Dancing with the Leaves
Oct, 2017Views
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Awards
Action Award
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 42
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
Emotions
Impressed
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
There is a spot near my home that I had been driving by every day. As the fall colors became more and more vibrant, I knew I needed to take my son and do a photoshoot. We hiked down the trail a ways until we found a perfect spot with thick leaves on the ground, some of them still greenTime
I like to shoot just before sunset, so I had planned the shoot in the late afternoon. I just hadn't planned on the weather, and ended up with only 20 minutes of decent light before it got dark!Lighting
It was overcast, which was fine because we were in the woods. I brought along a reflector just in case, but didn't end up needing to use it. All natural, muted light of the late afternoon.Equipment
For this image, even though I had my reflector along, all I used was my Nikon D810 and my 85mm 1.8. I find it's better to travel light when taking picture of children, especially my own!Inspiration
I love fall. I love the colors, and I love taking pictures of my kids. I have an old newsboy cap from my childhood, and my son has a pirate costume. The two together make for a lovely vintage looking outfit that I thought would be perfect for a themed shoot. I asked him to twirl, so he picked up one of the biggest leaves and twirled around for me. I just shot continuously, knowing one of them would be the one.Editing
Because the lighting was muted, I did adjust some of it in post production. I darkened the edges and added a gradient to give the illusion of light leaking through the trees directly onto him. I also enhanced the colors of the leaves on the ground to give it a more warm feeling.In my camera bag
Like I said, I usually travel light. Lately, it's just been my one camera bag, the Nikon D810 and my 85mm. I keep a 35mm in there too just in case, but I'd sooner take multiple shots to create a panorama with my 85 than take it off my camera! That is my absolute favorite lens, and you'd be amazed how incredibly versatile it is.Feedback
This is a relatively simple image, but you kind of have to wait till mid autumn to get it. So for me, I had to wait a long time! I love forest pictures, and I love pictures of children. My little boy is an absolutely darling model and does such a good job posing. But it doesn't hurt to have a bribe along ;) Fruit snacks usually work! Shooting in overcast is okay, but it's much better to shoot during the golden hour, just before sunset when the light is warm and inviting. That would have been my ideal here, but I worked with what I had! Be prepared to adjust your vision, you have to use what you have. And if you can, shoot wide open, give your subject the full attention and blur that background away. Practice practice practice. You want to make sure your focus is spot on if you are shooting below f/3.5, so focus on your subject's eye. That is a good rule of thumb, if the eye is in focus, no one will care that the rest is soft!
