The Fencer
Jul, 2014Views
8205
Likes
Awards
Contest Finalist in Looks Mysterious Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6
Contest Finalist in Anything People Photo Contest
Runner Up in In Uniform Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in In Uniform Photo Contest
Runner Up in People At Work Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in People At Work Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Use Of Artificial Light Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in The Battle Of Professionals Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Genius
Exceptional Contrast
Jaw Dropping
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Categories
stevestarer
January 28, 2018
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
justinadamlee
February 03, 2018
The really classic portraits are the ones that do not show the face and this is a classic James. Forces me to image the look of concentration and determination. Brilliant work.
PRO+
HannadoraTheExplorer
June 24, 2018
I love this picture! would you consider me using it for some cover art? I run a record label. You can see the covers i do at recoverworld.com my email is hannah@themuzikgenie.co.uk
Platinum
Kyle_Eaton_Photography
December 28, 2018
I love this. Accidentally favorited it without putting "masterpiece", but it is one. Did you get the black background with flash?
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken in a studio with a black background far behind the subject to ensure a perfectly black background. This location was essential to be able to take full control of lighting an exposure.Time
The shoot was in an airless studio, and since it was the height of summer it was hot outside.To top things of the studio air conditioning wasn’t working, so the studio was hot and uncomfortable to say the least. For me as the photographer this wasn’t a huge problem, but the subject was wearing full fencing kit, including a mask so I had to work fast so he didn’t overheat.Lighting
This photo was taken using just a single light above and slightly behing the fencer on a boom. A small softbox was used to diffuse light and keep it directed onto the subject. To light the front of the fencer I simply placed a reflector on the floor in front of him. Although it looks like the fencer is standing, he’s actually kneeling down, which this is why the reflector has been so successful in bouncing light back onto him.Equipment
I took this photo with a Nikon D3s and 70-200mm lens. The advantage of using the 70-200mm was that I could work at a distance from the fencer and by focusing on the foil I could allow the fencer’s mask to drop slightly out of focus, even at f/11. At the time I wanted to shoot wider open, but in hindsight the aperture I used was perfect and I'm really happy with the depth-of-field.Inspiration
I came up with the idea for ‘The Fencer’ after learning that a fellow photographer fences for the senior GB fencing team. I appreciate the classic image of two blurred or even frozen fencers fighting against a plain black background, but wanted to create a more arresting photo full of tension. I decided that a head and shoulders portrait of the fencer in his kit, holding up his foil would confront the viewer with a more intimidating image.Editing
The RAW image was first processed in Lightroom and then exported into Photoshop. Here I simply cloned out a few specs of dirt on the fencers suit, and dodged and burned a few areas. The foil itself was dodged more than other areas to make it stand out as much as possible without being to bright. I finally desaturated a few areas and added my preferred contrast technique to improve the overall look of the image. Processing RAW files in LR4, and then finishing images in Photoshop is my standard workflow for all photos.In my camera bag
I shoot predominatly portraits and landscapes so my kit bag differs for each subject. For portraiture I always have my Nikon D610 and grip, along with my 50mm, 85mm and 70-200mm. I also carry a variable ND to use with my 85mm so I can shoot wide open in the studio and outdoors. For landscape work I hang onto my 50mm, the most useful lens in the world, and only carry my 16-35mm zoom. Alongside these I carry ND Grads, a polarising filter and a range of ND filters.Feedback
You'll have heard this a million times before, but keep things simple. This image was taken using just one light and a reflector, which proves you don't need a huge amount of gear to take a dramatic portrait. When I first started studying photography one of my lecturers taught me to keep lighting simple and build it up one light at a time. This is something that has stuck with ever since – if I need one light this is all I use, but if I need four or five I just build up to them. Always start with the minimum and stop when you have what you need.
