sallycampbellclark

By Candle Light

An experimental self portrait of me deep in thought, basked in candlelight. Ive been wanting to try this for a while and a lack of a model was slowing me down s...
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An experimental self portrait of me deep in thought, basked in candlelight. Ive been wanting to try this for a while and a lack of a model was slowing me down so I decided to use myself! :)
Read less

NIKON D3200

settings

Aperture f/5.3 ISO 3200 Shutter 16/10

upload_date

Apr, 2014

Views

239

Likes

+65

Awards

Outstanding Creativity

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Peer Award

Top Choice

Exceptional Contrast

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Great Find

Behind The Lens

Location

In the hall way of my house. Victoria, Australia.

Time

Late afternoon, about 3-4pm

Lighting

I sat in pitch blackness with just the light of the candle!

Equipment

I used a Nikon D3200 DSLR camera, a Nikkor 18-55mm lens and a tripod.

Inspiration

It was an idea that I had in my head for quite a while. I had seen other photos using candle light as the focus or to softly light subjects and thought I wouldn't mind giving it a go! I didn't have a model to use at the time, so I used myself which was quite interesting! It would of been funny for anyone else watching! I had to set the timer on my camera, have the candle ready on the floor, press the button than run to the candle and get into position and sit completely still :)

Editing

Yes. Quite a bit using Photoshop! Although the background was naturally dark, I made it pitch black, than softened the edges around my frame using black with the brush tool on a soft round setting. I layered it with a filter Gaussian Blur on a really low opacity to soften it. I used the dodge and burn tools to enhance the light and darkness in certain areas as well as reducing the noise.

In my camera bag

Nikon D3200 DSLR camera, a set of Hoya +1, +2, +3, +4 magnifier filters . A Nikkor 18-55mm lens and a Sigma 70-300mm lens with lens hood. A Kenko polarizer filter, a gray card, and spare SD card.

Feedback

I'm just a self taught novice so I believe there would be many ways of achieving this image! For me I experimented with different ISO settings. I used a small f-stop of 5.3 and a high ISO of 3200 to let in the natural light of the candle. I was in complete darkness because I wanted to capture where the candle light naturally lit up my body and face. Although the high ISO setting makes the image look a little grainy I liked the overall effect. Don't be afraid to give things a go! Experiment and have fun :)

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sallycampbellclark

sallycampbellclark

By Candle Light

An experimental self portrait of me deep in thought, basked in candlelight. Ive been wanting to try this for a while and a lack of a model was slowing me down s... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow sallycampbellclark

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An experimental self portrait of me deep in thought, basked in candlelight. Ive been wanting to try this for a while and a lack of a model was slowing me down s...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.