Quinn and Skittles
This is how my son holds his kitten. He talks and sings to him.
No manipulation. Shot through glass and water.
This is how my son holds his kitten. He talks and sings to him.
No manipulation. Shot through glass and water.
Read less
No manipulation. Shot through glass and water.
Read less
Feb, 2016Views
433
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Outstanding Creativity
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Peer Award
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Magnificent Capture
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Behind The Lens
Location
I set up a small studio in my spare bedroom. The entire setup was about 1.5m x 2m. I live in tight quarters and never let that limit my creativity. I basically made a box out of black fabric and placed a sheet of lexan (plexiglass) in front of my son.Time
For convenience, it was shot at night. This saved me from masking windows.Lighting
I used a very simple setup. A single flash was placed above my son, set on manual. I set it to wide angle and triggered it with the onboard flash. I put a strip of black tape over the top edge of the plexiglass to prevent light from entering the edge of the plastic and creating refraction. The result is a clean view of the subject with high contrast light and clearly defined water droplets, due to the high position of the light source.Equipment
I used my Nikon D300s and a Tamron 16-50 f/2.8 on a tripod with a digital shutter release cable. Other than that, the lexan, 4 bulldog clips, three light stands and a black sheet.Inspiration
Many years ago, I saw a photo of a little girl with a kitten behind a window on a rainy day. I've always loved it. I was reminded of that image more recently when Canadian artist, Julie Laurin was experimenting with shooting dancers through a variety of substances on glass. I thought it would be fun to experiment and see if I could tell a story with a very simple setup. My son was a perfect subject with his new cat.Editing
I added sharpening and cleaned up the black on the edges, but all the rest was through the lens.In my camera bag
I usually carry very little. A Tamron 16-50 f/2.8, Tamron 70-300, two or three flash units, spare batteries and memory cards.Feedback
I used flashes, but a desk lamp would have work just as well. A note if using the onboard flash ... make sure it is set out of sync (so it doesn't show up) or the plexiglass will reflect light back like a mirror. Glass is better than plexiglass. I was frustrated with the bending of the plastic and this caused me some trouble with reflections. Make sure no light hits the edges of the glass. Cover them with electrical or masking tape. The refractions ruin the effect... and most importantly, be sure the camera position is parallel to the glass.
