Pro Techniques

The plethora of lighting gear gives them the added advantage of flexibility. As Bohm is quick to point out: "Having different lights allows us to design different looks at a moment's notice. Also, we're always experimenting with our lighting. We own practically every accessory that Broncolor has made, softboxes, strip lights--we don't believe in jury-rigging lighting. We believe there's a reason the manufacturer created the different light-shaping accessories, and that each lends the shot a unique texture and quality."

Bohm continues: "If you look at the photograph of the three children on the beach, we have a light which mimics sunlight--the Broncolor Satellite Reflector. For that shot, we wanted it to look like it was shot outdoors." To achieve that effect, they first photographed the beach scene with the Hasselblad at the Jersey Shore. Then they brought 750 lbs of sand into the studio and recreated the beach scene for the portrait session. The final image is a digital composite.

The kitten did what it was told to do and the baby naturally responded to it for this shot captured with a Hasselblad. The Lucifero Window Light came to the fore as the main light, with a collapsible reflector for fill and another light on the background.

Quick Tips
When it comes to photographing kids, two other assignments reflect Bohm and Marrazzo's mastery of their craft. On one assignment for EK Success (a scrapbooking company), they had to photograph a mother and baby, nose to nose. Total strangers to each other, the two models instantly developed a rapport. How? Bohm explains: "What's very important with a photograph like this is that you cast an adult who is good with children, because babies know the difference. If this woman did not like this child, we would not have gotten this photograph." The picture itself was shot against a seamless white backdrop, with the window (from their stock library) later dropped in. They used the Canon 1Ds with the 70-200mm for the main shot. Almost forgot... The studio doesn't use wranglers with kids: when either Bohm or Marrazzo is behind the camera, the other is doing what's needed to get the child's attention. In this instance, one of them was standing above the mother's head, making noises to attract the baby's attention.

Next we come to an ad for a diaper company called Arquest. Not every diaper ad has to have a diaper in it. Of course, trends change, but here the focus was on the baby and the kitten. "We told the cat to stay there," Bohm recalls, "and said to the little girl, `Look, the kitty cat's in there.' And of course you have to let things progress naturally from that moment." This was shot with the Hasselblad and Leaf back, with a 150mm lens, with lighting from the Lucifero Window Light, plus a collapsible reflector for fill and another light on the background. The softboxes here allowed them to light a broader area, which gives kids room to move around on a set.

Jack Neubart is the author of numerous books on photography. His latest book is "Photographer's Exposure Handbook" (Amphoto, 2007).