The Look
Jul, 2015Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Contest Finalist in The Human Eye Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in All Things Black And White Photo Contest
Runner Up in Eye To Eye Portraits Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Eye To Eye Portraits Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in Black and White Faces Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
Love it
Emotions
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the elevator of an old warehouse building that was converted into studios. I had rented the studio for a the day from another photographer primarily for the elevator as I had this in my mind. It was a personal project that I had set aside some time to do and organized a few different shoots. I had asked my good friend and a fellow photographer to bring her son down for the shot because he had the look I was after, and had a MUA and a maternity model I was also working with in the studio.Time
Mid afternoon, but none of that matters because it was lit by a single strobe and a soft box. The only light in the elevator was a dingy orange overhead light, which wouldn't have worked at all.Lighting
I knew when I scouted the location that I was going to have to light. I brought a strobe and my favourite westcott soft box so that I could use the elevator and take the picture I had in my head. The ceiling was low and I had a terrible time getting the light on my subject right because the space was so constrained. I had to run an extension chord to another room to make it all work. I ended up shooting this picture on my back, holding the camera in one hand, while positioning the light with the other. Of course when you are working with kids, you have a small window to get it all right, so I think I shot three frames holding it all together before we had to move on to something else. It was tricky not only because of the lighting and how I had to hold it all together, but also because I was using a Lens Baby Edge 80, which is a manual focus lens.Equipment
Canon 5D M2, Strobe, Westcott Soft Box, Lens Baby Edge 80.Inspiration
I am drawn to more intense and at the same time quiet images. I love images of childhood that are also unexpected and a little unconventional. I had the idea of the child in the elevator as soon as I saw the elevator, and I knew the perfect child for the session, so it all came together.Editing
Yes absolutely! Its converted to black and white. I wanted the focus to be on the expression of the child and the pattern across his face, so to me I always saw it in black and white.In my camera bag
I always have two camera bodies, my Canon 5D MIV and my back up MIII, which I use for my underwater work. I have several lenses usually as well, my Canon 24-70 2.8II L lens, which is like a reliable workhorse, my 70-200 2.8 L II which is one of my favourite lenses, Canon 17-40 4.0, which I use a lot for underwater and two Sigma Art lenses - a 50mm and a 35mm. I have a handful of more fun lenses like the lens baby, but don't always carry them. I have lots of cards, lens cloths, extra batteries and usually something fun to try just for me at the shoot.Feedback
Be prepared ahead of time and act quickly on a set to problem solve.I had another element which I tried, but failed to add, to the session of smog, which is actually a pretty funny story. I was using the smog machine and just getting it working, but what I didn't know was that the fire detector was in the elevator shaft. And I didn't know that smog would set it off. But it does! We ended up tripping all the fire alarms for the entire city block, everyone had to evacuate and the fire department had to come to shut off the alarm. I was totally mortified and wanted to crawl under a rock. So, I would also say that to me, the picture is almost my final vision, but if I had researched a wee bit more on smog, I could have avoided the entire situation. No one else has your unique idea and no one else will approach it like you do. For me, I never thought this photo would be as popular as it has ended up being. I never made it with that intent. I just made it because it was an idea I wanted to explore. As an artist, if you have an idea, get off Facebook, social media and get out and make it happen. Do the work. Lots can happen when you do!
