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JoshuaSpicer
My Dirty Crown
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My Dirty Crown



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upload_dateJul, 2017

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Top Shot Award 21
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Superb Composition
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Magnificent Capture
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People And Shadows Photo ContestTop 10 rank
People And Shadows Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1

Categories

1 Comment |
jamiesarkett
 
jamiesarkett December 22, 2017
Congrats - great image :)

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#self portrait #night #dirty #man #beard #shadow #black and white #messy
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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in the forest out behind my home in Woolwich, Maine. I had just obtained the camera and was eager to put it through its paces, so I took off into the woods to practice some self portraiture.

Time

I had been shooting for a few hours at this point, and when I took this photo it was nearly dusk. The low background lighting conditions allowed me to highlight my key light, which was my only lighting source beyond the setting sun.

Lighting

With the light fading as dusk approached I had taken to using a flash and an umbrella for the remainder of my shoot. The umbrella was set up to my front right, a little below head level, which allowed the light to accentuate the features of my face as the flash fired up at me.

Equipment

This image was captured with a Canon EOS 7d Mark II with a EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens with an off camera flash and a reflector umbrella. The camera was hand held for this self portrait, as my tripod was limiting the angle at which I was able to capture my face.

Inspiration

I had been shooting another set of self portraits prior to taking this photo. In those images I covered myself with dust and dirt and was laying on the ground among the ferns and forest floor. This image wasn't originally planned, but was rather the result of me playing with the camera after finishing my original shoot. Upon reviewing the images, I took note of how this image resembled renditions of Jesus Christ with my dirty face and hair matted and in the shape that resembled the crown of thorns. I thought it had a story to tell, so I continued to process it along with my other images.

Editing

As far as processing, I converted the image to black and white, adjusting the contrast and highlights to get the stark black and whites. I didn't do anything else with it at that point.

In my camera bag

I carry what I consider a balanced load. My go to lens is my EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM which gives me a flexible shooting range as far as my focal length is concerned. I also carry a Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Wide Angle Lens for when I need wider shots, or when I find myself presented with a good landscape opportunity. The third lens I carry is a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Prime Lens for portraits. I shoot with a Canon EOS 7d Mark II body and carry a Speedlite 430EX flash for situations that may call for extra light. Other than a more powerful telephoto lens on occasion, I don't really change up my gear. It currently meets all of my shooting needs.

Feedback

My advice for others trying to capture something similar is don't be afraid to break the rules a little. When I captured this image I was hand holding my camera, aiming it at my face while looking in different directions. The lighting wasn't planned, the shots were random, and I treated the whole evolution like I was taking a selfie. It was a lot of fun, but to see me in action would have looked really silly from the viewers perspective. Have fun with your photography. Don't be afraid to play. You never know what you might end up with in your camera roll.

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