Direct Flash Editorial Photography Brief: Shot List, Lighting and Locations

Q: What shots should I get for a Direct Flash Editorial photo shoot?

For a Direct Flash Editorial shoot, capture: Low-angle wide shot on a rooftop in full sun, the subject in an orange nylon jacket leaning on a blue water tank, flash cutting a hard highlight on the fabric, the sky held deep cobalt, the city behind; Close wide shot at a roadside fruit stand, the subject sitting on a red plastic chair in lime track pants and a printed shirt, flash lifting the crates of oranges and limes, mountains and a pickup truck out of focus behind; Medium shot in a laundromat at night, a metallic green dress and a clear umbrella, flash bouncing off the chrome of the machines, neon and rain in the window, tiles wet; Low-angle wide shot under a concrete overpass at dusk, a powder-blue suit and yellow boots mid-stride with a bunch of tulips, flash throwing a hard shadow onto the pillar, the sky indigo with the last light; Wide shot from the ground at a coastal pull-off, the subject leaning into the open door of a camper van in a silver pleated skirt and coral jacket, flash against bright sun, the sea blown to glitter.

Q: Where should I shoot Direct Flash Editorial photography?

Good locations for Direct Flash Editorial photography include: A rooftop with tanks, pipes and a skyline, A roadside fruit stand or corner shop, A laundromat, diner or arcade at night, An overpass, car park or petrol station at dusk, A coast road, a camper van, a beach car park in hard sun.

SET

The setup

Shoot briefHD[direct flash e]00:00:00:00Stop ■
Brief Int(direct-flash.BRF)
✎Direct Flash Editorial
01 LightOne flash on the hot shoe, pointed straight at the subject. In daylight, expose for the sky and let the flash fill the subject so the blue stays deep. At dusk, the same, with the ambient a stop under. No modifiers, no bounce, no reflector. The hard shadow behind the subject is part of the picture.
02 WardrobeOne loud garment per frame in a fabric that catches flash: nylon, satin, metallic pleats, patent leather, wet-look jersey. Colour at full volume, orange, lime, cobalt, silver. White trainers, chunky boots, sport sandals. Sunglasses in daylight. Nothing tonal, nothing muted, nothing that disappears against the wall.
03 LocationA rooftop with tanks, pipes and a skyline
04 Palette
SetupNoteFinderShotsLightSave

DIR

Director's note

The flash is the point of view. Stand close, go wide, tilt up, and let the subject look past the lens rather than into it. Keep the frame slightly wrong: a cropped foot, a lens flare, a shadow across the wall. Do not soften the light, do not grade the blacks down, do not clean the location up. If it looks like it could have been shot in a studio, move.

All 151 director’s notes, printable: Director’s Briefs, $8 →

Viewfinder

Live

Four controls on the brief's own plate · the meter is real, so you can blow a frame

Standby50mmf/5.6 · 1/125 · ISO 400

Aperturef/5.6Shutter1/125ISO400White balance5200K

Use your own photo

Running the list sets the camera for every shot in turn. Load your own photo to light and expose a frame you actually shot.

LGT

Light the set

3 lamps

Drag a lamp and watch the frame above change. The brief's own note is the preset

KeyThe light that makes the pictureMediumEye level

FillHow far into shadow you can seeSoft, farEye level

BackSeparation from the backgroundSoft, farHung high

On the brief

Contact sheet

00 / 12

Nothing on the sheet yet. Set the camera, then take a frame.

SEQ

Shot list

00 / 05

Tap a pad to mark the frame shot · saved on this device

Low-angle wide shot on a rooftop in full sun, the subject in an orange nylon jacket leaning on a blue water tank, flash cutting a hard highlight on the fabric, the sky held deep cobalt, the city behindwide24mm

Close wide shot at a roadside fruit stand, the subject sitting on a red plastic chair in lime track pants and a printed shirt, flash lifting the crates of oranges and limes, mountains and a pickup truck out of focus behindwide24mmsoft focus

Medium shot in a laundromat at night, a metallic green dress and a clear umbrella, flash bouncing off the chrome of the machines, neon and rain in the window, tiles wetsetup50mmlow lightthru glass

Low-angle wide shot under a concrete overpass at dusk, a powder-blue suit and yellow boots mid-stride with a bunch of tulips, flash throwing a hard shadow onto the pillar, the sky indigo with the last lightwide24mmlow light

Wide shot from the ground at a coastal pull-off, the subject leaning into the open door of a camper van in a silver pleated skirt and coral jacket, flash against bright sun, the sea blown to glitterwide24mm

Rolling

Take it to set: all 151 briefs as one PDF · $8

LOC

Locations

A rooftop with tanks, pipes and a skylineA roadside fruit stand or corner shopA laundromat, diner or arcade at nightAn overpass, car park or petrol station at duskA coast road, a camper van, a beach car park in hard sun

REF

Explore the aesthetic

Style guide Color palette

DOC

About this brief

How do I photograph the Direct Flash Editorial aesthetic?

Put the flash on the camera, get close with a wide lens, and let a real place do the rest.

Director's note

What shots should I get for a Direct Flash Editorial photo shoot?

Leave with every frame on this list.

Shot list

Low-angle wide shot on a rooftop in full sun, the subject in an orange nylon jacket leaning on a blue water tank, flash cutting a hard highlight on the fabric, the sky held deep cobalt, the city behind
Close wide shot at a roadside fruit stand, the subject sitting on a red plastic chair in lime track pants and a printed shirt, flash lifting the crates of oranges and limes, mountains and a pickup truck out of focus behind
Medium shot in a laundromat at night, a metallic green dress and a clear umbrella, flash bouncing off the chrome of the machines, neon and rain in the window, tiles wet
Low-angle wide shot under a concrete overpass at dusk, a powder-blue suit and yellow boots mid-stride with a bunch of tulips, flash throwing a hard shadow onto the pillar, the sky indigo with the last light
Wide shot from the ground at a coastal pull-off, the subject leaning into the open door of a camper van in a silver pleated skirt and coral jacket, flash against bright sun, the sea blown to glitter

What lighting works for Direct Flash Editorial photography?

One flash on the hot shoe, pointed straight at the subject. In daylight, expose for the sky and let the flash fill the subject so the blue stays deep. At dusk, the same, with the ambient a stop under. No modifiers, no bounce, no reflector. The hard shadow behind the subject is part of the picture.

Light

Where should I shoot Direct Flash Editorial photography?

Scout these before anything else.

Locations

A rooftop with tanks, pipes and a skyline
A roadside fruit stand or corner shop
A laundromat, diner or arcade at night
An overpass, car park or petrol station at dusk
A coast road, a camper van, a beach car park in hard sun

What wardrobe works for Direct Flash Editorial photography?

One loud garment per frame in a fabric that catches flash: nylon, satin, metallic pleats, patent leather, wet-look jersey. Colour at full volume, orange, lime, cobalt, silver. White trainers, chunky boots, sport sandals. Sunglasses in daylight. Nothing tonal, nothing muted, nothing that disappears against the wall.

Wardrobe

Omoro Studio · Creative System

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