Fiery beauty
Model: Dian Arends
Muah & Photographer: Azzeria Photography
Jul, 2014Views
218
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Awards
Brilliant
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Top Class Lighting
Jaw Dropping
Exceptional Contrast
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken in my home studio in Assen, The Netherlands. I am just starting out my career as a photographer, so I am not yet fortunate enough to rent a studio. Luckily, my little studio at home works pretty good too.Time
I believe it was taken in the late afternoon. However, in most cases I close off all natural light in the studio with thick black curtains, to fully control the light. So in this particular case the time of the day did not have any influence on the outcome of the photograph.Lighting
I wanted the light to be soft, but yet powerful enough to bring out the most in Dian's beautiful features. I used my main flash with a black umbrella left of the camera in front of Dian, and a weaker flash slightly from behind her on the right of the camera. This assured me that the flower would be beautifully lit and give a nice glow to her hair.Equipment
This was shot with my Canon 5D Mark iii and the Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L As for lightning I used one D-LITE RX 4 Elinchrom as well as a D-LITE RX ONE.Inspiration
I had recently followed quite a few online workshops from the very talented Sue Bryce. Her views on posing and each woman's original beauty inspired me to try to achieve a more soft and feminine photograph than I previously had produced. Given that Dian's hair is incredibly long and vibrant, I wanted it in motion to draw the viewer in. I chose for colors that matched - soft and subtle, so nothing would take away too much from her natural beauty.Editing
Post-processing is a vital part of my photography, and I spend a great amount of time retouching each image. Through retouching I can execute my creative vision and bring out the best in all images. Whether that’s perfecting the skin, enhancing the eyes, or making the scenery look magical, it is all equally important. For this image specifically the main techniques used were frequency separation and dodge and burn to perfect her skin. Additionally a variety of adjustment layers such as curves, selective colors and color balance were used. These were used to get the desired tonality, bring out her eyes and perfect the lightning.In my camera bag
Honestly I think I may be pretty boring and straight forward with the equipment I carry. If I am photographing outdoors, I always use natural light, so I never bring any flashes or similar. I have two pieces of gear that I never go anywhere without, and that's my 5D Mark iii and my Canon EF 70-200mm. In most cases I also bring my Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 - I always want to be prepared and in a lot of situations this lens allows me to photograph in much narrower spaces than the 70-200mm. Last but not least, I always carry spare batteries. Better safe than sorry :)Feedback
Every woman has different features and different beauties. I think it's important to figure out what you want to bring out in your model's features, and experiment with the lightning around that. That said, for an image similar to this one, it is important to not use too harsh light. Use softboxes or umbrellas to diffuse the light and hence make it complementing for the model's features. In beauty alike images I also believe there is a number of things that will make or break your image. As the very first, in my personal opinion, it is the expression of your model. Tell her to slightly squint her eyes, to make the eyes look more alert, intense and emotional. As second, think about complementary colors, it can add a lot to your image. As very last, if you do use hands in your photograph, try to make them appear soft and elegant. Hands have a tendency to appear stiff and out of place, and thus need to be directed.
