Mike Corrado: In the Summertime

Back in March I began to plan my six-month shooting itinerary: a commissioned shoot at Florida resorts within a month; the Kentucky Derby in early May; summer and fall rock shows. For good measure I threw in vacation with the family—I’d be taking pictures, right? So when Nikon World’s editor called to say, “Don’t forget, I’m going to need your column," I knew what I'd be writing.

Heavy Lifting. Knowing I had a Nikon assignment in Key West, I’d worked out an arrangement with the Southernmost Hotel Collection to shoot promo photos at four hotels. Fortunately, the hotels were in the same vicinity, but this was still going to be a major production. I brought two D3X bodies—the big files would be vital for billboards—and an assortment of NIKKOR zoom lenses: 14-24mm f/2.8G, 24-70mm f/2.8G and 70-200mm f/2.8G, plus two teleconverters. But because I’d be shooting indoors, I took some fast primes: an oldie, my AF NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4D and an AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D. Also a PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED—when you’re shooting architecture, the buildings should always stand up straight. Most of the job was about light, so I had five SB-900s, two SB-800s and two SB-600s for remote wireless flash setups. Most of the gear fit into my Lowepro Pro Roller x200. It was a seven-day shoot, mostly mornings and evenings for the best light outdoors with indoor shooting between those best light hours. I shot buildings, details, flower beds, people, lifestyle images, a wedding on the beach.

But the big challenge was to get the Big Shot, the one image that would sum up the whole enterprise and all the hotels. I was on the lookout for that shot from the moment I got there. I ended up doing advanced scientific research to find it: I asked customers why they came to the hotel. They said, “The beach!” So that’s where I went looking for the signature image. I brought the whole arsenal—cameras, lenses, flash units, reflectors, diffusers, stands—and got the shot in afternoon light under a beautiful blue sky.