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Apr, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in my back yard in Austin, Texas. I have a great velvet Chesterfield loveseat that photographs really well, so my model and I decided to take it outside to enjoy the Texas spring.Time
This was taken right around the transition from golden hour to blue hour.Lighting
I knew I wanted the background to be fairly dark so I could create a strong, but nice overall balance with my models lighter complexion and the white dress. I think her contrast with the rest of the shot really draws you to her. No lighting equipment was used; the couch was facing southwest-ish.Equipment
Handheld Pentax 645Z w/ a 45-85mm at 65/4.5.Inspiration
This was towards the end of the shoot and we had pretty much gotten everything we needed to, so I kind of just gave her carte blanche at this point. As soon as I took it though, I knew it was a winner, that's always a good feeling to have!Editing
Yes, I use lightroom as my primary editing software in tandem with photoshop, as needed. Converted to B&W, brought the black levels up slightly and used a tiny amount of tilt-shift blur to put heavy focus on the model.In my camera bag
I try to pack as lightly as possible for whatever I'm going to be shooting on a given day. But the things I never leave home without are an extra battery, my tripod and a horsehair brush that was in my Dad's camera bag and his father's before him. The three lenses I use the most are a manual 75mm prime, the 45-85 used in this shot and a 120 macro prime (easily my favorite lens); if I'm feeling squirrely I'll throw in a Pentax 67 lens and an adapter.Feedback
For this particular picture I had the good fortune of knowing my model prior to the shoot as we're pretty good friends; that won't always be the case. Communication is paramount; the model and the photographer are a team that works together to produce a great image and the more comfortable you are together, the easier and more likely you'll be to get something great out of it. So talk, bounce ideas off of each other, tell jokes, ask them for a funny face every once in awhile, be genuine; if those things happen then the camera all but disappears and that's when the best images are made.
