Portrait of a Girl
Backlit by the sun and exposed for the face.
Backlit by the sun and exposed for the face.
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May, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken outside my house. It was an impromptu photo session' This gorgeous dress reminiscent of a belle epoque gown had just arrived and I couldn't wait to see what it looked like on my daughter. So I put it on her and ran outside. Technically this isn't even my yard, it is across the street in front of my neighbor's yard.Time
The photo was taken in the afternoon. I'm not sure if it was quite golden hour but it was probably close enough. The light in this spot always seems to be perfect no matter what time of day. It is one of my go to spots for unplanned photo sessions.Lighting
I wanted the lighting to be soft but I also wanted her to have some gorgeous rim light. This spot is perfect for this kind of light. Not only is the sun setting behind her but there is grass and an evergreen right behind her which enhances the light coming from behind her.Equipment
I used my trusty Canon 5D MkIII with my yummy canon 200mm F2.8 lens. The choice of lens gave me the compression and background blur I was looking for to bring the focus on my daughter.Inspiration
When I saw my daughter in this dress I just had to take her picture. She looked like such a young lady. I wanted the photo to reflect poise and elegance. I posed her so that I could see the back of the dress. I loved the way she was looking down her shoulder and the triangle formed by her arm. Especially with those gorgeous flared sleeves. It is definitely an in between moment for me: I see the little girl she still is and the young woman to be.Editing
I am a big post processor. If it doesn't enhance my scene, it's out. If it does then I make sure to enhance it. There were definitely some pearls that were doing their own thing and I decided they had to go. It was a bit to distracting for me. I then warmed up the entire picture, used the analog camera filter from Nik Software (at a very low opacity) and added some texture. I wanted to make sure the photo had a vintage feel to it.In my camera bag
Oh I am a prime girl. I love my telephoto primes, especially the Canon 200mm F2.8 and the Canon 135mm F2.0. They are my go to lenses if I'm outside. On the other end of the spectrum I love my sigma 15mm F2.8 fisheye. That is also a go to when I'm outside and I have lots of scenic room to play with. When I'm in the studio I prefer my canon 85mm F1.8 or my Sigma Art 50mm F1.4 When outside I always make sure to take with me a reflector, the westcott 7' diffusion umbrella, Westcott rapid boxes (I have the strip and the octa) and canon/yongnuo speedlites. I usually don't know what I'm going to do as far as additional lighting until I am able to look around me and make a decision. If I'm in the studio I like my strobe with beauty dish (or apollo octabox) as my main and speedlites in an apollo strip as my rim light.Feedback
Don't ever be afraid to play with light. It is key to taking a photo like this. I lucked out that the day was perfect and the light was just right. But had it been to dark I would not have hesitated to use a speedlite. Or had the sun been higher up I may have diffused it some. I'm always trying to make sure the quality of light is perfect for the mood I'm looking for. In this case I wanted it soft to enhance her childish features. So late afternoon was perfect.
