Flames In The Sand
I took this photo in New Hampshire as a fire spinner and I were playing with fire and new techniques for an upcoming project, later titled 'Liar Liar.'...
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I took this photo in New Hampshire as a fire spinner and I were playing with fire and new techniques for an upcoming project, later titled 'Liar Liar.' You can see this finished project on my website at www.thegirlmirage.com-liar-liar.
Taken with a Canon Vixia HF100, a test shoot for a fire-themed series 'Liar Liar.'
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Taken with a Canon Vixia HF100, a test shoot for a fire-themed series 'Liar Liar.'
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Jul, 2014Views
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Awards
Summer 2020
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in New Hampshire as a fire spinner and I were playing with fire and new techniques for an upcoming project, later titled 'Liar Liar.' You can see this finished project on my website at www.thegirlmirage.com/liar-liar.Time
This photo was taken around midnight in the middle of a giant, seemingly endless sand pit near my friend's house. He said that, in New Hampshire, you can pretty much do anything, "see all those bullet shells?" he asked, shining the light across the ground. "Are we...gonna get shot?" I asked, half-joking, half freaked-out. He laughed and said no, we're spinning fire so we should be fine.Lighting
The lighting is purely firelight, emitted from both the sparks captured in the image, as well as a fire source off-camera - my friend, spinning fire. I am an avid natural-light photographer, and this ability to both capture the elements while utilizing the elements to do so (how meta) was truly thrilling. I've always appreciated night photography, and this added another element - literally.Equipment
I shot this by hand, no job, rig or otherwise, with a Canon Vixia HF100. No flash, no additional light source. Like I said - pretty thrilling!Inspiration
Fueled by a break-up years earlier, I had come up with an idea to burn clothing and capture it on camera. Haha, pretty drastic. I finally met several fire spinners and other creatives who were into the idea, and a project was formed around the idea of fire representing transformation and the idea of time. The title of this finished project, 'Liar Liar,' is a play on the idea 'liar liar, pants on fire'! You can see this finished project on my website at www.thegirlmirage.com/liar-liar.Editing
When I do any post-processing work, it's usually pretty intense, as I try to capture naturally-lit images that don't require much work. I lightened the image because it was a bit dark, but no other post-processing work was done!In my camera bag
Lately I've been using the Canon T5i with a 24mm prime lens opening to f/2.8. I needed something light, small, wide, and workable in low-light - so this $150 Canon lens was - and still is - perfect. It's really fascinating to watch yourself grow as an artist; I just returned from a trip to Israel and now, as I compare my work to photography I took around this time in 2011, I am blown away by the difference - and at that time, I was even shooting with a Canon 5D II!Feedback
I love to capture the ephemeral, and there are only so many opportunities to 'practice' capturing something so fleeting. I would always say have fun with it, try different things - be quick, and don't overthink things. If you want to capture it and worry it will be gone by the time you get your camera out, try to get your camera, anyway; you'll regret it if you miss it! Capturing fire is not as difficult as I had initially thought, though capturing a single moment - a certain flame, direction of the fire, a spark in the sand - just takes some speed!
