Been noticing these Bebe ads around NYC. Not sure if the hairstyle is an homage to Rachel in the movie Bladerunner, but It sure seems to be. But I digress...

Anyway, I've been trying to get into lighting more and have considered upgrading to a Profoto kit to get a better quality of light like I see in photos like this. I think the photographer is Giuliano Bekor from my google research. Do you think a chromakey "green screen" backdrop was used and a single beauty dish

Just wondering if the more seasoned lighting members could offer some insight into how these photos might have been lit. Thanks!

(NOTE: These are NOT my photos. I believe the photographer is Giuliano Bekor)

I would be very, very surprised if a single source was used for those. If a beauty dish was used at all, it was used in conjunction with a number of other sources. Looking at them, I'm pretty sure I see a minimum of a large key source to camera left (possibly a big parabolic), a diffuse fill, an overhead kicker or two plus the background lights. The background is just as likely to be a white cyc as a chroma green, as both can be knocked out in post, but it's also totally possible that they actually shot against those colors of seamless.

There's also a LOT of retouching in those images, so I wouldn't assume that the skin quality you're seeing is all light.

I saw these printed HUGE when I was in Waikiki, I always stopped and stared because they were done very very well. My assumption was it was the colored paper for sure as the backgrounds, but definitely more than 1 light.

No way were those lit with a dish. Something very large, I'm sure.

See how green I am with lighting

Shatterkiss makes a very good point that the "quality" may not necessarily be what was captured and at this point is mostly pp. How much is lighting and how much is pp...hard to say I guess.

Parabolic? A large umbrella or do you mean something else? I know Profoto has the large parabolic umbrellas that cost more than my first car.

Yeah, like a large Profoto or Elinchrom parabolic or possibly even a Briese unit...probably something 5'+ if you look at how even the light is across the model's body in each shot. Those parabolics are known by that crisp-but-even look - imagine a large octabox but with characteristics closer to a silver beauty dish.

In a case like this it's not primarily lighting or retouching, it's both...the lighting has to support the retouching, but the image wouldn't look complete without the retouching. That kind of "pristine" quality just doesn't come straight out of the camera.

Found this video on his website. Incredible. This video lends insight into the unbelievable amount of work that went into this bebe ad campaign. Amazing work.

http://www.giulianobekor.com/videos/bebe.html

Nowhere Man wrote:
This video lends insight into the unbelievable amount of work that went into this bebe ad campaign.

Welcome to the world of commercial photography. And that isn't even a BIG shoot.

It's like they say: It's not really a commercial shoot until someone drives up with the LION.

shatterkiss wrote:
Yeah, like a large Profoto or Elinchrom parabolic or possibly even a Briese unit...probably something 5'+ if you look at how even the light is across the model's body in each shot. Those parabolics are known by that crisp-but-even look - imagine a large octabox but with characteristics closer to a silver beauty dish.

In a case like this it's not primarily lighting or retouching, it's both...the lighting has to support the retouching, but the image wouldn't look complete without the retouching. That kind of "pristine" quality just doesn't come straight out of the camera.

Simon,
what elinchrom parabolic are you talking about? I didn't even know elinchrom made a parabolic? Are you referring to the indirect El Octa lightbank?

Sorry, totally my brainfart - I was thinking "Broncolor" and typing "Elinchrom".

Though I might be mistaken, but I thought I saw an Elinchrom octa in that video above? Not that what a shooter uses in one project is any guide for what might have been used in another...

Greg Feldman wrote:
It's like they say: It's not really a commercial shoot until someone drives up with the LION.

Or until the second helicopter lands.

Bekor is a beast. Love, love, love his stuff.

That's definitely the EL Octa, you can tell by the pole going through the center to the head inside it. Doesn't look like they're using a ton of power, either. Not too hard, really, just need some really big stuffed cats.

Wow...anyone need an assistant for a real commercial shoot? That looks like massive amounts of fun...I want my own personal lion