Here is something we can learn from ViewBug community member stefanneuweger about the techniques and story behind this awarded photo. Stefanneuweger is based in Neuried near Munich, Germany and specializes in portrait, beauty and Fashion.
Where did you take this photo?
The photo was taken in my little home studio where i have gathered quite an amount of equipment over the last 2 years. Though it is a very small space i like doing my studio portrait and beauty work there. I got myself some inexpensive but quite trusty flashheads, different light shaping tools, a background system, connections for shooting tethered and a good sound system. Of course over time i happened to understand that not all of the equipment i have been hoarding is essential to get good picture. Often times i am amazed about how few tools are needed to get a fantastic shot (sometimes even your camera and the model are just enough.
Anything worth sharing about lighting?
The concept of this shoot was to achieve a very pure and minimalistic look that focuses on the model's beauty - so i went on with a rather simple lighting setup using mainly a beauty dish and some fill.
What equipment did you use?
I used my trusty 5DM3 and some decent glass, Jinbei flashheads, Beautydish and a Reflector.
What inspired you to take this photo?
The image was taken as part of a series about make-up. Writing up the concept for this shoot that was all about featuring a very characteristic make-up in two variations of red and gold, i immediately felt that i wanted to take some black and white in addition. In the end those elegant monochrome shots ended up being my favourites of the whole shoot.
Did you do any post-processing?
As almost all of my images I do my post-processing in Photoshop. Since gorgeous Nina has great skin it was quite an easy job for me to do the cleaning part of the retouching. Using dodge and burn for the most part and converting to black and white with my favorite method based on adjustment layers in Photoshop is all i did to finalize the image.
What equipment do you normally have in your bag?
DSLR Full frame, Canon EF 35/2.0, Sigma 50/1.4 Art, Canon 70-200/2.8 IS + off-camera lighting
Any advice for others trying to capture something similar?
Especially with beauty portraits like this obviously having a great model helps. Besides that: don't be cheesy, don't be creepy, try to get a feeling for the person you are photographing, work on getting a connection, talk to person, get into the flow together to achieve beautiful results.
