Using only natural light from an open window, I photographed this beautiful grandmother and her family in their own home in a rural mountain village in China. ...
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Using only natural light from an open window, I photographed this beautiful grandmother and her family in their own home in a rural mountain village in China.
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Community Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Wrinkles Photo Contest
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
The shot was taken in a traditional Yao dwelling house in rural South West China without electricity. I utilised natural light from the window and a reflector to bounce some light back up from below. I am a self taught amateur and since I do not speak Mandarin, I had to use an interpreter and lots of gestures and mime to move my very accommodating model into more or less the position I wanted her.Time
The photo was taken in the late morning. I did not get a choice what time of day I was escorted to the lady’s family home to photograph her.Lighting
I wanted to use the natural light from the window as there was only candlelight and an open cooking fire creating any light inside the house. Because of the time of day, the light was more harsh than I wanted it to be.Equipment
This was shot on an Olympus PEN-F, MFT. I cannot recall what lens was used.Inspiration
This shoot was part of a private guided photographic trip I booked to gain an insight into local culture and traditions.Editing
Some post processing was used to lift shadows indoors and reduce brightness of the roof outside.In my camera bag
I usually carry a full frame body, currently Nikon D810, a closer range zoom lens that includes wide angle range and a large zoom with a couple of primes, like a 50mm and 75mm, a mini tripod and sometimes a full size tripod.Feedback
When travelling to unusual locations, I always try to book a trip with a local photographic guide. They know where to go to get the best shots and will often share their experience of what settings they have used to get good results in the same settings. They can come back. You will probably only have once opportunity.