Light Versus Dark
Mar, 2013Views
2823
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Legendary Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in Couture Photo Contest
Way To Go
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Love it
Exceptional Contrast
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Jaw Dropping
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Behind The Lens
Location
It was the top floor of a shop where the model Kelly worked - Hustler Fashions. The owner was kind enough to lend a vintage dress and let us use the upper part of the shop. The building was quite old and looked beautiful.Time
Early afternoon. It was quite bright with intermittent clouds casting interesting shadows.Lighting
This was shot entirely with natural light although I did use a reflector at floor level to help reflect some light towards the front.Equipment
Nikon D800 Camera. Sigma 24-70mm/2.8 lens.Inspiration
I loved the light from the window and Kelly had this beautiful cream vintage dress. It was the perfect combination. I knew right away I had the shot and within a few weeks I had won several awards and competitions for this shot.Editing
I used Nik Silver Effex Pro (in addition to photoshop). The main processing was a bit of dodging and burning to enhance the shadows and highlights for dramatic effect.In my camera bag
My camera (Nikon D800), my 85mm/1.8 Prime portrait lens (Nikon), my Sigma 24-70mm/2.8 lens, Sigma 70-200mm (if I'm shooting outdoor portraits as it gives beautiful results if you have enough distance), 2 x SB700 Flashes + radio triggers, Triangular grip reflector and a large circular reflector. I always have a large beauty dish with me too, although I can't actually fit it in my bag!Feedback
Just look for beautiful light. That's the most important thing for portrait photography or any photography really. Also the difference between beautiful light and terrible light can be a little step or partial step in either direction. Luckily for photographing people you don't always have to wait for dawn or sunset (as with landscapes) because unlike a mountain or a river you can just move your model around to make the best of the situation.
