Daniel
Sep, 2014Views
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Contest Finalist in Facial Hair Photo Contest
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One Of A Kind
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the subject's home, I brought along all the gear I needed and set up in front of the whitest wall we could find.Time
I took this photo on a sunday morning, though it was indoors with lights so I could've taken it anytime.Lighting
I wanted to create interesting light for this portrait and further emphasize the balance of masculinity and femininity in the portrait. I used two soft boxes on either side of the subject, one covered with blue cellophane and one covered with pinky-red cellophane.Equipment
To capture the shot I used a Canon EOS 70D and a 50mm f1.8 lens. I didn't use a flash as it would wash out the soft coloured light. I avoid using a tripod for portraits as I like to move around throughout the process while using a prime lens which can be fiddly when combined with a tripod.Inspiration
I work part time as an artist and Daniel, the subject of this shot has recently asked if I could paint a portrait of him. I needed some proper reference photographs of him and decided to do something different to the standard well lit, standard portrait. I love the masculinity of a full beard but I am used to painting more feminine subjects and so decided to cover him in flowers and soft light.Editing
I had to slightly adjust the temperature of the shot and did some dodging and burning around the flowers to make them pop a little more, particularly on the blue side of his face. I shoot in RAW and process in Lightroom, then I export the image to Photoshop to resize and save in different formats.In my camera bag
I do a lot of landscape long-exposures and light painting so I usually have my camera, a wide-angled lens, a 60mm prime lens for macro, 50mm prime lens for portraits and an external shutter. I also always have an ND filter to assist with the long exposures and a sturdy tripod.Feedback
First of all, find a subject willing to experiment with what you want. Ideally a trusting friend. You will need artificial light but you don't have to go out and buy top of the range gear and gels. I used two basic portable soft boxes on simple stands and covered them with cheap cellophane from a Newsagent. A good lens does help and a camera that works well with low-light is a bonus as the soft boxes become quite dim once covered in the cellophane.
