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ST_1115_7



behind the lens badge
cameraCanon EOS 7D

settings Aperture f/9 ISO 100 Shutter 1/200 Focal Length 93/1 

upload_dateNov, 2015

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2396

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3 Comments |
Tverhofstad
 
Tverhofstad September 17, 2016
This is a fantastic shot. It has a mysterious feel to it
rossjames Ultimate
rossjames November 10, 2016
Thank you! I'm very proud of this shot. I must give a lot of credit to the model. She did a great job!
MKoelen
 
MKoelen October 16, 2016
Great portrait! Like the softness in color and light.
rossjames Ultimate
rossjames November 10, 2016
Thank you! This was part of a headshot series that we did. I'm very proud of the way it came out.
rossjames Ultimate
 
rossjames September 01, 2018
Appreciate all the feedback on this image. Thank you to everyone!

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Behind The Lens

Location

This image was captured in my home studio in Texas. It is a part of an ongoing series of headshots that I am working on.

Time

This image, quickly, became one of my most favorite I have ever captured. All of the elements came together, perfectly. We shot this in the early afternoon but, since the lighting was all artificial, it really didn't matter what time we worked.

Lighting

The lighting setup for this image was incredibly simple. I wish I had a huge story to tell about lights but, the truth is, there was only one strobe at work here. We positioned the model and moved the strobe in very tight. The most interesting thing about this setup is that there was not a backdrop present. We did all the work, here, within the camera settings so as to create a black background without, actually, using one. This is a trick I learned from Glyn Dewis at https://digital-photography-school.com and using some tips from Peter Hurley. We, simply, applied the inverse square law to achieve our results. I had seen this done before and wanted to use the effect. With a little research, I was able to do this very easily.

Equipment

Canon 7d Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 Image was captured at f/9 1/200 ISO100 StudioMax Strobe with an umbrella closed down so as to focus the light directly on my model's face. We were in a completely lit room that even had a couple of windows that let in some ambient light.

Inspiration

I would have to say that the inspiration for this image came from one of the most famous headshots ever captured...Afghan Girl. Steve McCurry has inspired so many photographers with this image and it remains one of my all-time favorites. I used that image, along with the lessons from Glyn and Peter, to create something along the same lines but, also, keep it fresh and creative. As I said, before, this is one of my favorite images that I have ever captured and it has garnered a great deal of attention from the photography world. I appreciate the love it has received and I hope I have inspired someone the way Steve did for me and so many others.

Editing

Some post-processing was done to soften the image a little. This was added to give the image a more demure look. I was fortunate that I did not have to do much to it as far as color or saturation. I use Adobe Photoshop for all of my editing. I know, "why don't you use Lightroom?" is the next question I always get. I have been working with Photoshop since 1990...it's what I'm comfortable with and I will continue to use it for everything I do. Does that make me "old school"? Maybe, but I go with what works and makes my life easier.

In my camera bag

Canon 1Dx MkII (used mainly for my sports/action photography) Canon 7d MkII Canon 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 Canon 85mm f/1.8 Canon 500mm f/4 Canon 17-40

Feedback

Practice, and keep shooting...it's that simple. Do some simple research. The internet is full of ideas and places to find tips and tricks. Play with your gear, your lights, your subject. Don't be afraid to move them around and see what happens. The possibilities are endless and you never know what you will learn, or what you can achieve, until you do some experimentation. Photography is all about being creative and coming up with something new. As I have shown, here, you can take your inspiration from the past and put a twist on it to get a whole different feeling and perspective. Don't waste your time trying to re-invent the wheel...just see where the wheel can take you.

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