C o a s t a l C a v e s
Mar, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
Well when me and my now wife (the model in this image) were dating... we spent a lot of time in her home town opotiki in New Zealand. It’s a small town on exceptional coast. This particular place was on a little rocky beach we went to one day to explore and relax in summer.Time
This was taken in the early afternoon. We had been down to the beach for a picnic lunch, and when we were done eating, we went on what we call a “photo walk” and this image was taken along with many others that didn’t make the cut.Lighting
We all know how important lighting is when it comes to photography. So even though the day was overcast, I used the cave to block out the side light to achieve a more flattering and sculpting direct soft light to help give her face a bit more depth.Equipment
So I’m a natural Light photographer. So my set up is always super basic which is how I like it. This photo was taken reasonably early on in my photography journey, so I would’ve used my canon 6D with my nifty fifty. Whereas now my ultimate choice of lens is an 85mm. And just handheld with the soft natural light as my only light source.Inspiration
I have always loved action shots. I really like to take portraits where the model has a powerful presence, while it still looks like it could just be a snapshot of real life. So I let the surroundings inspire me. The cave and the constant waves crashing through... reminded me almost of being stranded on an island. So I got Erin to walk through the cave like she was emerging onto a beach at the end of struggling on a stranded island, with her camera still in tow.Editing
For my images I love a simple and natural look.... most the time. So for this I just used lightroom to do some basic colour adjustments and played around with the light to add a bit more depth and contrast since the overcast day left me with a relatively flat RAW file to begin with.In my camera bag
My kit is super simple. I Normally take just my canon 6d and my 2 prime lenses ... my 50mm and 85mm. I sometimes tho take my crop sensor 70d with me and put my 85mm on it to achieve a greater zoom if I want that look, since I don’t have a proper zoom lens yet. JFeedback
I think it’s always a great idea to take your camera with you everywhere you go. There are always photo opportunities when you’re out and about. And no matter what your preferred style is, I always think it pays to get creative. Like this shot, you may find yourself out and about with the family and discover an awesome place, and want to capture the essence of the scene. Or it may be something else, but either way I think it always pays to take your camera as often as you can because you never know what you will find.
