The importance of balance
For Andy, when shooting, balance is key.
"Get the balance right, especially on location, as it’s a less controlled environment compared to studio. Make sure the subject knows where the light is coming from so they avoid blocking whilst posing, to not create harsh shadows, unless that’s what you like! Have a wide range of light shaping tools are your disposal, just in case you need a certain feel."
The Photography Show 2019
You can visit us and Andy at The Photography Show 2019, where he will be talking about his work and presenting his top lighting tips and techniques alongside a variety of other incredible photographers. More information can be found here. To follow Andy and see more of his work, visit his website or Instagram.