Desert Queen
Mar, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken at the dunes near Las Vegas. It was unbelievably hot and I made the mistake to go with sandals. My feet were literally burning during the session but the picture is so worth it!Time
I remember how much I wanted to go at this location but I was afraid because last time I was there my car got stuck in the sand. So this time I asked for help and me and my model ended up in the track of my fellow photographer who drove us there. It is far away and we arrived in the middle of the day.Lighting
The only lightening here is the sun and the image was taken in harsh light. Fortunately the sand is a nice natural reflector and it filled the shadows enough to have pretty contrast but still to keep details on her face. I also needed strong shadows to separate the different sand elements on her dress. The strong light and the shadows gave me the drama and the intriguing feeling of this image.Equipment
This was shot on Nikon D600, with Tamron 24-70 f2.8 VC lens and Dolica tripod.Inspiration
All my pictures are reflections of my soul which as an artist and a woman is very emotional and my moods are like storms. I wanted to show this side of our women nature. Ana was the perfect model for this scene. She is hot, beautiful and very emotional. I had this picture in my head before I went there I just needed every peace of the puzzle. When I had her, the idea and my friend O'D to help me, the magic happened.Editing
In this picture the dress is made from sand. To get this effect I put together around 15 different images. When the dress was ready, I changed the color balance and made the colors richer and deeper to correspond to the mood of the picture. I used Photoshop CC and levels and curves mostly.In my camera bag
I have Nikon D750 and D600 bodies. I was Canon shooter before, but when I tried Nikon I felt in love with it. It was made for me. Most of my lenses are Tamron. They were the perfect value for the money and I'm very happy with them. I own Tamron 24-70 F2.8 VC, Tamron 70-200 F2.8 VC, Tamron 90 f2.8 macro, and Rokinon 14 F2.8 They gave me all the variety I need.Feedback
You need a tripod and to be prepared to take a lot of shots. Having an assistant is crucial. Every peace of her dress is a different shot with trowing sand on her. You need to imagine the top of the dress, and literally to make it from the sand. It's good idea to stick with one lens. Usually such places are very windy and the sand can easily get inside your camera body. In this image the challenge was not only the gear but the location. First thing first do not go with sandals! When I think for pictures I can think for pictures only and honestly I was not well prepared for everything else. I got lucky my friend O'D was more prescient than me. He brought water which is a life savior. Keep in mind it's hot, it's extremely hot. Have a sun screen, water and gloves for your assistant who is touching the sand more than you. All the rest is a team work.
