Kaitlyn, BurneyFalls
A brave model in cold, cold water and a moment where it all fell into place.
A brave model in cold, cold water and a moment where it all fell into place.
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Nov, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the frigid waters of Burney Falls, in California.Time
This was part of an all-day shoot and I believe this particular photo was captured around 2 o'clock in the afternoon.Lighting
The base of the falls sits in a fairly steep, deep canyon. The lighting is always incredibly diverse and unpredictable. We were lucky to have a nice even light and I used a Canon on camera flash, with a Gary Fong Lightsphere to fill things out and smooth any unevenness.Equipment
Canon camera (I do not recall if this photo was taken with a 7D or a 5D MkIII), Canon 430EX, Gary Fong diffuserInspiration
Burney Falls is an amazing place and it just calls out to be photographed. This was taken at a time when I was just starting to shoot with models. A hair and makeup artist in Redding, CA and I came up with the idea and found a few people to go on the adventure with us. We had some ladies that had done a few photo shoots and some with no experience. Kaitlyn had never done a shoot prior to this. She had an amazing attitude and just jumped in, feet first (figuratively and literally in this case). The water there is quite chilly and I wasn't sure we'd get any images when she first got in the water, as you could tell it wasn't pleasant. Within a short period of time, she had adapted and was ready to go. I basically, just let her do her thing, offering small suggestions and she received some input from the HMUA. She is a natural and the process resulted in a number of great images, in my opinion.Editing
I do very little in post. I prefer to try and 'get it right' in the camera. I was also just learning Photoshop at this time. It's been some time so I don't recall exactly what was done, but I do know it wasn't much. Probably a curves layer, maybe removed a bug or a water drop if one was really prominent and possibly a little color adjustment. That would be about it. I really don't like to spend much time in post.In my camera bag
These days it's a Canon 5D MkIII, and handful of L Series lenses, Canon Flash, a bunch of filters (ND, Polarizers, UV, Singhray handheld graduated, etc), extra batteries and weather gear.Feedback
This was a 'fluke', so to speak. It was the right combination of model, HMUA and myself at just the right moment. The advice I would give is, when you have an idea, try it. It may work, it may not and it's usually a fair amount of work. However, the process can always be a lot of fun and when it does come with results you love, it makes it all worth it. I personally find that when working with models, communication, letting them have a lot of freedom in their movement and making sure they are comfortable goes a long, long way as well.
