The Struggle
Sep, 2013Views
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Awards
Winner in Conceptual Portrait Photo Challenge
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Exceptional Contrast
Peer Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in my garage in front of black backdrop.Time
I'm pretty sure it was late afternoon, but I used all artificial lighting.Lighting
At this point, I only had three studio lights with white reflective umbrellas, but I only used two for this setup: a key light and a key fill.Equipment
I shoot with a Nikon D5100 and I generally shoot portraits with my 18-55mm Nikkor lens. The backdrop is just a black cloth draped over a pole held up by two stands. I didn't use a tripod or flash for this setup.Inspiration
I was really interested in disguises and false identities at this point and I was getting interested in makeup and costume fabrication. So I crafted these "angel wings) out of over 300 plastic knives that I painted individually and then glued together. I then created a harness for my model to wear. I wanted to explore the idea of being torn between good and evil, light and dark, which is where the title "The Struggle" comes from.Editing
I did basic post-processing in Photoshop which included doing a gradient map over the whole image and doing some touch-up work on his skin and the wings themselves.In my camera bag
Anytime I have my Nikon D5100 with me I have my 18-55mm and my 55-200mm lens. I love the 55-200mm for getting a nice, shallow depth of field and because it's extremely good for outdoor portraits. I also keep four charged batteries, a battery extension pack, and two battery chargers in my bag because I shoot a lot of video which sucks the life out of my batteries. I also have a couple of ND filters, color grading filters (which I rarely use because I prefer black and white), and a UV filter.Feedback
One of the most important things I can think of when working in conceptual portraits specifically is to have a good relationship with your model. They are the life of your photo. Thus, it's important that they have a clear understanding of what the goal of the shoot is and that they are comfortable with being in front of the camera. I've worked with a couple of people who were dragged into the shoot by someone else and they are always too self-conscious to really let go and emote like my model Blake does in this photo. Even if you as the photographer are unclear in the beginning what the goal of the shoot is and you're just experimenting, it is important to tell your model that because it liberates them to experiment as well. That's how we capture those wonderful happy accidents. If you're interested in created these weird costumes and crazy makeup scenarios, all you really have to do is look around your house and try to emulate what nature does. I've made two sets of wings out of everyday items now (these plastic knives and tissue paper covered in glue). The best thing you can do is experiment and not limit yourself by how you first perceive an object.
