The Penguin in Anechoic Chamber

[Manfred M]

This is definitely one of the weirdest places I have ever shot in.

This shot of the cosplay actor in the Penguin role was shot in an old abandoned building that once housed a high-tech company. Deep inside the building was a sound-deadening anechoic chamber with most of the sound deadening foam blocks still in place. There was a tiny platform to put my flash stand with octabox.

Did I mention it was around 35°C / 95°F in the room? Also it was pitch black so I had to shine a flashlight on the subject to get the camera to focus. It was almost freaky to shoot in a place where the sounds were all swallowed up.



I still have some work to do, but I like the way it is coming.

[Shadowman]

Nice shot, do you have any full figure captures?

[Manfred M]

Nice shot, do you have any full figure captures?

Only my first test shot and it's not as clear as I would like. Getting focus lock was challenging and manual focus was pretty well impossible..

[rpcrowe]

Wonderful setting for this character...

[Shadowman]

I like the full figure shot best although not sure if angle of view works, I'm used to short depictions of the Penguin and a taller version makes him appear more menacing. If you had shot him from a lower vantage point it would've increased his domineering presence and if shot from a higher vantage point might make him more a component of the environment.

[Manfred M]

I like the full figure shot best although not sure if angle of view works, I'm used to short depictions of the Penguin and a taller version makes him appear more menacing. If you had shot him from a lower vantage point it would've increased his domineering presence and if shot from a higher vantage point might make him more a component of the environment.

Again, in the shooting location I was working in total darkness in a super hot room were sound travels just a few feet, I'm totally happy to have gotten this much. There was no way to communicate with the models; total darkness and no sound. We were pointing flashlights at them to compose and focus. We were blinding them in the process by shining the lights in their eyes and then hitting them with studio flash.

These were test shots and I will be posting the duo shots of Penguin and Hawk Girl when I finish processing them. The duo shoot is actually what we were trying to do here.

[pschlute]

"Holy flash photography Batman"

Super model and super pictures. What a great location.