Levitation Snake Eyes
Apr, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in a local urban location. I wanted the background textures and colours to really add something to the image without being distracting as the actual subject of the image is such a small part.Time
This was taken in the middle of the day but in quite overcast weather which made the light even between the background and foreground without having to worry about dark shaded areas.Lighting
The overcast weather diffused light evenly across the photo meaning I didn't need to use reflectors or off camera flash to adequately light the shot. Instead, I slightly underexposed and then raised exposure levels on focal points within the image using local adjustments in Lightroom.Equipment
Nikon D800, 85mm F/1.8 Lens, DiceInspiration
I really like the art of capturing images that show items 'floating' as though being levitated like a magic trick. The double 1 (Snake Eyes) wasn't intentional, I noticed it while going through the shots. I was experimenting with more muted tones in processing and really developing my editing style so the aim of this shoot was to get some Urban images that were not architecture or straight forward portraiture. This is also the reason I removed the face, it's another element that makes the image simpler but prevents it from being a typical portrait.Editing
I used local adjustments to raise exposure on certain areas of the image. I then applied general editing in Lightroom to affect the tones of the image to match the urban style. Finally, I blacked out the open hood.In my camera bag
I generally switch between my 50mm and 85mm F/1.8 prime lenses depending on where I am headed. I try to always have my 14mm F/2.8 as it's great for weird portraits as well as all landscape shots. If I'm tight for space or need to travel light I just pack my 35-75mm F/2.8 as it also shoots macro at 35mm.Feedback
Shoot at a time of day where the natural light is bright enough that you can use a relatively fast shutter speed (to avoid motion blur) without pumping up the ISO which would add noise to darker areas. If you use flash for this type of image it will be quite difficult to balance the background and foreground while keeping focus on the subject (the dice in this case). Think about the colours and their placement in the image. I used red dice, so had my model wear something that would slightly match the other neutral tones in the background of the image. If the model had worn a bright coloured hoodie, the dice would not have been prominent in the photo. If the brick had been red in the background, it would have distracted away from the model and dice. Lastly, manual focus will make this much easier. Focus on the correct spot so your lens doesn't 'search' when you really want to fire the shutter. As the focal point of the image is so small, make sure it's super sharp!
