Portrait
Aug, 2015Views
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Awards
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Redefine Selfies Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Flash Games Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Unforgettable Portraits Photo Contest by Zenfolio
Contest Finalist in Creative Self Portraits Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in 300 Elegant Men Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
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Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
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Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Genius
All Star
Virtuoso
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Photo was taken in my home studio - AKA my basement office. I had just gotten my first speedlite and was teaching myself how to work off camera flash for the first time.Time
I have two young children that occupy the majority of my time, so this happened late at night after they'd gone to bed. I planned to shoot it in a windowless room so I could better understand how, why and where the light was coming off the flash.Lighting
I had a clear plan for where I wanted to go with this image. I knew I wanted it to be dark, so I shot in front of a black sweep with a single speedlite on a stand off behind camera to image left and a remote trigger. It was my first time shooting in a studio setting so there was a lot of trial and error to get to the end result.Equipment
This is a selfie. So I used my Vanguard tripod, a Canon Speedlite 550EX on 6 ft. light stand and my Canon 60D with a Canon 50 f/1.4 set to a timer. And lots of tape to mark off location and frame.Inspiration
I have three brothers, each of us with the ability to grow pretty solid beards. This has resulted in an annual growout that starts in the fall and resolves around the end of February when we meet up for my youngest brothers birthday. For some reason, this particular year we all started on Halloween with the goal of making a truly memorable get together. Our mom had been joking through the process that we were starting to look like another famous bearded family, so I had the idea of recreating a famous image of them with us in their place. And mustaches rather than beards. The poster turned out great as a birthday present for our mom and the memory lives on to this date (and not only because it's framed in their house).Editing
Since I was tinkering and wanted a moodier more cinematic effect, I did a lot of work in Photoshop on this image. I darkened the edges, adjust skin tones, enhanced eyes and did a lot of selective sharpening to get it to the final. The final effect is probably 50/50 in camera to Photoshop.In my camera bag
I've been lucky enough to land some more consistent work since I took this photo and my kit has grown. I now shoot with a Canon 6D and have a Canon 24-70 f/2.8, a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 and 2 Speedlites (same Canon 550EX and a Yonguno).Feedback
Be patient. Test and practice. Looking back I feel like I could've gotten a lot more of this in camera had I known more at the time. Also, don't be afraid to keep things simple. The kit I used for this was just above entry level and the result was fantastic. It's one of the first studio shots I ever did and still one of my favorites. I think the fact that it was a personal project made it all the more better. You have to make time to do things for yourself to learn, grow and stay interested in this awesome art form.
