stephenwong
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FancyShiningLightPhoto
February 18, 2017
This is so gorgeous. I have never been able toaster the jumping portrait.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was made a couple of years ago, shortly after sunrise on the cliff tops along the coast of Sydney overlooking the Tasman Sea. This area is part of the Botany Bay National Park. It's about 17 km south-east of the city, in an area called La Perouse, named after the French navigator, who arrived at Botany Bay, a few days after the arrival of the First Fleet. Sadly, the French fleet ran into a storm while on-route to the South Pacific and were lost.Time
Being the Australian summer and with daylight saving time in effect, it was an early morning start for Denisa Strakova and me. As you can see, the sun was already well above the horizon. This image was shot on 20 January 2016 at 05:49 am.Lighting
I use a standard setting (1/160 - 1/200 second, f/22 and ISO 100) for these types of shots. I was setting up to shoot with off-camera flash, but for this image, I wanted a silhouette, so I didn't fire the flash. For better control, I shoot in manual camera mode almost exclusively. On occasion, I'll use aperture priority mode.Equipment
I shot this handheld on a Canon 5D Mark III, with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Technical data: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens @ 35mm, f/22, 1/200 sec, ISO 100.Inspiration
I love images made at sunrise and sunset. That morning, the sunrise was spectacular. Previously, I had worked in the studio with Ivory Flame, a travelling English model, who brought along these translucent wings, used in belly dancing. I loved them so much that I bought a set. I was setting up to shoot with off-camera flash, but I opted for a silhouette when I saw the fabric backlit by the sunlight.Editing
There wasn't much needed in post-processing. I enhanced the image by reducing the highlights, and I adjusted the colour tones.In my camera bag
On location, I travel with two Canon 5D Mark III bodies, one with an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens, the other with an EF 70-200mm f/4L USM lens. I have a tripod with a light spigot attachment so it doubles as a light stand that can be set up on uneven ground. I use a Godox AD600BM battery-powered strobe fitted with a 7-inch reflector dish and the Godox X1C radio trigger to fire the strobe off-camera. I rarely carry light modifiers. I find them impractical for location shooting without an assistant. I'll look for surfaces and objects where I can bounce the light instead of using direct flash.Feedback
With silhouette images, I find that open poses where the limbs are well separated from the torso work best. Finger separation, leg separation, and the face in profile also help to create shape. Otherwise, the model just looks like a blob. I'll use the smallest lens aperture to create the starburst effect. Also, I shoot from a low vantage point using a wide angle lens to exaggerate the height of the leap. Importantly, I place a towel on the ground to give the model a soft landing spot.