any advice for pee photography?

[rsrrsr 35]

i've always wanted to take a picture of someone peeing - and i mean with a camera, lights, studio quality - not just a phone ^^"
i'm definitely not unfamiliar w/ operating a camera - working photo/video is literally my day job, but something i haven't yet done is a job involving capturing flowing liquid in a way that shows a stream, but also wide a wide enough field of view no one's face would be blurred out.

has anyone tried this, or anything like it before? is it cool if i ask for advice?
ofc i don't have any leads just yet on models who'd want to collab on this w/ me, but just in case i get that going someday, i'd love to be prepared beforehand~

i've noticed too high of a shutter speed can cause a stream to separate into discrete little droplets, which isn't exactly the effect i'd be going for. i'd probably need a fairly wide aperture to catch the whole scene - but something i have no idea how to approach is where to arrange lights/reflectors, and what sorta focal length would be appropriate.
and would a circular polarizer come into play somehow? or am i overthinking things lolol

idk if anyone has any ideas/thoughts but i'd love to hear them if any!

[gldenwetgoose 21,487]

Hi @rsrrsr  - great question and something you've obviously given quite a bit of thought to.

Obviously there's a huge volume of imagery out there, and to be frank most of it is photographed in a very non-technical way.   Someone's peeing, take a photo.   And with planning it can be so, so much better.

I'm in the same situation as you in that I'd love to carry out a studio pee session.  We all have our own mental images of how and what we like, so I'll leave the exact elements to you there.   I think firstly you need to choose a location, and if using studio kit (which I love doing) then really you need space all around - ideally a 3m square space with the model in the middle of it.   Reason for that is if using two to three studio lights, you'll want at least one in a rear corner to rim light the model.

The location I'd choose in a heartbeat if I was doing such a shoot would be a hotel in Scotland where I once photographed a venue wedding - the wedding bedroom's bathroom had a huge roll-top bath in the middle of a wooden floored Victorian style bathroom, elegant and chic.  Of course you may like an urban mill kind of setting, a domestic room, a BDSM dungeon or whatever.  Maybe just an open space.  For that matter you can work outside day or night with studio kit too. 

So next thing to think about are any props - the freestanding bath tub, four poster bed, couch, bondage frame - or just the model free standing ?   And background...  One reason for having a big space is as you're probably aware, light from a source falls away according to the inverse square law.  So if you have a flash unit lighting the model from 2m away, and the rear wall is the same distance 2m behind the model, it will only receive 1/4 of the light, so will be 2 stops underexposed. That can be used to your advantage if you want - having a darker background can really pull out and emphasise your model - and in my perfect image I'd have the Victorian bathroom a little darker or a black cove background in total darkness and only the model lit.

Now lighting - To light the model in general I'd generally use a light with a softening modifier - so a white shoot-through umbrella, or a 3ft softbox. I'd have that positioned about 1m to one side or the other of the camera and if the model isn't full frontal (or rear) to the camera, then the model facing towards that light.   Exposure for that light (see below) would be set to be correct exposure for skin tones.  It's easy to overexpose and burn out so take care - you can always underexpose a fraction.   The second light, in the corner behind and to one side of the model is essentially highlighting their hair, shoulders, contours etc, so can be a harsher light.  Perhaps even an open reflector, or depending on the room setting even a wacky blue colour gel.  The power on that light wants to be about half that of the main light - give or take.

Final element of lighting is the all important bit - highlighting the pee stream.  It is after all the most important part of the shot.  Now given the pee is essentially clear, there is the danger that the main light will almost make it invisible, so it would be good to have another light source hitting the stream from the side or even rear, to make it really stand out.  Again at a lesser power than the main light, and can be deliberately quite a harsh light.

So - that's probably enough for this post - I'm going to reply next with the techie bits on camera settings and lighting technology.

On the lighting design though, a favourite tip is to look at quality images you really like, look at the lighting and angles they use, analyse how they've done it.  Classic film noir is a great way to do it.  And in terms of the techniques I've talked about, here's a couple of examples (not my work).

 

[gldenwetgoose 21,487]

Now moving on to answer your questions about camera settings and lights...

I'm going to assume you are using a DSLR type camera with off-camera studio lights. And also I'll assume you're ok with understanding the terms ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

Now with studio lights, I work with either mains powered flash heads or portable flash guns and either are good.  Both types need a trigger to fire when you click the shutter and these days that's usually a little radio trigger (cheap off Ebay or Amazon).  They produce a very short burst of flash, so would freeze a splash of pee into droplets.  Also two other points to be aware of - you cannot use the camera's built in metering really with them (in general) so either needs trial and error or a special flash meter and need to manually set ISO (usually a low value like 200) and a set shutter speed (usually 1/125s), then the aperture is set according to the actual light when the flashes fire.  And for a similar reason it can be difficult to see where the highlights and shadows will fall until you've taken the picture.

Instead a much better option is to use the type of LED continuous light available now for video use.  Pretty much all of the same as above applies if you can use modifiers on the lights, and get the room reasonably dark so you can see how that light contributes to any ambient light.

I only really bother with reflectors outdoors to be honest - I could use them in the studio but it's one extra faff.  The middle pic above by Sabrina Dacos almost definitely has used one.

 

So camera settings - irrespective of type of lighting I'd definitely shoot with manual exposure for consistency and control.  An ISO to suit the available light and then if studio lit, a shutter speed of probably 1/125s.  If using continuous though you can slow that down.   To really blur the pee I guess 1/25s or 1/30s (although you'll have to be pretty steady with the camera) or perhaps 1/50s for a controlled stream with a little motion blur.   As you've said anything too fast and the motion will be frozen.  It depends of course on whether your model is a gusher or a dribbler lol.

Lens wise, and focal length choice - it's really what covers enough angle to get everything in.  So a standard zoom is probably ideal for most spaces.  Anything too wide can start to distort, and too long a focal length will mean you only get close-up images (hey, like that's a bad thing lol).

 

So I think that's the basics of lighting equipment and camera settings - best thing is to get some portraiture under your belt and comfortable with how and what it can all do for you.  I'd do that before asking a model to take their clothes off at all, whether with family members or friends.   just get them to sit on a stool and move lights around them - learn what you like.

 

 

[gldenwetgoose 21,487]

Final post (you'll be glad to know)...

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul - and I'm a firm believer that a photo can be made or broken by the look in the subjects eyes.  If they're comfortable it shows and if they feel awkward or ill at ease then it can easily show.

And the more comfortable you are with what you're doing with your camera and lighting is going to help the model feel at ease and relaxed - and it will show.  If it's someone who knows you well then fine, but maybe a few clothed sessions first, then progress onwards...?

Any more and I'm sure I'll be teaching you to suck eggs - but I've seen so many photographers with zero communication skills, mumbling to themselves as they faff about with settings and scratch their heads over why something isn't working.  And having a gorgeous model in front of you with a full bladder really isn't the time you want to be doing that - if your camera skills are second nature and you exude confidence then you stand a chance...

I wish you luck - and let's see which of us manages to achieve that goal of finding the model first!!!

[rsrrsr 35]

omg thank you so much for all the incredible detail!! I definitely can't respond to every single point lolol but i'm def screenshotting this & taking many mental notes~

 

In particular, the arrangement of lights is something i struggle with, so your recommendations on where to light bare vs diffuse should be incredibly helpful!

 

I'd say you and i have a very similar idea in mind of what sorta shoot we'd want to pursue creating - ideally, i love the thought of depicting peeing as something "relaxed" or maybe "intimate" more so than necessarily sexy or shocking.

 

But yeah, best of luck to the both of us!

[gldenwetgoose 21,487]

19 minutes ago, rsrrsr said:

In particular, the arrangement of lights is something i struggle with, so your recommendations on where to light bare vs diffuse should be incredibly helpful!

You're very welcome!  It is a bit of a passion.   If you have access to the lighting equipment, then I can't recommend enough to practise, practise, practise - whether you do that with fully clothed friends, family, a shop dummy or a bowl of fruit.

Lighting modifiers are addictive too - a white umbrella with silvered reflector is one of the cheapest accessories and can give three different softnesses of light...

Also taking inspiration from other people's work is good too.  There's a UK photographer who's instagram often has portraits with sketches of the setup - often a simple light with diffuser and a reflector  - useful to look at.   Check him out PAULWILSONPHOTOGRAPHY

 

[rsrrsr 35]

oh very cool, will do!

 

Lmao ngl i'm honestly considering filling a super soaker with water & a bit of dye, putting a camera on a tripod and testing what setups give me the most visibility ^^

 

Def gonna check out some umbrellas too - they seem a lot less cumbersome than those giant domes i'm used to lol

 

 

[A_AShes 538]

I think l' naturemorte ( still life) subject remains rarely explored... Just in few drinking movies... The play of colour and foggy figures in background might make it worth studies...

 

©Etsy

©Pissing Soldier, Atheneum, Helsinki. https://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/detail.php?ID=182968

Edited May 25, 2022 by A_AShes

[A_AShes 538]

[A_AShes 538]

Rainy but still - life