Radiant Statuesque
Youtube video behind this shot https:--youtu.be-G6j0GPY-VNs Illumination series by me. More at www.goldfocusproductions.com...
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Youtube video behind this shot https:--youtu.be-G6j0GPY-VNs Illumination series by me. More at www.goldfocusproductions.com
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Jun, 2018Views
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Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
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Top 20 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I'm a photographer with limited resources. With my resources, I found beauty in my own backyard. This photo was taken at my home in Akron, Ohio in my driveway area. I'm currently still building my studio, so all of my shots are pretty much outside, in nature!! If you are like me with limited resources, (which is totally ok by the way as a photographer) stick with your technique and creativity as your guide, not what you have or how much you have.Time
Since this photoshoot began at around 7pm in the evening with still a lot of sunlight, the original plan was to shoot with an off camera flash in an open field using High Speed Sync. Well time flies when your working and engaging with your model and before we knew it, it was 10:30 PM at night pitch black. Not necessarily a problem when using an off camera flash, but I later decided to use the night as apart of the subject of this photo without the flash. This photo was taken between 10:30-11:00 PM at night.Lighting
One thing about being a photographer is that there are rules, but rules are made to be broken. Your creativity is what separates your work from other photographers. We all know that lighting is probably one of the most important things as a photographer, so this is your time to shine (in my opinion). You don't have to use off camera flash, you don't have to use studio lights, etc; Find a light source that speaks to you and your vision, something that stands out creatively. I used complete night time (pitch black), with no flash, and the only source of light that I wanted to control was decorative holiday lights. I angled the lights specifically to soften the models face, one hand is higher and closer to the face to brighten that side a stop or two lighter than the other side. Also I wanted to symbolize and model after a greek-like statue, something similar to the Lady Justice statue. Hence the name Radiant Statuesque.Equipment
I shot this with my Canon 70D which I love. And I used my Tamron SP 85mm F/1.8 Prime Di VC USD. That's pretty much it!!Inspiration
I saw a photo of Queen Latifah by an unknown photographer taken in the late 80's early 90's, where the dark; lack of light, occupied the photo more than the light that was actually used. I thought that was unique because all of my professional career, I was told that you shouldn't have underexposure in a photo or that you have to properly light your entire scene in order for the photo to be effective. I now have the Queen Latifah photo on my desktop and it's what inspired me to use both light and dark occupying the same space.Editing
I try not to do to much post work, I feel like too much post editing on your work can sometimes take away from the authenticity. You have to know when to stop, and just be ok with the photo because it is easy to get carried away (trust me lol). The only post processing I did was cleaning up of any complexion issues on the skin and face i.e blemishes, pimple, dark skin spot, etc. I started to play with the exposure, but changed my mind because again the goal was to keep certain parts underexposed for dramatic effect.In my camera bag
I have a huge bag so hold on tight (lol)... Of course I have my Canon 70D and Tamron SP 85mm F/1.8 Prime Di VC USD as mentioned before. I have my Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8 Prime lens, a Canon 50mm F/1.8 STM Prime Lens, Canon 18-55mm F/3.5 lens, a Canon 55-250mm F/4 lens, a [pro]master wireless transmitter and receiver, for both my [pro]master TTL 200SL speedlight and [pro]master TTL Bounce Flash FL1, a bunch of AAA and AA batteries, 5 SD cards, wall charger and camera batteries, multiple variable ND filters for my lenses, lens cleaners, and last but not least my business cards.Feedback
Creativity is definitely key. The more expensive does not mean the better. I used a camera that is worth less than $600 and cheap holiday lights worth a couple of dollars. Don't get to caught up in the equipment. This whole photoshoot had a budget of $0. Always remember, lighting is where it's your time to be creative, any form of light form will do, so find unorthodox ways of lighting your subject or scene!! I promise you, you will have fun shooting once you do that.
