Mannequin head for working with light! Experience and thoughts!

My wife, as a young girl sat for hours while her Dad adjusted the lights for his portrait sessions. Eventually a manaquin head with glass eyes rescued her for 3/4 of the time!

Mannequin heads, or model heads, are great because the don't arrive late, complain, need bathroom breaks or get paid! They should be used for getting the shadow and highligh distributions and the catchlights.

So who uses model heads, from where and what do you get out of it? Do you take relfective lighrt metering or just incident metering?

So please share your experience!

Asher

A teaser: taking pictures in the summer. Bright sun! UGH! Learn more here. In French but pretty clear even if you don't understand it!

Well, I'll confess to the desire to shoot a manneqin head... I have on my list of lifetime project to learn every there is to learn about my camera and its flash system -- from every angle and reasonable distance. No model that I could afford would be willing to sit through this exersise.

I found a source.. and placed an order... and she arrived a few days later. She has real hair... I didn't think fake plastic hair would show the light in the same way. Her eyes are a bit dull -- so I can't read catchlights with them, but thats ok.

My problem is that I find her just too creepy. I don't want to touch her hair... in fact I don't really want to take her out of the box. I think I might have done better with a toy manneqin head for 8 year old budding hairstylists. (My daughter would not let me borrow hers).

So... I've never done my project. Perhaps on a cold winter day ahead. Perhaps not. I much prefer taking pictures of real people.

Ron

p.s. Here's my source... http://www.imagesupplyhouse.net/Cosmetology-Mannequin-Heads-p-1-c-436.html

It's the bloody trpod stand, Ron!

She looks like someone from the French Revolution like that! I like the idea of human hair!

Maybe I'll get one and put her on a nice torso of some sort!

Asher

Warning n*dity!!

I must confess ...

Pleased to introduce Dorothy









I throw all lighting situation at her ( as i do with my real models )

Once i got the desired result, i take notes of the setup and put her back to rest.

Nicolas

She looks too real!

Well does she have sisters?

Nicolas, could you disclose her url?

BTW, is her hair real or synthetic?

Asher

Well Asher,

She is most of the time so lonely. For fun she just changes hair color form blond to brunette to black, but i never discussed the nature of her hair.

As a gentleman i did not question why but she looks everyday over my shoulder when i work in the studio.

I saved her from a dark closet where she was holding company to a bunch of landmines!! (she was planed to serve as model for a military museum)

With her almost perfect skin there is little of PP to do.

Regards,

Nicolas

I know it might sound a little forward, could you turn her over and look for a name we could search for her sisters on Google?

Asher

I was also thinking an entire mannequin, though I imagine they're dreadfully costly.

Rachel Foster said:

I was also thinking an entire mannequin, though I imagine they're dreadfully costly.

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Rachel,

Starting with just the Jewelry model, which is a nice head, the price is $159-$169 see here and wigs are extra!

The whole body manequin, delightful choices, are about $300-$700 and there are a number of different companies as you can imagine. This company has a good selection of heads and bodies including men that don't need viagra.

Asher

I've looked at this thread and I'm quite amazed at the lifelike quality of the mannequins.

Unfortunately with my budget my "model" is likely to deflate too often to be useable!

And those God awful red lips are a distraction!

lol

Jeff

Another option might be the sorts of models that artists use for drawing. These look promising--

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/art-supply-stores/online/4529

They aren't lifesize, but for figuring out where the lights go, they might do.

Yes David, those look like a great choice.

I like the idea that they are inexpensive and might be helpful for setting up compositions to rough out ideas for groups. I sketch things now but I can see the potential for figure studies in trying different concepts and photographing them.

Still for lighting, a person or manequin is needed to get the shading and character of the light.

Jeff as for the lips, they can be any color you want, even soft lips to boot! Hey, for the action shot there are even manquins that move!

Asher

For those that live near New York - and presumably most big cities - there are dealers in used store fixtures. Stores that sell fashion update their mannequins frequently -- and the old ones probably usually end up in the dumpsters but some of them will make it to the used store fixtures dealers.

And thank you Jeff for not posting a link to your source!


Ron

And, I'm sorry to report that I've been searching with no luck for a link to a photographer who creates stunning images of manniquins photoshopped with human body parts. I saw the photos at an Adobe conference in Chicago a few weeks ago. I knew I should have written down the name to share with you all today.

Great idea! I wonder whether they have them in Los Angeles. I'm going to visit NY City in January. Any idea where these dealers are located?

Asher

Asher... In NYC, the stores are in the Bowery area. It's a fun walk around there and little italy and chinatown -- take that M8 of yours and you will have a great time. We all want to see more shots of yours.


Ron

Thanks Ron!

In the meanwhile, I found a sources of nice manequins at 1/3 the cost here . This look like a new source of freedom! Don't have to feed them, they don't get tired!

Asher

Aha! Found her!

The photographer I was searching for is Julia Bruns.

This is fascinating stuff.... http://www.adaagallery.com/winners/1248L.php

I always like it when someone produces images that are not like so many others. I hope you enjoy her work too.

When I saw this collection, the prints were life-size -- the prints were 6 feet tall or better. The effect was stunning.

I don't know anything about her other than she is reported to be an art student in Germany.

Enjoy.

Ron

Ummm

Asher,

My upstairs office neighbor is a liquidator and does close outs for businesses (mostly stores) that are going out of business. Maybe he has some to be auctioned off!

Gee, one of those could be dressed up in the window of my new studio!

Asher Kelman said:

So who uses model heads, from where and what do you get out of it? Do you take relfective lighrt metering or just incident metering?

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Hi,

I've never used one, although at one point I thought about it. Too difficult to get hold of however.

Looking at the picture posted here it seems like a very good way to experiment with a lighting set-up before arranging for a real model.

I'm not so sure that it's a good way to learn about lighting in a studio however... It's all well and good being able to get that perfect look on a stationary object, however it's a whole different ball game when you've got a live person in front of you asking for your directions. If you've got used to your super patient and super stationary plastic woman then you may be in for a rude surprise.

I'd recommend doing some really basic lighting work with a live model to gain experience with models and studio composition and may then use the mannequin to help you understand what's possible with the lights. I fear that starting with a mannequin will embed a desire for technical perfection that can block creativity. Start with the latter and the former will come as you need it.

However, as I said, I've never used a mannequin, so take my advice with a pinch of salt.

Tim

Hi Tim,

Experience gained with still life, getting to look at the sky and windows allows the brain to understand texture and dimensionsality possible with light.

Now get a model and one knows what to look for!

Asher

Also Commercial Mannequins, unlike real women, do not arrive late, have a bad hair day, or need their own music or have to be paid!

Asher Kelman said:

Also Commercial Mannequins, unlike real women, do not arrive late, have a bad hair day, or need their own music or have to be paid!

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If you're an amateur or enthusiast, paying for a model may be asking a bit much. I recommend popping down to the local theatre group, there're normally people there who'd only be to happy to help participate in your vision for free! To top it off, they'll probably to at ease posing and taking on the character that your image needs.

They'll still be late though

Asher Kelman said:

Experience gained with still life, getting to look at the sky and windows allows the brain to understand texture and dimensionsality possible with light.

Now get a model and one knows what to look for!

Click to expand...

While experience certainly helps, it also helps to get guidance/training about what to look for.

I have followed (many moons ago) a formal education to become a certified professional photographer. At the time it was a prerequisite for anyone to be allowed to register a business as such. The formal coverage of the various disciplines (during 3 1/2 years), in addition to my own experimentations and books read on various topics, is what I use as a foundation today. Starting with that, one develops a personal style.

My overall motto has become, "lighting, composition, and timing (in that order) makes the image, the equipment facilitates". To understand the implications of lighting, composition, and timing, education is inevitable (unless one is naturally talented).

Bart