The Brass Parasol
Aug, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I've discovered my new favorite spot in this photo, a stone balcony backed with Ivy that perfectly faces the sunset every evening. It is the entrance to one of the building on the university campus near my home.Time
This photo was taken two hours before sunset, which was perfect for our location as the trees were taller behind her. Any later and the light would have been gone.Lighting
The lighting was enhanced by the use of a silver reflector. The model's grandma came along to see just how an editorial shoot went, and was immediately put to work! I had her stand off to the side, reflecting the sun from over the tops of the trees back onto her face and parasol.Equipment
I have one lens that never seems to leave my Nikon D810camera body: the 85mm 1.8 portrait lens. But that and my reflector were all that were needed for this shot!Inspiration
I loved the romantic idea of steampunk, and was struggling for a few weeks actually to find a good location. This look, a very subtle steampunk homage, fit in perfectly with the stone and ivy of the collage campus. And when I saw the light peeking over the trees, I knew it was golden, the shot had to be taken.Editing
I always edit my photos in Photoshop. My goal with virtually every shoot is to create an ethereal feel with saturated colors and porcelain skin. The sunset was enhanced with a colored gradient, the skin was smoothed with frequency separation, the colors were adjusted with selective color, and the image was blended with noise reduction. It became the artistic portrait I had envisioned on location.In my camera bag
I travel light and simple: my Nikon D810, my 85 and 35mm lenses, my flash, and my trusty versatile reflector. That's all this gal usually needs!Feedback
Pay close attention to where your light is coming from! Always try to have your subject's back to the light, this will add a nice glow and keep harsh shadows off the face. Don't be afraid to look silly with an enormous reflector, and don't be afraid to ask for help from people at your session! Using a reflector is a nice and easy way to get a bit of extra existing light on your subject without being too bright. And always plan for the best time of day for your location; here it was not right before sunset, but a few hours before because of the trees.
