I thought I’d share a couple recent covers that I shot for Quick. They both had to be fun, sumer type photos to go along with the party themes of the feature stories. However, I didn’t want them to look exactly the same, so I used a very simple technique to change the background.
Even though both were shot on the exact same red seamless in my studio, I pumped up the power on a single light behind the model on the “Cake in a Glass” cover. This made it appear to be pink in the middle and slowly fall off to a light red around the edges. Using a modest power setting on my main subject light, the main to background ratio helps keep the background looking bright and sunny.
The “Happy Hour” story needed a more sexy, nightlife feel to it. To achieve this, I simply bounced two lights (one from each side of the background) towards the middle. This created a very mild bright spot in the center, but it quickly fades to a darker, richer red. Metering for a powerful main light on the subjects, I am able to really bring out the true red color in the seamless. The ratio from main to background power favors the subject, making the background appear darker and more bold.
So, there you go… two different looks and feels on two different covers, but shot on the exact same background! It just takes a little different light setup, and you are good to go!