The black seamless set has yet another variation. This time (below) we
added flames for a real attention-getter. Shannon’s nickname is Bam. It’s her
alter ego—and Bam is a hottie, so why not flames? Where there’s smoke
there’s fire, so the background had to be hot—red and orange. Since I started
using fire as a special effect in pre-digital days, the fire here is actually real. I
learned this technique as a stage hand in college. Basically, I have different
shaped metal trays that hold lighter fluid, which we light just prior to the ex-
posure. You could do this digitally, but I choose to do it live. Nothing makes
an impression on a client like lighting your studio on fire! Naturally, this must
be done with extreme caution, far from any flammable materials and with
the safety of your client, yourself, and your staff in mind.
We did flames... how about water? Ever see Flash Dance? It took a lit-
tle work, but after we figured how to install a drain on the floor, the rest of
the set design fell into place.
Tonya and I thought the shower idea would be absolutely erotic, and she
was game to create this dreamy, sensual image (next page, top). Again, you
see the now-familiar black seamless, this time paired with smoke lit by blue
gels. A 1x4-foot strip light illuminated the water falling on Tonya. Another
1x4-foot strip light was placed above and slightly behind Tonya, featheredSTUDIO AND INDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY 61FACING PAGE—For this Mardi Gras themed
portrait, the background is colorfully lit
smoke. I love the texture it gives. RIGHT—This
is one of my favorite images. We made it for a
potential CD cover, which is why the guitar was
selected as a prop. The band loved it at first,
but later decided it was too hot. Too bad.