Brown Eyed Wood Fairy.
Flower crowns and little girls... Always a sweet combination.
Flower crowns and little girls... Always a sweet combination.
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Jul, 2016Views
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Awards
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Peer Award
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Behind The Lens
Location
Believe it or not this was taken in an inner city suburb of Brisbane. Just to the side of this photo is a storm drain, a busy road and a small area of trees and scrub.Time
This photo was taken around 4pm on a Sunday afternoon. It's a popular area for bike riders and dog walkers so obviously a great time for light, but also not too busy if the kids need to do a quick public change of clothing!Lighting
With the time of the day being a winter afternoon combined with the beautiful trees that line the small path where we were shooting, I was aiming to produce a feeling of disturbing a wood fairy in her natural habitat 'deep in the forrest'.Equipment
I have recently been very fortunate to be given the use of a Canon 5 Ds thanks to a generous friend who allows me to borrow it at any time. This image, however was captured with my Canon 700D and my lens choice was a 50mm f1.8 STM. While I aim to have my own 5Ds at some point, this combination, while a low budget option, has given me some beautiful results that I'm very proud of.Inspiration
A wonderful friend who has encouraged me to take my photography further was the creater of the crown. We had about 8 to choose from that day. We shot multiple photos of her daughter and mine (both aspiring young actresses from Brisbane). The child in the image is my daughter, Charlotte. Charlotte works hard to increase her skills in front of the camera and has been the major inspiration for my photography. Her enthusiasm has been fantastic as it allows me to improve while we work together in both of our interest areas.Editing
A little post processing in developing the mood of the image. A little reduction in saturation, and the vignette to frame the image (which I very rarely use but felt was effective in this instance).In my camera bag
I'll usually bring a selection of lenses to a shoot. A selection of light make up foundations is a recent addition. As I've really moved into fashion and headshot photography for young models and actors I like to be sure we can keep the child's complexion even right from the first click. Occasionally I'll take a tripod and reflector but often these don't leave the kit.Feedback
Knowing how the child responds to direction is helpful. Using language they understand in order to achieve that neutral wide eyed expression is key. Have the child look down at her feet and wiggle her whole body to ensure she is relaxed (usually brings a giggle and helps them chill out a bit before starting)! Have her slowly lift her head while looking straight down the lense. Tell her we want to see her beautiful expressive eyes but just a tiny bit of her teeth, and for this look, no smiling (that's why it is great to get a bit of a giggle out before starting). As for scenery, only a small area of a twiggy tree was used to frame her face. I positioned her in a manner that had her appearing to be surrounded by bush, just enough to create that 'forrest' illusion. Essentially though, with childrens portraits I've found its all in having them feel comfortable with you, having a lot of fun, and using language they can relate to.
