WENDY HURST PORTRAIT

Sadie Pfister @sadienp24, Model // Makeup @beautybysofiamarie // Photo: Wendy Hurst // Production @hello_wayfinder You can tease me, I don't mind--but I'm being honest when I say that beyond the 1967 and 2019 models I previously posted about, when photographing 10 cars at at a time I reduce Ford Mustangs to colors. I'll leave the year/model name knowledge to you professionals. (wink) Lighting the Scene Whenever possible I placed the sun and fired a single speed light in a 43-inch umbrella softbox at camera left to fill in the shadows. That allowed me to expose more accurately for the background and not blow out the highlights. Except those few times when I didn't think about the highlights and blew them out anyway. The freedom to fail, even if it's a minor failure, is the reason I do shoots like this anyway. Kade Llewelyn @kades_aesthetic, Model // Hair: @everydayglamourhood Photo: Wendy Hurst // Production @hello_wayfinder

Louisiana Harris @lovelylou97, Model // HMUA @hmurrmakeup // Photo: Wendy Hurst // Production @hello_wayfinder The glossy emerald paint glistened in the sun as that new car smell wafted in the autumn breeze. Uncertain whether cobalt blue would jive with the look and feel of the vehicle, I invited Louisena (pronounced lou-EES-nuh) to strike a post near the car. We explored the exterior, then opened the door. The frame was still lined in the protective tape that comes with a new car. The tape was cobalt blue. Lighting the Scene I chose the top image for two reasons, the exaggerated angle and the reflection of the 43-inch umbrella softbox at camera right...but that appears at camera left. The sun was to Louisena's left, so I exposed for the sky and placed my speed light to her right to fill in the shadows.

Sadie Pfister @sadienp24, Model // Makeup @beautybysofiamarie // Photo: Wendy Hurst // Production @hello_wayfinder When a photographer mentions he belongs to a local Ford Mustang enthusiast group whose members are always keen for good-looking photographs of their cars and asks if you'd like to host a group shoot featuring some of them, you say YES. Here are some highlights, but I'll post some separately too. Because...Mustangs. Lighting the Scene The exact setup changed a little based on the situation because the cars stayed put. I had a single speed light in a 43-inch umbrella softbox on a stand with a sandbag and would move it around to fill in the harsh shadows cast by the sunlight, which I put to the models' backs whenever I could.  In situations where I couldn't put the sun at his or her back, I placed the softbox between the model's face and the sun to create a shadow and "replaced" the sunlight. Kade Llewelyn @kades_ae