Lily
May, 2015Views
167
Likes
Awards
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the bedroom of my niece Lily, who you see pictured. She has a way of continuously giving me perfect opportunities for beautiful candid shots.Time
This was taken during a winter evening, probably around 4:00 PM EST, after several hours of snapping photos and trying to keep up with Lily. She led me all around the house as she described her day to day life and ignored the camera completely.Lighting
This is truly an opportunity seized. The light bouncing off the snow outside combined with the diffusion from the blinds created a gorgeous glow through the window. Her bedroom light happened to be off. I was thrilled when she walked right up to the window and started looking out. Thankfully, I had my camera ready, and this is the result.Equipment
This was shot on a Canon EOS Rebel XS with a Canon EF 70mm-300mm portrait lens. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
Lily has such an active imagination and a huge adventuring spirit. I love the unique way she looks at the world. I wanted try to capture that, and I think this image succeeds in doing so. She looks to me like she's in awe but ready to get out there. I love it.Editing
The image was originally shot in color. I felt as though it belonged in black and white, so I converted it in post-processing and adjusted the curves just a bit to get those really rich darks while maintaining the mid-tones across the right side of her face.In my camera bag
My equipment is usually quite simple when shooting digital. Typically you would find my Canon Rebel XS, one 70-300mm lens, a 28mm lens, and a 55mm lens.Feedback
I think the best advice I could give is to have patience, stay ready, and, perhaps most importantly, make sure the subject is comfortable enough with you to be nonchalant about having a camera pointing in their direction. In this case, I let her lead me all the way. I would meter and adjust my ISO and white balance every time we entered a different area, just in case something magical happened.
