Bird in a Cage
Aug, 2016Views
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Action Award
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2020 Choice Award
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Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
This one and only pedestrian walkway in my town was built over a not-very-busy railway, parallel to a not-so-busy roadway, with very little pedestrian traffic. It was created because of some saber-rattling between the town and the rail company. This place has a really stupid and uneccessary reason for existing, but it's very well made with interesting lines that I HAD to photograph.Time
It was a cloudy afternoon in the summer... well... Canadian summer...Lighting
The summer sun in the mid afternoon is usually really harsh, but it was also cloudy that day, so I took a chance and it paid off!Equipment
My trusty old Canon Rebel T3i with the stock 18-55mm lens. I do this as a hobby, so nothing fancy.Inspiration
My high school friend who loves experimenting in fashion drove 2 hours to see me in this small town. I love photography as much as she likes fashion, so it was a perfect opportunity to do a photo shoot. I talked to her about the places I thought were interesting. She brought like a month's worth of outfits for a 3-day weekend. We spent the morning picking out outfits that would look interesting in each location. For this location, the fences and lines gave a strong urban feel. As a photographer, I was drawn to solid colors and large prints for this location, something soft to contrast with all the lines. The theme, mood, and subject was otherwise pretty flexible for me. Magic usually happens in the unknown and unpredictable. It was getting chilly with the wind picking up and my friend wanted to bring her shawl. I was a little skeptical about the shawl's lines, clashing with the lines of the walkway. But a comfortable model on the set translates into the experience in the photo shoot and the mood picture. Then the wind picked up, caught the shawl beautifully, and I got this.Editing
Except adjusting it to black and white, nothing. I'm not a professional photographer. I don't have the time or software to do any fancy post-processing. I do the best with what I have. I think this was a MS Photo Viewer edit.In my camera bag
I have a 50-200mm lens for getting the really blurry backgrounds. But because I don't own a tripod, those can be tricky, especially in crowded locations, impatient models, places with uneven footing, or no surfaces for leaning or resting an elbow, wrist, or camera on for added stability. I don't use this lens as much as the stock 18-55mm one.Feedback
I like people-photography the best because people are dynamic. Small changes can create a new interesting shot. As a photographer, you have to understand what you're trying to do. Is this something specific, detailed, and artistic for you? Is it something for them (special occasion)? Or is it a bit of both? Shooting with people who are not professional models, you have to set a relaxed, positive, and light tone early on. Most people are self conscious being on camera and they feel silly being the center of attention for so long. Talk to them beforehand so they know what to expect from you, and ask them what they want you to understand about them. On the day of the shoot, depending on the person, I start off doing super silly shots or just "test" shots looking for their angles to get the fear and initial feeling of awkwardness out of the way. I request more silly shots as needed, also crack jokes, ask questions, and tell stories as needed. I use verbal affirmations or show them what I snap occasionally to keep them motivated to the end.
