UmbrellaOnTheMoon

smoke and mirrors game

NIKON D7200

settings

Aperture 28/10 ISO 800 Shutter 10/2500 Focal Length 500/10

upload_date

Jun, 2016

Views

232

Likes

+26

Awards

Zenith Award

Creative Winter Award

Curator's Selection

Judge Favorite

Legendary Award

Editor's Choice

Member Selection Award

Winner in Street Fashion Photo Challenge

Outstanding Creativity

+11

Top Choice

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Peer Award

All Star

Superior Skill

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Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Sneaking around in back corridors of a library

With gorgeous Nicole in the backstreets of Glasgow

Behind The Lens

Location

The photo was taken at a building site in the City Centre of Glasgow, near George Square.

Time

The photo was taken in the early hours of the afternoon.

Lighting

The sky was quite cloudy which gave a lovely soft light. The building site was surrounded by reflective walls on two sides which bounced off the light quite nicely. As we were shooting a backlit portrait, the model was initially underexposed. I decided a flash would give me unwanted harsh light and used a reflector instead to recover the details.

Equipment

I used a Nikon d7200 with Sigma 17-55mm lens, f2.8. Also a round white reflector was used.

Inspiration

My friend, Nicole (the model in the picture) asked me to take some pictures of her for her fashion portfolio. I wanted to create a unique piece, with a sense of quiet confidence but to avoid the vulgar presumptuousness that is so common in the modern fashion shots. When I saw the raw elements and strong lines of a building site, I thought it would create a wonderful contrast with the delicate features of the model and her elegant outfit.

Editing

I am still a beginner in the sphere of post-processing and I can spend hours experimenting with GIMP. In this case I played around with RBG curves to alter the colours. I also used layer masks and increased the exposure of the background to make the model stand out more.

In my camera bag

Typically I carry my d7200, Nikon 50mm f1.8, Sigma 17-55mm f2.8 and small, see-through pieces of fabric in various colour to place in front of the camera when I want more colour in the frame.

Feedback

To achieve the backlight effect, with the over-exposed background and avoid losing details of the model in the shadow, definitely bring along a reflector. Try to find a background where the colours are similar to those that the model is wearing to create a sense of unity - in this case, neutrals and some red. Avoid using a flash at all costs and if you really must use it, place a large diffuser in front of it. In this case the soft lighting is key to creating a mysterious, intriguing scene. When choosing aperture, go large enough to create a blurred background but make sure to retain the characteristics and the feel of the crude, desolate background. In this case f2.8 gave me the desired effect. And don't let the funny looks from the builders and pedestrians put you off! Stick with your ideas and the results will be fantastic :)

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UmbrellaOnTheMoon

UmbrellaOnTheMoon

smoke and mirrors game

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow UmbrellaOnTheMoon

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