calumcorby
FollowThis is my Dad, he's a Warrant Officer in the RAF. Him and my Mum are my greatest Idols. I always saw my dad as a two sided person, theres his work self an...
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This is my Dad, he's a Warrant Officer in the RAF. Him and my Mum are my greatest Idols. I always saw my dad as a two sided person, theres his work self and his real self. Thats what spawned this photograph, I wanted to show something of the work side which is what I believe is his professionalism.
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ElaineCatlingPhotography
January 23, 2016
Superb portraiture work of your dad. Thank you for sharing
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I have a Studio that I set up time to time, within an old Church Hall. It is on an old RAF Base, that has since been retired and has a new lease on life. The Hall is owned by my brothers and it's called the Battle of Britain Memorial Hall. They Graciously allow me to use it for all sort of my photography shenanigans. It's a beautiful well built relic that has been great fun to work in over the years.Time
I was working with my dad in the Afternoon. From around 3pm till 5pm. It was a nice sunny day. But that wouldn't deter me from taking this photographLighting
I was trying to create a signature style. Something which would stand out and grab each person's attention. But I was also trying to look at this duality of a person I know so well. Where you can fully see and understand the subject. But the Shadow would show that Whilst I know this person, there is a shadowy part I'll never fully know.Equipment
For this Photograph I was utilising a Manfrotto Tripod with a Three Gear head. I'd have been using a Fuji finepix S5 Pro. My first Ever DSLR. I had utilised one at College and fell in love with it's heft and the beautiful clear images It could make for portraiture. I actually almost always utilised a Macro Lens which was 26-80mm. Funnily enough this would be a lens I'd use for almost any type of Photograph due to how versatile it felt.Inspiration
My Dad, Danny Corby, He's the guy in the photograph, is one of my heroes. He has spent 37 years of his life serving in the RAF. Most of which was at RAF Coltishall. What inspired me was that feeling that I knew so much about my father, but there will always be a part of him shrouded in mystery. No doubt he'd tell me if I asked. But I like that here in this photo, I captured the gravity and power he has always had for me. The greatest aspect of my photography was that I could capture something integral to a person. Something they often don't see of themselves. In this photograph I wanted to show that duality of his being. Where I know so much about him yet, there is this aspect that will always be in the shadow. He is the type of person that can stand above everyone else, yet still offer his hand to raise others up. His entire being is this overwhelming humanity and love. Where he'd give his last bit of cash or food to someone just because he can. It is a part of his DNA. When I'm asked, what inspired me to take this photo, Honestly he did. As he always has, inspired me from when I was a child and especially now as an adult.Editing
I did in fact do a fair amount of post processing. But thats because I have a specific style and look I aim for with my photographs. Often times there are photo's that need some work to get to the full picture you are aiming to have. This thankfully had every base element I needed to make a fantastic and thought provoking image. This image itself was made up of a number of layers. Utilising High Pass Filters and layer blending to bring out details. Black and white Overlays to make dramatic lighting pop. Countless hours of tweaking and checking through the entire photograph. Making certain there were no aberrations or distractions. But Mostly It was making sure colours and lighting had the right feel.In my camera bag
These Days I tend to carry around a Canon 5D Mark 2 with a selection of lenses and a MacBook Pro. I try to keep my equipment fairly simple and not over the top. I love to use what's available. In which case I'll often have makeshift, reflectors and tripods (trusty mossy tree stumps for example). I think as a photographer that whilst it's fantastic having a bunch of gear and equipment, that often people forget to strip themselves back and remember that it's about having your mind which is the most important piece of equipment. Everything else is just a tool or means to achieve what you're trying to create, capture or conserve.Feedback
Experiment. Play. Always give yourself a chance to see more, and try to limit yourself less. If you have got limitations, why not make them of value. Make them a part of how you react to a circumstance. With this image it is very much about lighting position and framing. You want to look at the world and make it focus in pinpoint onto a specific subject. Don't just allow yourself to give up when it doesn't appear to be working, because all to often you can stumble across greatness from just trying something new.