Last Friday I covered the"TOGA 125" Fashion Design Event.Gallery is here :http://roelh.zenfolio.com/p845140329This was a contest for fashion designers, to come up with a new design for the traditional attorney's robe ("Toga"). Entries were numerous and varied, some quite a bit more outrageous than the next.To celebrate this, a prestigious fashion event complete with catwalk and loud music, was organized in the Antwerp Justice Palace.One very special aspect :noneof the persons walking the catwalk was a professional model.Instead they were all attorneys and members of the Bar (and one judge), who volunteered to show the designs. Most of them walked the catwalk for the first time in their life.Prior to starting my event coverage, on a whim, I set up an improvised studio in the backstage area, right before the entrance to the catwalk. I used two Elinchrom D-Lite 4s and shot with ZD35-100mmF2 lens on Olympus E-5.That lens is just the most perfect tool to shoot a great number of very varied portraits in a really short time, ranging from groups over duos and individuals to head shots.The gallery of those posed portraits is here :http://roelh.zenfolio.com/p808230698It was a hectic shoot, because all portraits were made there in the two hours prior to curtain time, amidst the chaos of dressing, hairstyling and make-up, in that small corner of the models' green room.Taking care solo of the whole deal, including changes to the light setup (between clam-shell and two lights wde apart), I managed to make photos of dozens of models, ending up with more than 120 keepers in that short period.I don't think I could have done this with a less versatile lens/body combination.In the first reply, I will include some more photos of theEventitself, shot with E-3 and E-5. On the E-5 I had the ZD35-100mm all the time, with no flash. On the E-3 I sometimes had the ZD150mm, and sometimes the ZD12-60mm combined with FL50R. Shutter priority as a rule, with few exceptions.In the second reply, I will include a few more of the "Studioshoot", all with strobes and ZD35-100mm on E-5 (manual exposure mostly 1/250 at F8).If that does not give you indigestion, there is more in the galleries :Event:http://roelh.zenfolio.com/p845140329Studio Portraits:http://roelh.zenfolio.com/p808230698Thanks for looking. C&C and comments are always welcome.

Backstage:Starting off with a parade in traditional robe and masks:A model in a very elegant, un-lawyer-like creation:The traditional symbols of justice incorporated:Two pretty outrageous designs, one very transparant, the other veiled:A bit of national symbolism in three colours:The quieter type (sometimes better for your case that the loud mouth):In this robe, the cape of shredded law books looked like a hair extension:Wrapping up for applause:More images of the event are here : http://roelh.zenfolio.com/p845140329

There was only a black backstage curtain available as backdrop, and no way to do hairlights. So there is just variation in the front lighting.Still fairly traditional design, although a bit modernized:Pretty extreme transparancy (model with the designer of the dress):Mother and daughter both ready for the catwalk:The attorney as macho man:Red, anyone?:Business lawyer in pin-striped robe:Attorney as Pompadour Geisha:An extremely elegant but impractical design (as most were):Notice the glove:And then there was also time for some horsing around:The full set can be browsed here : http://roelh.zenfolio.com/p808230698Thanks for looking. C&C welcome, of course.

Your portrait series really stand out; I do not care for any hairlights in shots like this.When I shoot portraits, I like dark backgrounds and non-smiling models (especially with children/youngsters); gives an extra dimension to these portraits. Thnxs for sharing your portraits!

Very inspiring, thanks for sharing-Chris

Very nice Roel !I think you did a great job specially because you did it all alone covering the whole event! Must have been tiring but afterall very satisfing.btw: I think I saw you on the news this weekend, when they were talking about it. (It was your back, but I'm pretty sure it was you)Regards Ivan

Excellent and fascinating photos. Thank you for sharing!Tony

Quookerwrote:Very nice Roel !Thanks.I think you did a great job specially because you did it all alone covering the whole event!It is the kind of pressure that makes me deliver.Must have been tiring but afterall very satisfing.Absolutelybtw: I think I saw you on the news this weekend, when they were talking about it. (It was your back, but I'm pretty sure it was you)There was a news item in the evening TV news on Friday and an updated version in the Saturday news, but in those reports they did not show the photo shoot. It does give a good idea of the event though :http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/mediatheek/nieuws/cultuurenmedia/1.1034018But then on Sunday there was a longer report in a Sunday News Show (De Zevende Dag - The Seventh Day), covering more of the event and including a few seconds that show my improvised studio (at 1:59 until 2:05):http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/mediatheek/programmas/dezevendedag/2.15901/2.15902/1.1034563In this clip, there is first an introduction about the history of the robe, and then images of one lawyer preparing for the catwalk. And then they show me from the back for a few seconds, making some of the pictures included in the gallery.

There aren't many words to add to a such complete and wonderful job.I would like to ask you a thing or two. A friend of mine cover a similar event three months ago in London with his D300 and 70-200/2.8 and we talk about it very thoroughly. He used his SB-800 as a fill in with a gel to balance it with the ambient.Did you thought to do something similar so that you get a catch light and brighten a little bit the shadows?And something else, did you do all that for free?Thanks for posting that amazing work. -- Dimitris P. http://photogrifos.zenfolio.com http://photogrifos.deviantart.com

Photogrifoswrote:There aren't many words to add to a such complete and wonderful job.Thanks.I would like to ask you a thing or two. A friend of mine cover a similar event three months ago in London with his D300 and 70-200/2.8 and we talk about it very thoroughly. He used his SB-800 as a fill in with a gel to balance it with the ambient.For the portraits I used a two-strobe studio setup (portable : I took it with me in my car in a very very very large wheeled bag)Did you thought to do something similar so that you get a catch light and brighten a little bit the shadows?The catch light was done with the strobes on the "studio portraits".For the actual event, things were too quick to bother with trying to get catch lights. I used either ambient (ZD35-100 and ZD150) or straight flash (ZD12-60)And something else, did you do all that for free?Yes, for free and for the "infinite gratitude" of those involved.I am also a member of the Antwerp bar (that is my real job that puts bread on the table), and if I go to their events, I prefer to go as photographer : it passes the time quicker. The rest of the organizing team also does this pro bono.If prints are needed of other additional stuff, I won't deliver these for free. But my time was not charged for this particular organisation.My benefit from this is that I become known not only as just one of the attorneys, but also for my second passtime (turning into part time job, and sometimes more fun than lawyering...)Thanks for posting that amazing work.Thanks for looking.

Well done Roel. Different styles of coverage, the variety of photos, going to the effort of setting up the portable studio ... any client would be happy to pay for this work.You provided a different approach to the coverage of this event and followed through in a very thorough, professional manner. These are the things that define a photographer's 'unique style'.Douglas Brown

Great series of photos.I can see where you set up one strobe (from the video). Where was the other? How did you adjust them for light output?

Adjusterwrote:Great series of photos.I can see where you set up one strobe (from the video). Where was the other? How did you adjust them for light output?I had one strobe on my left side, pretty high with umbrella (reflective, not diffusive).The other strobe was a small softbox, very low on my right (or right in front of the model for some shots). For that very low position, I mount the strobe not on a strobe tripod, but on a manfrotto tripod that is basically like a Mercedes star that you fold open and it really sits on the ground.It is impossible to change height of the strobes for every person in such a hectic shoot, so I start from high and low positions and place the model where the lights cross.My high strobe was consistently 0,5 stops brighter than the low one. I did not mess around too much with output, but rather moved the models around when needed (closer, further off).

mujanawrote:Your portrait series really stand out; I do not care for any hairlights in shots like this.It was just a given that it was not going to be possible.When I shoot portraits, I like dark backgrounds and non-smiling models (especially with children/youngsters); gives an extra dimension to these portraits.I agree completely. Fake and grimacy smiles ruin many portraits.Thnxs for sharing your portraits!

Chris Makwrote:Very inspiring, thanks for sharing-Chris

Are actual pretty good. I would saythis is one of the posts you have posted that you hit more high notes consistently. Also you got a taste of what a wedding photog has to do. There are many similaritiesAs for the lenses I think (I think not sure which apertures you where shooting) a 14-54/12-60+ f2 50 would also be enough to cover the event This is not a statement against the lenses you used - merely commenting on what you said that you don't feel you could do it without the flexibility of the chosen lenses.I really like the first shot you posted. Excellent moment and composition --Raist3d/Ricardo (Photographer, software dev.)- "You are taking life too seriously if it bugs you in some way that a guy quotes himself in the .sig quote" - Ricardo

Roel,I had great fun browsing these!Great ones from your makeshift studio.One of the flock photographs others of the flock and a third one looks at them:-)Cheers,Claus.

Was your Toga greatfully suspended for that moment Roel :)? Nice series btw and the lady with the fan got a surprisingly masculine face and even there hand. With no red lips,shorter hair, no earrings,and without that specific woman like glans in her eyes and there nail cut differently she could be a man as she got the strong build of a man.Further I don't like lawyers, it's the shortest study and they asked way to much money for walking over already made paths. So they deliver mainly nothing new to you, they just translate the law. As a private person you have to fight your own law based struckle and if you be able to study and judge the books you could save yourself an awfull lot of money. There must be a reastaurant like system, stars, without a michelin star way less money. Only the master title isn't enough and can't justify there hourly wage. The lawyers who could think outside the box and being real masterly, you can count them in most countries on one or two hands but there are hunderds of thousends of lawyers, I think that says enough.Anyway that's not the issue, nice series.Regards Lou-

That tirade sounds like you had a bad experience with lawyers in your life. You probably never met the right ones?But you are right: that is entirely not the issue here.So I will avoid politics and polemics and just reply to your first sentence.LouHollandwrote:Was your Toga greatfully suspended for that moment Roel :)? Nice series btwThanks and you are right : I enjoy switching hats.( ...snip on the rest... )Anyway that's not the issue, nice series.Thanks again.

Lou,did you have too much of your Gilles de la Tourette aftershave today?My best,Claus.