Confinement, 2016.
Mar, 2016Views
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lizasavage
November 02, 2016
Thanks, Dean! The light was the inspiration for the image, so I'm really glad you like it! :)
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the lounge of our inner city apartment, next to the only window.Time
I remember shortly after taking these photos my partner came home, so it must have been around midday. Although truthfully, the time of day didn't really matter for this image, as the light was so diffused with the weather being dreary. What did matter, was that I found myself in an opportunity to be completely alone – just me and the light.Lighting
The day was very overcast and dark, and as a result produced a beautiful soft light. I was facing the window, which meant the light was coming in from the left to the right, at about 90º. I wanted this very directional light to create deep shadows and also help to establish mood. It was a bonus that the deep shadows helped to obscure parts of my body, which I didn't want focus on.Equipment
Shot on my Nikon D800, with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. The camera was resting on my couch with a book propping up the lens. I set the camera on self timer mode with a burst of 9 shots each time, and a 3 sec gap in between, in order to try slight variances in poses between shots.Inspiration
It was all about the light. I was sitting on the couch in my lounge admiring the softness of the shadows, and I had to make something with it. During the week I had been experimenting with nude self portraits, however they were more obscure than this, and I was quite nervous to get in front of the camera naked in the complete light of day – not to mention right next to the window which overlooks train tracks! I was having a giggle, wondering what the people who might chance a look into our apartment might have thought!Editing
I try to limit any Photoshop work, so now 95% of my images are edited solely in Adobe Lightroom. This is great for how I work as it saves a lot of time. I did have to remove a power outlet which was on the wall to the right, but this was still an easy task within Lightroom. I have purchased a few VSCO presets over the years, and the particular preset I used for this image was Kodak Portra 400 VC, with the added grain removed. It really added the right colour tones in the shadows, which helped to enhance the mood.In my camera bag
Nikon D800, 24-70mm f/2.8. But I also have a Nikon FA (35mm camera), 50mm, 35mm, which I have recently picked up again, and two Kodak Brownies.Feedback
It's all about the light. Start noticing what it does to shadows, and play with the positioning of the camera, in relation to the light source. This image would have had a completely different feeling if the day was sunny, and the camera or the light source were positioned differently. One of the difficulties when photographing yourself is getting the focus right. For this image I placed an object where I would be sitting. It could be anything. A box, chair, stool, just something which will be the same distance from the camera as you will be, which your camera can easily focus on. I activated the autofocus by holding down the shutter button halfway, and then switched it to manual focus on my lens to lock it.You can also use a wireless remote shutter release, instead of the self timer. Though, I have temporarily misplaced mine … Technicalities aside, the most important thing I learned from making this image is that when inspiration hits, act on it – every time! Put aside your fears, and go for it. It's never ever easy to do this, but you have to push yourself. I definitely pushed myself out of my comfort zone for this image and I have absolutely no regrets. It's one of my all-time favourite images, and nothing comes close to the satisfied feeling of nailing a photograph.
