Recently, I was hired to shoot 2014 Olympic Gold Medalist Mikaela Shiffrin for Barilla pasta at her home ski resort of Beaver Creek, CO. It was a really fun shoot, and great to work with such a talented, upbeat and well grounded athlete. She definitely has what it takes to become a superstar. Here’s the rundown on the shoot:
It’s late in the spring, the mountain has been long closed and the snow is melting rapidly. We have several hours to shoot action, portrait and lifestyle shots of her, both on the mountain in her ski gear and in the village for some casual lifestyle shots, including the time it takes to set up, move around to several different locations, have her sit for hair & makeup and break for lunch. It’s a lot to fit into a short timeframe, so we have to be really efficient with every aspect of the shoot.
Luckily, the weather is perfect when we wake up on the morning of the shoot. We’re on the lift by 7 and ready to shoot at the top of the mountain by 7:45. We start with some portraits on top of the mountain, then a few runs through a series of Giant Slalom gates for some action shots, then it’s time to break for lunch and wardrobe/ makeup change to be ready for lifestyle shots in the village. Before we know it, it’s 3:00 and Mikaela has to leave for another commitment – just as the clouds start rolling in. When we wake up the next morning, the mountains are socked in and there’s an inch of snow on the ground. That’s what you call good timing.
With such a tight schedule, I’m using simple tools and setups to keep the shoot moving and to let Mikaela be herself in front of the camera. I want the lighting to look natural, so I’m using basic modifiers; one strobe head with an octabox or a simple round reflector, to add fill, enhance detail and compensate for the strong sunlight.
For these shots, I’m using a Phase One IQ250 medium format camera system with a 110mm lens attached. Like most high-end medium format cameras, the image quality is incredible. With a dynamic range of 14 stops and 50+ mb files, the detail in the images looks almost 3 dimensional. Most medium format cameras I’ve worked with are slow and clunky, but what really impressed me about the IQ250 is how smooth and nimble it is to use. The touch screen menu on the back is quick and easy to navigate and the bright viewfinder makes it easy to nail fine focus even when your subject is moving and you’re working with a shallow depth of field.
For shooting active lifestyle and sports, I need a camera that’s responsive, easy to use and quick to adjust on the fly. 35 mm cameras do this really well, but can’t match the image quality of a medium format system. The IQ250 is the first camera I’ve used that can bridge that gap, and I’m looking forward to more great shoots ahead with it. I’m especially excited to experiment with its incredibly fast 1/1600 flash sync speed, which not only allows me to freeze the action but also gives me more control over the light and latitude to overpower the sun. Most cameras sync at 1/250 sec and the best native sync I’ve seen is 1/800 sec. For shooting action with strobes, this is a game changer.
