DSC_0305-Edit-1
Jul, 2016Views
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Runner Up in Single Monochromes Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Single Monochromes Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Black and White Portraits Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Eye To Eye Portraits Photo Contest
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at my Brothers house during his son's christening. The boy holding the camera is my nephew.Time
It was midday so i had a hard time dealing with the harsh shadows cast from the sun. I knew this was my time to get a few shots as i was heading away in the evening which was disappointing because the light would have been much softer and easier to work with.Lighting
The photo was taken in a sheltered seating area with light coming in overhead in sections where the roof divided. This helped to prevent the middday sun from casting too many harsh shadows. I did not position him this way it was a pure spur of the moment shot with no setting up or posing so i was lucky the light played along with me.Equipment
I shot this with a nikon d3100 and 50mm f/1.8G lens, nothing else. That is all the equipment i brought with me that day because i wanted to challenge myself and see what i could do armed with just the 50mm lens which we all know are stellar performers and a good lens for portraits on a dx camera.Inspiration
The boy in the photo is my nephew and he loves photography. On this day it was his brothers christening but also it was this little boys birthday so i gave him a gift of a point and shoot camera to which he was over the moon. He spent the whole day going around taking pictures of all the guests and family members but at one point he could not figure out how to zoom with it and this is when the shot happened he was studying the camera furiously trying to figure out the settings, he did not even notice me crouch in front of him with my own camera. I called his name and the minute he looked up at me bang! I got the shot and i knew immediately it was a keeper. His face is a mix of emotion with frustration and confusion showing through. I subsequently helped him figure out the settings after i had gotten the shot!Editing
Very little. All done in lightroom and silver effex pro with some contrast and clarity adjustments. I also added some vignetting to frame the subject better in the shot.In my camera bag
I am normally a landscape photographer and if you check out my gallery it is predominantly landscape shots with the exception of my last shots where i was doing portraits. So i normally carry a wide 11-16mm lens with ND filters in my bag along with my sturdy manfrotto tripod and shutter release. Other equiment i have is a 17-50mm sigma, a 50mm f/1.8D full frame lens, some flashes, cleaning kit, a go pro hero 4 and a mini tripod for my phone (Samsung galaxy s8) of which i often shoot time-lapses with while i'm shooting my own landscape shots.Feedback
It is hard to give advice for a shot like this because it was spur of the moment, out of the blue and not planned. However one thing i will say is that photography does not always have to be planned or premeditated i challenge you to take your camera and just one lens, nothing else out on a trip with you or a day trip somewhere perhaps you'll go into your nearby town or city and shoot some street photography or a hike in the nearest woods and see what you can do. It will make you a better photographer because you will have to think more about framing and composition especially if you are using a prime lens where you can zoom in. For a shot like this the focus on the eyes is most crucial and that captures the emotion in the photo. At family events you can get some beautiful candid shots of children as the run and play. Good luck!
