The Forgotten Princess
"The Forgotten Princess"
© Julz Kirschenbaum
Model: Nova Storm
Gown: Anton Zbarzh
Apr, 2015Views
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Awards
Action Award
Legendary Award
2020 Choice Award
Contest Finalist in People And Flowers Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Couture Photo Contest
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Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
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Behind The Lens
Location
Believe it or not, this was shot in my parents front yard. They have a beautiful rock garden, I used to love playing in it as a child, and I especially loved these flowers. Actually the reason I ended up framing this shot the way I did was to avoid their house showing up in the photograph.Time
Early evening, just after 6 p.m. to be exact. When I am using natural light my favorite times of day to shoot are dawn and dusk. Unfortunately I am not a morning person at all, so I really have to plan ahead (and have about two pots of coffee) if I want to capture morning's first light. My parents also have a lot of tree cover in their yard, so that helped block the light from casting harsh and awkward shadows.Lighting
My vision for this image was to have rays of light breaking into a magical grove. Give the viewer a sense that they had stepped into a fairy tale and stumbled upon this princess just waking from a slumber. I used natural light only for this scene, and planned it later in the day so it would be darker and very even light. Most of the lighting effects were added during post. I used Photoshop to paint in the light rays as well as the small glows around the flowers. I also deepened the darkness around the model so that she would be the focus, and to add more contrast.Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon D7000, and my trusty 50 mm lens. I set the aperture to f/2 to keep the scenery around her soft.Inspiration
Since I started conceptual photography, I always knew I wanted to use these beautiful flowers in a shoot. For me this scene captures my childhood and the fantasy world I created for myself in my parents garden. I pulled into my parents driveway, late May 2014, saw the flowers in bloom and had one of those sudden flashes of inspiration. I knew exactly what I wanted to create. A good friend of mine, Anton Zbarzh, is a fashion designer. The dress in this image is the first dress he ever made. When he told me that I could use it, I knew it would be perfect for this shot, and everything came together very quickly after that.Editing
I went to school for studio art and started out primarily as a painter long before I ever picked up a camera. I think, because of this and my love of fantasy, a lot of post-processing goes into about 90% of my work. I usually treat the RAW image as a canvas that I just did a sketch and color wash on, and then paint away from there. This image is unique in that it falls into the other 10% of my work. Aside from minor color correction and the lighting effect I mentioned in a previous question nothing else was changed in post.In my camera bag
I don't like to carry around a lot of equipment so what I have in my bag changes depending on what and where I am shooting. My must haves would include my camera (of course!) and my 50 mm lens. These days I use a Nikon D800, but I still have the D7000 as a back up camera. I also always carry spare batteries and a charger on me. I learned this lesson the hard way. I went on a trip out of the country, Niagara Falls Canada side. In my excitement to leave on a trip, my wanderlust was in overdrive, the only battery I brought with me was the one in the camera. It was under 75% charged, and I was heartbroken when I got to the hotel and realized what I had done.Feedback
You don't always have to go to exotic locals to create something magical. Get in touch with our inner child, remember the worlds you used to create in your own backyard. Experiment with colors, experiment with lighting. Go out in the woods or to a local park (without your camera) and don't just see the world, but experience it. Exercise your own imagination and create a story when you find a great location. I read all the time. Mythology, sci-fi, fantasy, fiction, world history, anything I can get my hands on really. I study art history and I spend hours getting lost in the work of the masters. You never know where you will find inspiration. With study and practice anyone can learn to take a good picture, it is the stories we create and the emotion that we capture that turn good into great.
