Sunshine Girl
Vivacious young girl with her bunny pauses a moment in a local botanical garden.
Vivacious young girl with her bunny pauses a moment in a local botanical garden.
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Aug, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
A very proud grandmother called me and asked me to meet her and her granddaughter at the Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville, Texas. The girl was precious, but a bundle of energy! We spent the first hour jumping around and chasing bubbles. While I captures some really nice pictures (many in motion!) it was this one at the end of the session where she sat down and held her green bunny toy to her that was that "magical" moment.Time
Though much of the nature area was becoming shrouded in shadows toward the end of the day, the little girl finally began to wind down from her sugar high, and with the sun at its golden hour, I was able to snap a few candids of a genuine reflective moment.Lighting
The shot was a backlit with the sun which was partially blocked by shrubbery. It highlighted her hair, and I used an off camera Witstro flash with a collapsible beauty dish (I love that flash!) to softly illuminate the dark side of her face.Equipment
I used a Sony A7ii mirrorless full frame with the Carl Zeiss 24-70mm f4. The flash was a Wistro 180 on a portable stand with a beauty dish diffuser and activated by the accompanying receiver and transmitter.Inspiration
While we were waiting for the grandmother to retrieve her purse, I kept my camera at ready just in case. When the little girl sat down and the sunlight bounced off her hair, I knew it would be dreamy. Plus, I love the connection and affection she had for her green bunny. It reminded me of my favorite stuffed toy that, yes, 40 years later, I still have!Editing
I applied the basic lens profile adjustments to the RAW file in Lightroom, then reduced the highlights slightly, sharpened her eyes, and applied a warm monotone filter. Her skin is really that creamy!In my camera bag
I adore my Sony A7ii. It's such a workhorse and easy to transition the settings quickly. I carry the CZ 24-70mm f4 zoom lens, the lovely Sony CZ 55mm f/1.8 (that lens is 3D magical!) the Sony 28mm f/2, a 10 stop ND filter, and various media cards. For portraits, I bring the Witstro 180 flash and accompanying receiver/transmitter and Vanguard Veo monopod with 3 legs. For weddings, that bag includes my backup camera which is a Pentax K-3 with the Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 attached. I recently ordered a Helios 44-2 lens from the Ukraine and an adapter to play with that deliciously crazy swirly bokeh effect.Feedback
The job is never over until the client is gone. This photo was taken when we were "officially" over and had some wait time. Keep that camera and flash ready (miraculously, I had neglected to power down the flash!) and continue to be alert for some unexpected opportunities! That was the lesson I learned for future sessions.
