Desert Flower III
Framing for portrait use of surroundings Pioneer Town, CA
Framing for portrait use of surroundings Pioneer Town, CA
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Jan, 2014Views
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Good job
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Exceptional Contrast
Jaw Dropping
All Star
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PRO+
PRO
MMPCPhotography
February 21, 2014
Thanks everyone! The harsh sun mid day was always taught to me to avoid like the plague. Well I figured all my shots were up to date so why not take the chance and try shooting mid day harsh sun and make it work for me. this was the results!
PRO
MMPCPhotography
March 20, 2014
Wow to be recognized by the professionals that I have been following for several years now means so much to me! Thank you all for your support!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
Photo was taken in Pioneer town California. This is a cute little mock up town of an old west civilization attached to a a wonderful little restaurant and bar named Pappie and Harriet's.Time
I had been wanting to shoot in this wonderful little area for a long time and finally had the opportunity to swing in just after lunch. The shot was taken around 2 pm in April, 2013. The high sun was brutal however the natural shade from the walls shadow and the hole in the wood allowed for a wonderful peek of the model.Lighting
The high sun allowed for a great back light and rim lighting effect. This is a similar style of studio lighting fro separation from the background. The wood on the side of the model was light in color from the natural sun bleaching which allowed for it to act as a fill card on the model. by bringing her close enough to the wall I was able to fill in the shadows and take advantage of the suns back lighting.Equipment
I shot several pictures this day going back and forth from my Nikon D2X and My D7000. This particular shot was one of my back up cameras that I used quite a bit during this time the D7000. I like to shoot with longer lenses in order to compress the background. My lens of choice for the day was a Sigma 70-300 mm F/4.0-5.6. Settings for the shot was shot at 78 mm 1/160s f/4.0 ISO 100. Shot handheld with hood and assistant flagging me to avoid sun flare on lens.Inspiration
There was a break in a area of a plywood in which I caught an eye of the model on the other side as I was grabbing gear out of my car. I happened to be chatting with the model as I was getting a scrim from the trunk and looked up to talk to her when I saw the small whole and her peering through it as we were talking about the days shoot.Editing
My editing style has always been a blend of Lightroom and Photoshop. I begin with global adjustment in Lightroom to achieve the overall treatment by camera calibration and lens calibration adjustments. I then move to contrast and any temperature or tint adjustments. Due to the Mid Day sun and bounce of the wall color I wanted to remove any reflective color from her skin tones. Typical to portrait editing I will go in and do some minor skin blemish removal. This particular model only had on light eyeliner which I wanted to bring out slightly more to highlight her eyes more. I used a fine brush to burn in the eyeliner making it slightly darker and then dodged in some of the shadows along the left side of the models face and finally sharpening of the eyes.In my camera bag
My typical "bag of tricks" consist of two Nikon bodies. Currently I carry the Nikon D810 and D7000 bodies. My lenses and other gear are my Nikon 70-200mm 2.8G Vr; Nikon 28-70mm 2.8 D (older but trusted lens from my film days), 3 Yongnuo YN560-II Speedlights, 12 sets of rechargeable batteries for flashes. 3 backup batteries for cameras, lens clothes a pocket rocket blower for dust, 2 rain bags, color checker passport, 10 - 16 gig Memory cards, Giottos Medium size collapsable tripod/monopod (removable leg for conversion), 2 lightweight light stands, gaffer tape, random clips (for clothing), 36 in. round 5 in 1 reflector, 4 pocket wizard plus III triggers. Laptop and tether cord are added on longer more remote trips along with two external hard drives for backups. All this fits in my Domkie Back pack bag.Feedback
I was always taught never shoot in high sun. I tell people don't be afraid to use what is around you and shoot in whatever challenging light you can possible get into. The only way we as photographers can get better is to challenge ourselves our equipment and creativity. Always keep your creative eyes open! Had I not been looking with a creative mind I would have never noticed the hole in the wall that allowed me to create this particular shot. When going out to shoot I create shot plans and have a general idea or direction that I want to go with whoever you can not be so restrictive to the moment that you don't allow the moment to guide you in your creativity as well. The weather can change in an instant with clouds, rain, wind, dust storms(it happens), it's not the end of the shoot its just another element to add to the shoot. This is why I carry my 5 in 1 and flashes with me on every shoot. They allow me to have the versatility to shape my environment as well as use it to my advantage.
