What happens when you have 18 pounds of fireworks and three very brave guys? A ridiculously cool art piece - and a few burn marks. I was recently tasked with envisioning and executing a one-of-a-kind photo shoot for an electro-pop band, and being given that artistic freedom and free reign to just "create" is one of my favorite things about being a photographer. I love shoots like this one, where I can focus on way more than just the technical stuff - because let's be honest - when you've got something so unpredictable involved, sometimes its about getting lucky and being okay with imperfection.
How'd I pull it off? Step 1 was talking three dudes into standing right next to shooting fireballs (and staying cool while doing it). And I mean right next to them - like "kids don't try this at home" close to them. We had a fire extinguisher nearby just in case someone's t-shirt went up in flames. Luckily the only casualties were a few burn marks and some hair smoldering.
The next step was allowing my technical lighting expertise to go out the window and getting creative. When you've got sparks and strobes going off at random times, its not the moment to get all Photography 101 on anybody. So, lighting was definitely a huge factor that I had to figure out by trial and error.
In the end, we captured some pretty amazing shots and no one caught fire. Any day like that is pretty successful in my book.
*Don't try this at home. And if you do anyway, don't blame us. We aren't responsible for anything that might go wrong. :)
You can see more work at: www.jakeharshphotography.com or www.harshmedia.com
https://fstoppers.com/bts/photographer-lit-photoshoot-18-pounds-fireworks-71523
http://petapixel.com/2015/05/22/this-band-photo-shoot-used-18-pounds-of-exploding-fireworks/
http://www.slrlounge.com/behind-the-scenes-of-a-photo-shoot-lit-up-by-18lbs-of-fireworks/