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Venus 01
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Venus 01



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A portrait photo of model Rachelle Summers.

A portrait photo of model Rachelle Summers.
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cameraNIKON D800

settings Aperture f/4.5 ISO 800 Shutter 1/125 

upload_dateDec, 2014

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1361

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2 Comments |
Manoel
 
Manoel March 05, 2016
Useless to say something. Simply wonderfull!
GerryF Ultimate
 
GerryF March 06, 2016
great shot such a unique angle

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Tags

#portrait #photo #photography #color #colour #closeup #headshot #model #female #beauty #blonde
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Behind The Lens

Location

Indoors at the model's (Rachelle Summers) house next to a window (camera right).

Time

Early afternoon, it was winter and the sun was low on the horizon with intermittent clouds.

Lighting

It was taken with natural light (which is what I prefer) and a reflector.

Equipment

Nikon D800, 85mm/1.8 Sigma prime lens.

Inspiration

I like closeups of the face and Rachelle is very expressive. It was a combination of the light being in the right place and the perfect play of shadow and highlights on her face as well as the expression that created the shot.

Editing

Yes I did some subtle adjustments to the colour palette in a combination of Photoshop and Nik Color Effex Pro to try to replicate the colours in classic paintings like Botticelli's painting of Venus.

In my camera bag

Far too much. I usually pack everything in case I need it (although I normally don't). I usually carry all my lenses 85mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 3 flashes along with several light modifiers like a beauty dish (these don't fit in the same bag) and most importantly a foldable triangular reflector. If I was forced to pack light I'd take the 85mm/1.8 prime lens plus the 70-200mm and the reflector. These are the most important tools for good portraits in natural light.

Feedback

It's kind of obvious but always look at what the light is doing. If the light isn't right you can't create a great photo no matter how skilled you are. You don't always have to wait for absolutely perfect light though. Although you can't move natural light around the same way you can with artificial lighting you can move your model around and sometimes it is just a matter of a small step in one direction that can give you the perfect combination of light and shadow. Also don't forget to experiment with light modifiers when you are dealing with natural light e.g. you can still soften harsh light with a diffuser.

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