Ball of fire

This photo was taken at the beach in The Hague, The Netherland ona cold evening with a light breeze.

We went to the beach just before sunset and p...
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This photo was taken at the beach in The Hague, The Netherland ona cold evening with a light breeze.

We went to the beach just before sunset and prepared everything. Once the sun was gone, we started shooting. I like to have just a bit of the sky in the background, but since the control of the fire's brightness is limited, it is difficult to balance the light and we had to get it done while there was just the right amount of sunlight left
Apart from the last bit of sunlight in the background, the only light source is the fire. I used an oil-soaked Kevlar rope, attached to two aluminium rods. The long exposure was triggered remotely (bulb), during which the model has to stand absolutely still, which is not an easy task.
This shot was taken with a Nikon D800 with a Tamron 24-70 on a tripod, attached to a radio trigger. The fire was the only light source (apart from what's left of the sunset). For this shoot I also needed oil, a Kevlar rope, aluminium rods, lighter, gloves, black clothing, etc.
I like to capture the unreal, the unexpected. The long exposure results in an image that the eye cannot see as such. Creating shapes and figures with fire is a fantastic art. Further inspiration came from Barry Elder (Van Elder Photography) and Benjamin von Wong.
I usually shoot RAW to allow for corrections. In some photos, I had to remove ghost images of myself. I finetuned clarity, shadows and overall exposure
Equipment
I shoot in the studio, on the beach and in a pool, what I pack depends therefore a lot on the kind of shoot. My preferred camera is a Nikon D800 in a hard case with three lenses (85, 24-70, 70-200 mm), triggers, batteries, blank model releases, cables. I often work with flashes (Godox QT600 and TT600, Jinbei HD600, Yongnuo 560III). I also needed oil, a Kevlar rope, aluminium rods, lighter, gloves, etc.
Feedback
To begin with, play it safe! Make sure there's nothing flammable around. If you shoot with a model, make sure the clothing is not flammable and be careful with long hair too. Have water and - or an extinguisher around. A wet towel helps too. Find a model that can hold still (you'd be surprised how difficult that can be). It'll be easier for the model if she-he can sit. Get a good and reliable radio trigger for bulb exposure. The person holding the fire should be wearing black, including a black face mask and black gloves. Use a tripod. Good starting settings for this shoot are RAW, ISO 100, f-13, bulb, but it all depends on the brightness of the fire, the exposure duration and the ambient light. The focus must be fixed, I like the "back-button" option. Ask your model to hold a light, focus and fix the focus. Your model should then stay on the same spot, it may be a good idea to put a marker down. It's also a good idea to repeat the focusing every now and then. From here on it is (safe) playing and experimenting. Change the pose, change the exposure duration (shorter makes life easier), change the position and movement of the fire. Regularly check focus and exposure. Have fun!

Model: Anoeradha
20180416 026
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