...and finally with the lasers (note the dot on the Cheesegrater building!)

Getting the Shot – City Three Peaks

On Monday, I was commissioned by the Outward Bound Trust to provide commercial images for an event called City Three Peaks taking place on 7th September 2015 – 40 volunteers will abseil down three of the most iconic buildings in the City of London.  They have already raised about £4,000,000 for the Outward Bound Trust and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charities.  Incredible!

As well as photographing some laser displays broadcast onto the three buildings (30 St Mary Axe, The Leadenhall Building and 20 Fenchurch Street, otherwise known as The Gherkin, The Cheesegrater and The Walkie-Talkie), the main image was to be a photograph of one of the volunteer abseilers with one of the Royal Marine abseiling instructors at the executive Lounge at the very top of the Gherkin; with the other two buildings behind.  The idea was to use two of the lasers to broadcast a beam onto the other two buildings at the same time.

I had hoped for either a glorious sunset or at least some great clouds.  As it happened, neither of these things turned up – it rained very heavily throughout!  Not to be down-trodden; we pressed ahead (we were a team of 12 were at the shoot).

Now, if you have ever tried to take a photograph inside using lights (I had an shoot-through umbrella modified key light in front of the subjects to camera-left, and a bare speedlight rim light, camera-right) then you will know that if it’s darker outside tan the inside (which it had to be), the reflections are tricky to say the least.

Add to that  a very green cast from the laser, and you have a recipe that only a composite image could fix.  PLUS, the laser burns you if you get in its way!

The following images explain the shoot, and how I produced the final image as a mixture of the best parts of each image.

Checking the subject location to ensure the "Cheesegrater" and "Walkie-Talkie" are in the shot
Checking the subject location to ensure the “Cheesegrater” and “Walkie-Talkie” are in the shot
Working out the laser positions
Working out the laser positions
...and trying make the laser light very prominent
…Photographing the lasers
...and last of all the portrait
…Getting the light right for the portrait
...and gathering the ambient (and the reflections!)
…and gathering the ambient (and the reflections!)

A couple of hours after the shoot, and with the help of my laptop, and I had two images – one with the laser and one without.

Without the lasers....and without the reflections!
Without the lasers….and without the reflections!
...and finally with the lasers (note the dot on the Cheesegrater building!)
…and finally with the lasers (note the dot on the Cheesegrater building!)

 

When it finally stopped raining, we headed outside to record some of the laser broadcast onto the Cheesegrater and the Walkie-Talkie…..

Chessegrater
Chessegrater
The Walkie-Talkie
The Walkie-Talkie
...and the Royal Marine badge on the Walkie-Talkie
…and the Royal Marine badge on the Walkie-Talkie

 

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