Since time was limited, I enlisted the help of a Boston Globe video journalist and our liaison from P&G beforehand to aim my strobes and dial in the settings so we would not waste Kristi's time.
Trying to step up the portraiture here, I decided to use a David Honl speed grid on from the back over the balcony on a second 580EX to add a nice rim light - in front I used a 580EX with an Omni-Bounce to add the front light and diffuse. Shot it with a 50mm f/1.2 at f/1.6.
Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, spokesperson for the "P&G Thanks, moms" program, during a portrait session at the P&G Family Home in Vancouver at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. © Patrick T Fallon/ZUMA Press
While the lit portrait was nice, I also had the advantage of being able to shoot on ambient light as well, which was perfect when I was getting set up and Kristi started laughing naturally with some fans greeting her on the stairwell to our right.
Kristi laughs as some fans chat with her before the start of our portrait session
This was my favorite frame of the whole shoot because it was natural, rather than cold or staged - I like shooting candidly whenever possible, so I was happy to have the balance in my take between the two.
Shot with just the 50mm at f/1.2
Had a great time working with the P&G Family Home staff, they got a great setup for the athletes and their families, hope to return soon to do some more portraiture.
