Photo
Jun, 2016Views
520
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Awards
Fall Award 2020
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
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Impressed
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was shot in a local park under a canopy of pepper trees. I live in a major metropolis and nature settings are hard to come by. I have to get creative with making small areas seem much more secluded or wild than they really are.Time
I normally am a golden hour kind of girl but this was shot around mid afternoon. The light is still too harsh for me at this time of day but because of the tree cover the light was warm and soft.Lighting
There's nothing special done here with the lighting. No reflector or scrim or flash at all. Generally I use a lot of back lighting and this was no exception. I love the way it lightens up the background and adds a dreamy quality to the image.Equipment
You will probably laugh when you see the camera I used for this. It's a Canon Rebel XT with Canon 50mm 1.8 lens. My settings were ISO 100, 1/320, f 1.8. I've since upgraded my camera twice. I love to tell people that it's not all about the gear, but about how well you use what you have.Inspiration
I took this photo as part of a competition. 10 photographers were selected to compete in a series of challenges with one photographer eliminated every week. The theme was a styled shoot and I my inspiration was Victorian elegance with a soft modern twist. I had worked with this model before and knew she'd be perfect for my vision. I didn't go on to win that competition but this image placed runner up in a magazine contest.Editing
I did some adjustments in ACR to white balance. The in Photoshop adjusted curves to lighten a bit and ran an action by My Four Hens Photography and tweaked it until I was satisfied.In my camera bag
Be sure you have a good amount of open shade. Direct or dappled light would not give the same dreamy soft light. Hand placement is very important. I had her slowly move them down her face several times before we got her fingers to look gentle. She had to relax her mouth and have a look behind her eyes. All of these things were not easy to achieve so it was critical that I made her feel comfortable with me and with the camera before I was able to get her into this pose. Some white reflection back on the face would help to lift the shadows under the eyes and nose and would save some work in post. Be careful of green color cast though! Shooting in the trees can be a challenge.Feedback
Be sure you have a good amount of open shade. Direct or dappled light would not give the same dreamy soft light. Hand placement is very important. I had her slowly move them down her face several times before we got her fingers to look gentle. She had to relax her mouth and have a look behind her eyes. All of these things were not easy to achieve so it was critical that I made her feel comfortable with me and with the camera before I was able to get her into this pose. Some white reflection back on the face would help to lift the shadows under the eyes and nose and would save some work in post. Be careful of green color cast though! Shooting in the trees can be a challenge.
