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THEAPPRENTICE
NATASHA’S TOP 10 TIPS
1
Get a model release
These are readily available online and help to clear
up the agreement between you, the model, and how
you can use the images.2
Make sure you have a superfast connection
A laggy connection can make the experience less
fun and effective, so make sure you have a decent
broadband speed and that you’re the only one in the
house using it if you’re struggling to get a decent
connection already.3
Shoot in the landscape orientation
Try framing the shot so that it’s in the landscape
orientation, then you have the flexibility to use it
as either a landscape shot or you can crop it to a
portrait format in post.4
Keep the ISO low
Shoot at your lowest ISO value (eg ISO100) for
the best image quality. If your images are coming
out too dark increase the flash power, or move the
lights closer to your model.5
Get started and go from there
A lot of time can be wasted trying to figure out
what look or pose to start with, but Natasha
suggests just jumping straight in to break the ice
and you’ll soon figure it out as you go.6
Zoom in and check detail
Just like any other shoot it’s worth double-checking
each image to make sure the exposure and focus
is spot-on. If it isn’t now is your chance to have
another go.7
Fast SD card
When Natasha works tethered, she always uses the
fastest memory cards she can get my hands on so
that the images can be transferred to the computer
as fast as possible.8
Keep spare batteries handy
Using Live View and constantly sending data
to your computer when tethered will drain the
batteries quickly, so always have a handful of
spares charged and ready to go.9
Take breaks regularly
Just as when shooting with a photographer in the
room, it’s a great idea to take a break every hour or
two to assess the work you’ve done and figure out
what you want to try next.10
Use a Pinterest mood board
Pinterest mood boards are a great way of figuring
out a concept or theme for a shoot with the
photographer before the shoot happens. Sharing
ideas is also a great way of breaking the ice with
models and photographers.YEMI’S COMMENT
I was getting into the swing of shooting tethered and remotely
and found it quite useful to count down from 3, 2, 1, before
firing the shutter, as there was a bit of a delay in the connection. This
made sure Natasha knew when to hold the pose, so I would catch the
right moment without her blinking. For this image Natasha suggested
going for a wider mid-length portrait, so I asked her to move the camera away from her a
bit to include more of her body. She also changed into this vibrant orange outfit. We
continued with the white background, but changed the lights this time so that two
softboxes were illuminating all of the background to make it punchy. There was just a
single flash in front of Natasha to light her with a large octabox attached.TOP GEAR #
Fast standard zoom lens
NATASHA’S MAIN portrait lens is the
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art
lens. It’s an extremely versatile optic,
being able to go as wide as 24mm for
full-length shots and can zoom in to
70mm for tight close-ups too. The
aperture is a wide f/2.8 throughout the
zoom range, which makes it possible to
get shallow depth-of-field effects and
blur the background if required.TETHERING
TO CONNECT her Canon
EOS 90D directly to her
computer and shoot
tethered through the
Canon EOS Utility 3 app
on her computer Natasha
uses a Tether Tools cable.
She uses the USB 2.0 to Micro-B 5-pin version to fit her
90D, though USB 3.0 options are available for faster
connection to fit EOS cameras such as the 5D IV. It’s 4.6m
long and is also bright orange, keeping it visible.