Rethinking Lighting, From WPPI Award-Winner Johnson Wee

Melting Statue

I have always wanted to do this white statue concept after seeing the scene in Snow White and the Huntsman when the evil queen emerges from a pool of milk.

The first person I could think of to collaborate for this is none other than makeup extraordinaire, Hilde Marie Johansen. She suggested adding prosthetics on the model’s face and white contact lenses to make it more “real.”

Having a love for low-key images, I wanted to do the opposite and opted for a high-key lighting setup. To light up the white background, I used two Phottix Indra500 studio lights coupled with Phottix 90 x 120 Easy-Up Umbrella Softboxes at 45 degrees to blow up the background for some strong backlighting and highlight the subject from both sides. The model is positioned 12 feet away from the background to underexpose her, and to control the fine line of side lighting on her. To finish it off, an 8-foot white reflector is positioned on the right side of model as fill.

We were trying out some challenging poses that would reflect a melting statue, and suddenly our super flexible model, May, came up with bending her head 90 degrees. “Wait, this is absolutely brilliant,” I told her, “hold this position and let’s work more on refining the hand postures,” and bam! We got this image.

Camera: Canon 1D X
Lens: Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Exposure: f/7.1 at 1/160th of a second
ISO: 100
Lighting: Phottix Indra500 strobes (x2), Phottix 90 x 120 Easy-Up HD Umbrella Softboxes (x2), Phottix Odin II TTL Flash Trigger
Post: Adobe and Nik Collection

Raining at the Rubber Forest

This is an image of clients-turned-friends Kian Lun and Chevonne, one of the most memorable pre-wedding shoots I have done. They wanted some images at this rubber tree forest, which looks magical at noon when the sun is strong enough. It was a sunny day when we departed for the location, but as we got closer, the sky got darker and darker.

I started shooting when we arrived, but minutes later we had to take cover from the thunderous rain. We waited for 30 minutes but the rain was only getting heavier. I decided to take photos anyway, so I positioned my lights before putting the couple in place.

Initially, I had one Phottix speed light as a backlight but the raindrops in some areas were not well lit; I wanted a very wide shot and it was noontime with some decent ambient light still. Eventually I used two Phottix speed lights with orange CTO gels wrapped with transparent sandwich bags, both mounted on light stands facing up and outward at 1/1 full power and 24mm zoom distance, to illuminate the surrounding raindrops. With no more speed lights, I had to make do with three LED video lights as the main light on the subjects, coming in from the right, held by my assistant. To finish off this image, I did some darkening and dodge-and-burning to intensify the focus on the couple.

Camera: Canon 5D Mark III
Lens: Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Exposure: f/4 at 1/125th of a second
ISO: 320
Lighting: Phottix Mitros+ speed lights (x2), Phottix CTO orange gel, Phottix Odin TTL Flash Trigger
Post: Adobe and Nik Collection

One in a Million

This is one of my all time favorites—I think of it as a jigsaw puzzle successfully put together. I was inspired to create this image from JB Sallee’s composite first-place image in WPPI The Annual competition’s Non-Wedding Day category last year. After that, I sourced for direction and remembered that Grand Master Jerry Ghionis crafted a composite series for Ryan and Jess Schembri’s engagement album, with many grooms and one bride. I thought of this concept of a group shoot for Dior, all positioned and well organized.

Knowing that I wanted to have a different approach, I changed the genre, the lighting setup, the mood and also added props. When I visualize a group with masks, the first image that pops into my head is V for Vendetta. We decided on an open space for location, like an open swimming center or tennis court, with dramatic clouds and cityscapes in the background.

But things don’t always go as planned, especially if it’s something you’ve never done before. After looking at over ten venues, we settled for a basketball court; it was the least cluttered location we could find. We only had one hour to complete everything, so we had to manage our time really well, from setting up the stands, marking where the subjects should stand and placing the lights.

I used a Phottix Indra500 strobe with a Phottix 32-inch Easy-Up Octa Umbrella Softbox as the main light, and two Phottix Mitros+ speed lights as side lights on each side, just enough to create separation between the subjects and the dark background. Phottix lets you pair speed lights with strobes, so the setup saved us so much time. During the shoot, the groom with the mask moved from one spot to the next for separate frames, and then the final image was of the bride and the groom without a mask in the center. Finally, I put everything together in post-production, completing my vision.

Camera: Canon 1D X
Lens: Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Exposure: f/6.3 at 1/125th of a second
ISO: 250
Lighting: Phottix Indra500 strobe, Phottix 32-inch Easy-Up Octa Umbrella Softbox, Phottix Mitros+ speed lights (x2), Phottix Odin II TTL Flash Trigger
Post: Adobe and Nik Collection

Johnson Wee, a Malaysia-based photographer and WPPI Master, specializes in pre-wedding and engagement sessions. He travels around the globe for couples who love his signature style and concepts.

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