SNL photography

[Draddy]

Anyone here love SNL's host photography as much as I do?

I want to rip it off and create a series of self portraits...

But I want to set myself up for success, I have a D80 and what I think is an amazing portrait lens, a 60mm f/2.8 ...

but what else goes on? What kind of light source do I need?
What kind of post processing do you think is done besides colorizing? Sharpening?

What kind of program can I use to get that amazing barely HDR look? (rather than the extreme photomatrix HDR everyone on here seems to be using.)



Thanks a bunch!

 

[alecmcmahon]

im not to great at reverse enginnering, but it looks like it would be 2 large softboxes on both sides, or other lighting. And most likely a ring flash.


With some photoshoop

 

[ipodtoucher]

Anyone here love SNL's host photography as much as I do?

I want to rip it off and create a series of self portraits...

But I want to set myself up for success, I have a D80 and what I think is an amazing portrait lens, a 60mm f/2.8 ...

but what else goes on? What kind of light source do I need?
What kind of post processing do you think is done besides colorizing? Sharpening?

What kind of program can I use to get that amazing barely HDR look? (rather than the extreme photomatrix HDR everyone on here seems to be using.)



Thanks a bunch!

I agree!! I love their pictures! I think it would be hard to do this as a self portrait...try getting your best friend to help you out! They probably use multiple lights, and a super white background. Now with Photomatix you can adjust the settings to create a less harsh picture...and then add a bunch of saturation and contrast...thats what i think...lol

 

[HomeingPigeon]

May I ask, What is SNL photography?

 

[NoAverageJoe]

May I ask, What is SNL photography?

SNL = Saturday Night Live

 

[compuwar]

Anyone here love SNL's host photography as much as I do?

I want to rip it off and create a series of self portraits...

But I want to set myself up for success, I have a D80 and what I think is an amazing portrait lens, a 60mm f/2.8 ...

but what else goes on? What kind of light source do I need?
What kind of post processing do you think is done besides colorizing? Sharpening?

What kind of program can I use to get that amazing barely HDR look? (rather than the extreme photomatrix HDR everyone on here seems to be using.)



Thanks a bunch!

It's difficult to tell with such small examples, but there's at least a light source from each side, you could probably do that with a diffusion panel or strip box on each side, you'll need one or two background lights to blow the background like that- if you can get a larger picture with the eyes in good you can see if you'll need something up front too- it looks like it- the side lights don't seem to be as hot up front, and the shadow under the chin says there's a high light out front, slightly to camera left.

I'd probably try a softbox or stripbox on each side, a brolly for fill up front and either a background light right behind or one on each side with a white seamless or muslin backdrop.

It's _possible_ that there are just really large light sources on each side with the left turned up a bit higher I suppose, and with stage lighting you can do a lot of stuff because you have a lot of lights, but that's how I'd start out.

 

[Draddy]

you guys are awesome! Thank you very much!

I couldn't find anything bigger anywhere... but all I know is that on my HDTV, those photos are absolutely incredible.

EDIT: So I found out the photographers name is Mary Ellen Matthews, and doing google searches has come up with a few more results, such as

http://www.natalieportman.com/gallery/mags_2006-snl

 

[Draddy]

awesome! just found her site..

here is a link to all the SNL photos..... some AMAZING ones on here.

http://www.jedroot.com/photogr/mem/matthews-portfolio.php

 

[ipodtoucher]

awesome! just found her site..

here is a link to all the SNL photos..... some AMAZING ones on here.

http://www.jedroot.com/photogr/mem/matthews-portfolio.php

Simply amazing! But i guarantee that they use something like a Hasselblad to get such sharp crisp quality...haha good luck buying a $25,000 camera hahaha

 

[Draddy]

Simply amazing! But i guarantee that they use something like a Hasselblad to get such sharp crisp quality...haha good luck buying a $25,000 camera hahaha

yeah... most likely. (I always thought the blads were more than 25?) but it would be fun to try to achieve, even if I can't technically get near it, I would like to do the best I can. (maybe not as a self portrait, but just as a portrait in general.)

 

[ipodtoucher]

yeah... most likely. (I always thought the blads were more than 25?) but it would be fun to try to achieve, even if I can't technically get near it, I would like to do the best I can. (maybe not as a self portrait, but just as a portrait in general.)

Haha i think the body alone is 25K for the lower end models, maybe? haha anywayz...i would try what these guys said...two soft boxes on left and right and so on...give it a try and show us your progress!

 

[compuwar]

Simply amazing! But i guarantee that they use something like a Hasselblad to get such sharp crisp quality...haha good luck buying a $25,000 camera hahaha

http://www.blackbookmag.com/comments/live-from-nymary-ellen-matthews-shoots-saturday-night-live/

Click on the "Click here for more images and look at the first shot- Looks like a Canon or Nikon to me, and generally your backup camera is the same as your primary.