Top: try to get both feet on the ground in your shots, this takes practice. Second: the make-up artists (MUA) and hair folks work long, hard days
Third: a fun behind-the-scenes shots of the clothes hanging ready for the models
Fourth: this year, I saw a lot of young models with their mothers in tow
Bottom: the martini
Images © Copyright 2009 Michael Seto
Mercedez Benz Fashion Week (Feb 2009)
It always feels cooler to say you shot Fashion Week than to actually do it. Being in the tent feels like the copy from that Vodka ad "in a world full of golddiggers, posers, and wannabees..." Photographing there is fun for about ten minutes, then it's just work, then it's just a pain in the a--.
Shooting a runway show is enjoyable, for the first few times. There are some people who love it and you see a lot of them year after year at Bryant Park; they love to tell the newbies (like me) where to sit and just act like chaperons or air traffic control to the flock of photogs and camerafolks on the media riser.
Tips for the runway. Using a fast capable SLR, I use the Nikon D700, I knew whatever the lighting conditions, I'd be able to get the shots I needed with it's high ISO and fantastic autofocus capability. First things first, get to the riser early, especially if you don't have a reserved spot - it gets crowded. Be courteous and try and wedge yourself in so you don't spoil someone else's shot. Bring the minimum amount of gear and leave your bag elsewhere. Remember you normally can't use flash. A folding stool is great as well, or a hard camera case to sit on. I bring the D700 with MBD10 and the 70-200 VR, then I sling a D300 with a 17-35 for some wide angle shots of the venue.
I shoot on Manual and chimp beforehand to get my settings, I like f4 to give me some background blur but still enough DOF to get a face sharp, at least 1/250 to freeze motion, so today I ended up at ISO 800. Fortunately, lighting at the show tends to be consistent day-to-day and all along the runway. Matrix metering can get fooled by the bright runway and dark backgrounds sometimes. I shoot on Dynamic AF-C with 21-sensors active; initially focused on the face of the model. Nikon's AF works like a charm, tracking and predicting focus for me. I work the zoom as they walk out to frame them properly and then zoom in tight to get some close-ups at the turn.
The tough part it timing their steps so you get both feet on the ground. A leg bent at the knee can make a model look like an amputee, and a raised leg can look like she's listing and about to capsize (which happens sometimes with stilettos). Using a fast camera with bursts of 8 FPS helps of course - but you still want to fire when she's about to put her foot down. Knowing how your gear functions helps immensely in timing this.
Make sure you're equipment is ready and you have plenty of memory. A show runs maybe 20 minutes and you get say 35 looks, you're shooting 8 FPS the whole way, 20-25 frames per look equals 700+ shots...and in RAW I only get 350 images on a 4 GB card. Be ready to change quickly (or get a bigger card); there is no letup or slowdown - you're like Lucy at the chocolate factory. Get behind and you're going to be stuffing chocos everywhere and explaining to your editor why you missed the one key look they wanted.
This year I also got a chance to shoot backstage at the Rebecca Taylor show. You get a lot of insight into the chaos of how a show is put together and executed. And you realize how young these models are. You can get some fun, behind the scenes shots, just don't shoot the models undressed or someone's going to yell at you and you'll find yourself thrown out (or hit by Mom's handbag). Every girl seem to be from Eastern Europe and most sit around in i-pod zombie mode.
If you think being a model is glamourous, hang out for a couple shows behind the scenes at MBFW. The way they cycle through hair, makeup, wardrobe...I've seen chickens at Tysons get better treatment.
That's all for now, hope to see you in the riser in September...maybe.
