Ideas welcome...help needed!

[Nikonian]

hi everyone,

i have been hired on halloween to shoot a group of *** dressing up as vampires. they have hired a professional make-up artist as well. in an email i got from my client, she had mentioned she'd like a shot that has to do with a mirror...but no reflection in it of the vampire. im trying to find in my small brain a way i can make this/these interesting shots, yet still make each one a little different. the only angle i can come up with as far as the camera/model/lighting goes is to set up my tripod, take one shot at an angle into the mirror, and then move the model into the frame, shoot over her shoulder from the same spot, ensuring her face is in the mirror and then create layers in ps and erase the face?
im mainly concerned with getting the flash or myself in the mirror
david

 

[AndyB]

David the first thing I would do is set the shot up with the mirror. That way you can move lights about to make sure you don't get the flash in the mirror itself. You shouldn't get yourself in the mirror if you shoot at an angle which you would need to do in anycase to get the model and mirror in the shot.

Then position your model so she is looking in the mirror and take the shot. Make sure not to change anything about the lighting or exposure so both images are identical except for the presence of the model. Of course you must use a tripod and if possible use a remote shutter release so you don't need to touch the camera.

It should be a fairly simple task to then layer the two images and mask out her reflection.

Good luck

 

[susie]

Don't know about the processing part, but make sure the mirror is sparkly clean as any dust or fingerprints will show in the picture!

 

[Nikonian]

good call suzie, im definately going to be picking up a bottle of windex and papertowel now!