kevinburnside
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Griffith Observatory overlooking Los Angeles, CA during a brief moment when the crowd of people finally cleared.Time
This shot was taken around 10pm, and is one of a collection I'm currently building of portraits.Lighting
I've always been drawn to night photography. The first photograph that ever really made me proud was a midnight long-exposure, and I think that use of dark spaces continues to influence my projects. This one especially seems radiant, because that light that was captured has so much darkness that it has to fight against.Equipment
This was a hand held shot with my Nikon d7000 and a wide open 35mm 1.8 lens.Inspiration
I love the Griffith Observatory for both the amazing way its lit and for what the building literally is as a place to confront the mysteries of the solar system. For me, this photo connects these two ideas into one moment which made for a very rich portrait.Editing
Photographing objects at night requires the photographer to adapt to low light conditions and for me that meant finding a balance between noise, speed, and exposure. Because I couldn't afford to a blurry a face, I had to underexpose the photograph when I took it and compensate with post-processing after.In my camera bag
I love prime lenses for their speed and sharpness, and 90% of my photographs are taken with a normal 35mm nikkor 1.8. This means I'm usually travelling light with the lens on my camera, a tripod if it's dark, and at most a second 75mm prime for portraits.Feedback
I would find a light source that really interests you and build your composition and exposure around that. This way the light can really become the subject and its specific character can come through. Once the light looks right you can put whatever you want inside of it and it will look unique and natural!