Out of this World!
Mar, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at home in my 180 acre backyard, Ottaba, Qld Australia :) in July 2015. I planned a photo shoot with my younger sister, Maia, who was very excited to be my model for the day. She was 10 years old at the time. I am self taught and am an experiential learner. I was lucky to have my younger sister who was so patient for me.Time
Around early evening, 5:00pm. The sun was setting and there was that beautiful warm glow in the wintry southern skies.Lighting
I love natural lighting! Sunset was perfect lighting for my planned photo shoot, as it didn't have any physical effect on my model sister. The lighting was gentle and subtle and so when I asked Maia to bend over backwards (almost upside down) facing towards the sunsets natural light, I was able to create an almost alien effect in her eyes with some earthly assistance from gravity.Equipment
I used the Nikon D800e camera and a 24-85mm Nikon lens, hand held.Inspiration
I love being creative with eyes. I think eyes are the windows into the soul and I love to capture the scenery reflected in the eye as well. My little sister's eyes are usually always smiling and completely different to what I captured in this photo, so I was very pleased to create something contrary to what Maia's personality is like. Nobody in my 11 sibling family including my Mum and Dad, could recognise who it was in my photo. I love to dismantle the usual and challenge myself to see things from different perspectives. As a home educated teenager, I delight in the belief that I can do something I love rather than be told what I can do. Photography gives me my freedom of thought and expression in a way nothing else can!Editing
I am just starting out and need to do some courses and workshops with my camera, however I enjoy using a simple method to edit my photos on the computer. I use Microsoft office mostly and also for this photo I changed the saturation and brightened up the eyes more.In my camera bag
In my camera bag I first pack my camera body, the Nikon D800e and a couple of lenses. My favourite lenses to use are the AF-S Nikon 24-85mm 1:3.5-4.5 G, and a Micro Nikon 105mm 1:2.8Ed. I also pack my tripod, Manfrotto 804RC2. And then off I go!!Feedback
I guess the most important thing is a trusting relationship with your model. I happen to have siblings who are very creative themselves and enjoy my adventures. We always have a great time where we talk about what we can do. Of course, the setting and lighting are high on the list. Even thought I plan when to shoot, I am just experimenting all the time, coming from different perspectives, different angles, being very spontaneous and flexible with trying out the insights and ideas that happen on the spur of the moment. I find that my best ideas are when I go out without any expectations, I seem to soak up the atmosphere and before I realise what has happened, I am flooded with ideas. I love the thought that I'm not thinking or even trying really hard to come up with something. That is the beauty of this particular photograph, it just happened!
