The Storm Chaser
Feb, 2016Views
7323
Likes
Awards
Contest Finalist in The Face Of A Man Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Sunglasses Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Portraits with Props Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Studio Fun Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 21 Photo Contest
Professional LED Lights
Contest Finalist in Flash Fun Photo Contest
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Love it
Virtuoso
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Top 30 rank
Kollogov
March 26, 2016
Goodness!!
This is absolutely mindblowing!
Please explain how you achieved this magnificence.
This is absolutely mindblowing!
Please explain how you achieved this magnificence.
PRO
Pamelabole
March 26, 2016
Wow.....so much to take in....wonderful!!! And congrats on your award!!! : )
PRO+
melissamasonrensen
April 02, 2016
I loved this shot when I first saw it in your gallery on the Nat. Geo. Your Shot site, Derek. Wonderful creativity, exemplary photography. Congratulations on your two View Bug awards and your numerous Peer awards, so well deserved! - I just started uploading here a couple weeks ago, but have been too caught up on the NGS YS site to add much...lol
gloveranna
August 07, 2016
Wow!!! Thank you so much for describing in detail how you achieved this look. Great work!
PRO
PRO+
Platinum
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this image, a selfie, in my house, in the "studio", which is just a back room with a bit of cleared space. Though the image looks like it was shot outdoors in a rainstorm, the entire scene was fabricated in-camera.Time
Since I photographed this in the middle of the day, I needed to cover the windows to avoid excess sunlight, even though most of it would be overpowered by the light of the flash. I also hung up garbage bags in the background and in the area behind the camera so that I wouldn't get any unwanted chaos reflected in the sunglasses.Lighting
I lit this with two flashes: one was directed at the "lightning" off-camera left, which was created out of felt pipe cleaners bent into the rough shape of a bolt, and the other was aimed from the side to highlight the features of my face and to make the rain drops pop. The "rain" was actually water from a spray bottle that I was squeezing in one hand while activating the shutter with the other hand. The act of positioning myself in just the right place at the optimum angle for the reflection and then synchronizing the spraying of the water with the shutter was, needless to say, quite tricky and took more than a few attempts. That it turned out as well as it did was almost shocking at the time and is still one of my favourite studio moments - a rare example of when things "just work".Equipment
I shot this with the Pentax K-5 and the Sigma 17-70mm lens, mounted on a tripod. The flashes were manual Yongnuos. I used a wireless remote to trigger the camera.Inspiration
I made this photograph in 2012 for Chrysta Rae's Photography Scavenger Hunt on Google Plus, an awesome for-fun competition that has inspired some of my best creative work. The Scavenger Hunt is still going strong and is today on its 18th Round. The contest word, or theme, I shot this for was "Reflection".Editing
The original photo was underexposed, so I brightened it up in Lightroom and made contrast adjustments to let those droplets really "pop". I reduced saturation and darkened the edges to make sure the background was hidden.In my camera bag
For many years I used the Pentax system, first K-x's and then K-5's, but I recently moved to Nikon because (at the time) Pentax didn't have a full-frame option. Now I rock the D750 with Nikkor 24-120mm, 85mm f/1.8, Tokina 17-35mm and Rokinon 14mm. This photo isn't representative of my main work, which is landscape photography, but I love to dabble in conceptual studio stuff, playing with flashes and Photoshop. There's a whole world of creativity to be explored using today's tools!Feedback
Go for it. Think outside the box, try those wacky ideas and play with the tools you have available to you. Instead of letting the lack of gear be the limiting factor, make MacGyvering your strength and see what you can come up with. This photo was created with a couple of flashes, some garbage bags, a spray bottle, felt pipe cleaner and sunglasses. With a bit more work, it could have been made with a single flash. Try new stuff - you never know what will come of it!
