Sylph Seated 1
Nov, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was made in my studio space (which doubles as a Yoga studio by day). It was only my third time working with a model and I wanted to experiment with lighting and angles as well as figure out how to communicate my ideas to another person to get something we're both happy with: this is an ongoing process!Time
This is one of my favourite images with this model. It was 3 in the afternoon in the Autumn, and was one of the first pictures we took that day.Lighting
I use whatever light is available at the time, and the sun happened to be moving behind this window at just the right angle. I added the sheer curtain to diffuse the light as much as I could and ended up really liking the results. In front of her, leaning against my knees I have a 20-cent piece of white foam core to reflect what I can back against her left side. Use what you've got on hand!Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon Coolpix P500. No flash or other equipment used beyond the foam core reflector. The chair - which I love - was a thrift store find that I painted with two coats of fabric paint the week before this was shot.Inspiration
We were playing around with different areas of the studio, backdrops, props, and then she sat in this chair against the window and voila! the light was falling beautifully on her face and body, and it just had this mood about it that I loved. She's an anatomist so I had her "stack her vertebrae" and exhale deeply while thinking of something or someone far off, and there it was, my shot.Editing
I try to keep post-processing to minimum. For this image I lowered the exposure slightly and de-saturated the colours for a more even tone, then added a bit of grain to rough it up a little. I prefer to use Lightroom for most of my editing.In my camera bag
I carry around my Coolpix P500 and a busted-up collapsible tripod in my purse. I would agonize over not having the newest, fanciest, or expensive equipment to use - I don't even change out lenses and use an $8 clip light from a hardware store with a pillowcase as a diffuser (safely, of course!). I'm all for using what is available and focusing on the creative process and interaction between me and my subject, so I don't worry about equipment too much and focus on composition, lighting, mood etc..Feedback
I rarely have my images planned out in advance. I find it too frustrating and difficult to get the exact look as I want it, so I communicate in moods and movement, having the model interpret that feeling I'm looking for rather than a specific pose or facial expression. "Think about what makes you feel X or Y", "let's see what happens when you move your arm in this way" and "exhale and allow your body feel heavy" are things I say a lot. My focus is on guiding the model into creating lines with the body and then capturing what she comes up with for a shot that is unique to our interaction in that moment.
