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Top Shot Award 22
Contest Finalist in Cakes And Cookies Photo Contest
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ThroughRandysEyes
March 21, 2019
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at my home. While my photography focuses primarily on environmental portraiture, editorial and commercial photography, sometimes I find myself at home with nothing to do. This is when I get creative in my family’s apartment to create something unique!Time
It was rather late at night. Our 2 year old was in bed and we had already eaten dinner. I wanted to try making some dessert from scratch and after seeing how the pastries turned out, I decided to celebrate with my camera. It was about 9:30pm by the time I captured this image.Lighting
My lighting technique is usually experimental, to say the least. For this image, I had the plate set on the floor. Adjacent to it was my full light. This was intended to fill in any harsh shadows to get the best detail from the pastry and keep the mood lighter. Then, my main light was a power light in a very large deep-softbox directly overhead. Lastly, I used a hairlight, with diffuser, to create the glow effect with spill light coming from the top right. This light also ensured proper illumination of the falling powdered sugar. All in all, it turned out pretty great, considering I was flying by the pants of my pastry!Equipment
I used my Nikon D5, handheld with a Photogenic StudioMax II 160 (dated but reliable), AlienBees B800 and a modified hairlight.Inspiration
I am always looking for new inspirations. Usually, my most creative work is born out of spontaneity. This time, I had just baked something for the first time and wanted to convey the sweet pleasure I got out of making the pastries.Editing
Yes, I always use photoshop for primary editing. There, I tend to bring out the best detail, eliminating distractions in the background and any color correction necessary (sometimes, older equipment will throw the kelvin off balance). Then, when I have the right “mood”, I use Lightroom to do any final touches.In my camera bag
My 300mm soom lens goes with me everywhere. It’s great for street photography and candid shots of spur of the moment scenes. I also take with me everywhere my 18mm lens, perfect for capturing faces with stunningly shallow depth of field and creating magical perspectives of wider scenes (if you’re standing far enough away).Feedback
Just play with your lights! I play with lights all the time. There’s no “right” way to capture something until you have the vision. If you’re just messing around, maintain the end mood and manipulate your equipment constantly to see how the frame changes with each capture. I might take the same composition 3 or 4 times, each with a separate lighting configuration and setup. Of course l, this is not ideal for photographing many clients with a schedule and direct expectations. But as an artist, we all need to set aside time for risks and discovery.