The Stepfather
My stepfather is an old cowboy at heart. He farms, loves to tinker, and loves to work until dawn. I wanted to capture him the way my mother and I see him. A gen...
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My stepfather is an old cowboy at heart. He farms, loves to tinker, and loves to work until dawn. I wanted to capture him the way my mother and I see him. A gentle giant (6'3 to be exact), who on the outside may appear rugged and rough, but on the inside has a heart of gold.
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Sep, 2015Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in The Face Of A Man Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Movember Photo Contest
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Forgetmenotportraits
January 25, 2016
I love the texture you can see in this photo, great job on the black and white!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at an old pioneer prairie camp site, located in Pana, IL. I studied digital media at Eastern Illinois University, but I am mostly a self taught photographer. (books, online workshops, and on site workshops)Time
It was a hot, summer, Sunday afternoon. I remember seeing beads of sweat drip off of my stepfather's face as he posed through the humidity. It was around 1pm and the sun was directly above us. He was wearing a wool coat and wool hat. I honestly do not know how he wore his outfit for an hour in the heat.Lighting
I had brought one flash and one reflector with me. I had originally decided to use a flash with this image but I decided to use a different approach. I had my stepfather step onto one of the pioneer's porches where light was able to tunnel through the shaded area. It created a nice beam of light that hit the left side of his face, but the right side of his face was too dark. I took the silver reflector and feathered a little bit of light to create a fill onto the shadows of his face. The effect still gave him a rugged look but kept more details in focus.Equipment
I used a 50mm canon lens, a 7D Canon Camera, and a 5 in 1 reflector (silver side).Inspiration
My stepfather never had senior portraits taken when he was in high school, and he had mentioned if I ever wanted to use him as a model he would be more than happy too. So when a contest calls for mustaches, you call your stepfather, who reminds you of Tom Selleck, and have him model for you. I took more photos than the one seen here and gave them to him on a usb drive. I think 40 years is too long to wait to have your picture taken.Editing
I used a black and white effect through lightroom and then in photoshop layered a warming filter to give it a sepia tone. I also sharpened and highlighted a little as well.In my camera bag
I always have my 3 speedlites, my canon 7d camera, my 50mm canon lens, 85mm canon lens, my 70-200mm canon lens, and my radio poppers. (transmitter and receivers). I also carry my 5 in 1 reflector, along with my flash bender. I typically have about 2-3 memory cards on hand as well.Feedback
Don't be afraid to photograph the more mature generation. They want to look good just like the younger generation does, and they love to try something new as well. I love photographing mature men and women, especially if they are 50 and over. Their faces have character, which tells a story. As photographers that is what we are suppose to do, capture a person's story.
