Candy Cane Insane 5553
Rabbit Rodeo Design
100% Wool Earrings with Sterling Silver
Aug, 2014Views
776
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Awards
Zenith Award
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Superior Skill
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Exceptional Contrast
One Of A Kind
Genius
Love it
Virtuoso
Emotions
Impressed
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is Nora, my head and shoulders mannequin for jewelry product photography. I have a collection of wigs so I can quickly change the mood and color scheme of her headshots to highlight the colors in the jewelry. I am a self-taught photographer and from the beginning, I was a fan of available light, so I took this photo on my back patio, which is uncovered.Time
To take advantage of full daylight without a lot of glare, I started this shoot around 5:00 in the afternoon in late summer.Lighting
I definitely wanted the flat lighting without direct sunlight.Equipment
I used my Canon Digital Rebel XT with a Canon 24-105mm lens. No tripod or flash. I love the challenge of getting what I want from available light!Inspiration
I was working on a marketing campaign for the jewelry designer and I wanted to save money and not be at the mercy of live models. That's why I bought Nora and a half dozen wigs in different hair styles and colors. The almost white-blond hair was sure to pop the red wool felt in the earring and help create a striking image. Nora's glass eyes and lush lashes always add depth. A pro photographer once told me, "Don't shoot color unless you have plenty of it." So I use my knowledge of contrast and love of color to try to conceptualize and create an image that showcases the product in every possible way and, at the same time, offers the viewer something a little different, something unexpected.Editing
Processing is a magical thing. Some images don't want or need anything but the most conservative enhancement of what is captured. In this case, I used Lightroom to lighten the image overall, which gave Nora her porcelain "skin." This caused the eyeball to take on a bit of a ghostly quality, which I decided was okay. I did increase the red to add a little more intensity to the earring, and I was lucky that the existing tones in the natural color of Nora's lips were a close match to the tones in the earring. I also use clarity on close to 90-95% of my images, which enhanced the detail in the lashes, liner, and what was left of the detail in the hair.In my camera bag
I haven't yet bought a big zoom lens, so I carry a very light bag with my workhorse current camera, a Canon EOS 7D with the 24-105mm lens. Years ago I used a macro lens a lot and I want to get back to that soon. No filters, no tripod, just the camera, my eye, and me.Feedback
Great magic can be created in a studio with controlled lighting, but don't let the absence of a studio hold you back. I'm sure there are many great backgrounds and textures all around you. Make available light your new best friend. It doesn't take much to capture mega-drama. As soon as that's your goal, you're halfway there.
