IMG_1576_Forest Siren
Feb, 2015Views
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Staff Winter Selection 2015
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Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
In a state park near Malibu, California. Forest type settings without a lot of people walking around aren't too easy to come by in Southern California, but my model suggested this location. We wanted a natural setting with a hint of mystery and no photo-bombers in the background.Time
Close to midday. It was a bright and sunny day, so my best shots were taken in open shade, where there was plenty of light bouncing off the rocks and tree trunks but no glare. We walked around a fair bit to find settings with a sort of spotlight of sunlight coming through the trees to highlight the model and have a more subdued background.Lighting
It was all done with natural light. I was just beginning to do portrait photography at the time, so I didn't even have reflectors or an off-camera flash. If I was going to do it today, I would have bounced a little light to highlight her leg.Equipment
This was taken handheld with a Canon 7D with a 50 mm f/1.4 USM lens set at f/5.6. No other equipment.Inspiration
I was just getting into portrait photography and looking for an interesting model to shoot, just to get some experience. On an outing with the Red Hat Society, I met this very interesting lady. Christa was in her 60's; she has a flair for drama and a very outgoing personality. We got to talking and she agreed to model for me. It turned out she had a lot of great costumes and an interest in the fantasy genre. It was a real win-win for us, because I learned a lot from having a model who was a natural at posing, and she loved the shots we got.Editing
I used a PortraitPro filter to make her appear much younger in this picture. We did do other shots with her being her actual age, but she also enjoyed turning back the clock. I played around with several Alienskin filters and was trying to decide between two of them when I thought to use the parts I liked best of both. I masked out the center of one and used the other as a sort of colorful vignette.In my camera bag
In the field I concentrate on composition, shutter speed, and aperture, and then adjust the white balance, etc. as necessary in post processing. I use the histogram on the back of the camera to make sure I'm not blowing out highlights or too dark. I'm not saying it's the best way, it's just what I find works for me, because I get excited during shooting and forget to do things if I have too much gear. So these days for general shooting I just carry my Nikon D810 with a 28-300 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens with lens hood, some lens cleaning wipes and cloths, and perhaps a circular polarizing filter. I prefer shooting portraits indoors with soft boxes, but will bring an off camera flash and reflector for an outdoor shoot.Feedback
Dappled light through trees can be very problematic, but if you find the right spot it can give you effective highlights and interesting shadows. It's always a pleasure to work with a model who enjoys having their picture taken and has some ideas of their own. It's especially great to find someone like that when you are first learning how to shoot portraits. I talked to a lot of people before I found Christa; most of them didn't want to do a shoot with costumes, but generally they were flattered to be asked. I find people respond to me when I am genuine and enthusiastic, and it can work out to be a great experience for everyone.
