BTS | Ronny Chieng Photo Shoot

Chieng, Ronny Chieng
Time Period: Contemporary

One thing I relearned on this shoot: There’s nothing Mari O’Connor the makeup artist cannot do. She did a fantastic job making it look as though Ronny was just in a pretty bad fight.

For the first set up, we went up to the top of a 5-floor walkup. We were super hot so we tried to do that one as fast as possible. Ronny had the tough job of jumping back and forth at the edge of the roof. 

The second shot was more relaxed as we set up inside an air-conditioned apartment. I used my son’s toy-gun as a prop. One light to Ronny's left was all I needed. 

For the third set up, we went to Bryant park. I wanted a very colorful image, and thought that having a carousel background would achieve that. 

The Location

I knew I wanted to shoot on a roof top, which wasn't easy to find. Not because there aren't a milion of them in NYC but because the roof needed to have a specific look. I did not want a finished roof, it had to be a bit grimy. 

Tech Talk

One strobe indoors and a speedlight outdoors. Doesn't get much simpler.

GEAR:
1 Broncolor Sirus L 800
Nikon Speedlight SB 900
Small sofbox with grid
Nikon D800E
Nikon Lens 24-70mm
RRR Carbon Fiber Tripod w/ Manfrotto Gear Head

The Final Images

Project Credits:

Location | Private Apartment & Rooftop, Bryant Park NYC
Set Design  |  Mari O'Connor
Hair & Special Effects Makeup | Mari O'Connor
Production Assistant & BTS stills | Ellen Reilly