Safe & Sound
Lying in the cold cold snow was absolutely worth it.
The feeling was inspired by Taylor Swift's Safe and Sound song.
Lying in the cold cold snow was absolutely worth it.
The feeling was inspired by Taylor Swift's Safe and Sound song.
Read less
The feeling was inspired by Taylor Swift's Safe and Sound song.
Read less
Aug, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
It was taken on a patch of grass next to a highway near my parents house. In a busy city like Amsterdam, those odd places are often the only ones where you can decide to lie down on the ground in the snow without getting an audience.Time
It was in the afternoon, we'd gotten back from a skiing trip the night before and there hadn't been any snow before we left. At first I thought I'd have some time to pull this off later, maybe when there would be more snow. But as soon as I noticed it was all starting to melt, I got dressed, set everything up and started taking the photos. It was absolutely freezing! It's a self-portrait, so I had to get up and lie down, run from the spot to my camera, check the photos, etc. I put on a skiing jacket and would stand on a vest because the snow was too cold for my skin to touch for longer periods of time (the average temperature those days was 1°C/34°F, but it was probably starting to warm up that day since the snow was going.)Lighting
For this photo, it was a perfect overcast day. If it had been sunny it would have looked totally different, so the clouds were really needed to get the vibe I wanted. Days are relatively short in February, we have less than 10 hours between sunrise and sunset, so on cloude days, late morning/early afternoon are the few hours when it's actually light.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon EOS 60D, a Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-3.5 lens on 21mm, standing high up on a Hama tripod and a Canon RC-1 remote for me to hold and trigger the shutter while I was lying in the snow.Inspiration
This was a shot I'd had in my head for a long long time, even before I'd had my hair dyed blonde (it was red before). I had this photo in my head of a girl with light blonde hair, in a light dress in a wintery landscape. It had to look innocent and pure. The original vision was set with the girl lying in the reed, but it shifted towards this when I was inspired by the soundtrack of The Hunger Games (Taylor Swift & the Civil Wars - Safe and Sound, hence the title). Now I wanted the landscape to be more minimal, with less going on.Editing
Oh yes, as I said, the snow was starting to melt, so there some patches of grass and earth showing already. I cloned the snow to cover that up. I also took several photos of the snow around me so I could expand the image from wide (as it was shot) to square. Afterwards I worked on the coloring and the contrast. Especially the skin tone was challenge, as my skin had some red spots from the cold. You can see a work in progress screenshot here: https://twitter.com/noukkasigne/status/168354418285215744In my camera bag
I normally shoot with prime lenses, so my 85mm f1.8 and 50mm f1.4 have a permanent place in my bag. The Sigma lens used in this shot isn't always with me, but when I think I'll need the flexibility of a wider zoom lens, this is my go-to lens. My tiny remote has a place on my camera strap, so I almost always have that with me. My Canon EOS 60D is the main player, after upgrading from the 400D/Rebel XTi. I love that I can turn around the screen (very useful in this shot as well, otherwise my feet or head would've probably been cut off!), it's sturdy but still quite light. I love it. I'm still waiting for the right full frame Canon camera with swivel screen :)Feedback
Regardless of it being self-portrait, make sure the model has warm clothes to put on in between shots! The thing I remember most is how very very cold it was. You just can't lie in the snow in a summer dress for too long when it's near freezing point. If you are looking to make a self-portrait, a remote is a must-have. It allows you to use the autofocus when you're positioned in the right spot. Make sure to check the photos regularly, take 5, then check. Especially in these conditions, you don't want to take too many photos that might be all wrong while it's this cold. For expansions (like this was), take photos of the area around the subject so have the material to expand with. Look up the "Brenizer Method" if you're not familiar with it, it's useful to check it out and could open a whole new world for you :) Good luck!
