Sam 20 Fun in the Sun
A spontaneous moment while shooting in the mountains of Utah. Sam was obviously enjoying her time at the river and sitting in the sun. Natural light and handhel...
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A spontaneous moment while shooting in the mountains of Utah. Sam was obviously enjoying her time at the river and sitting in the sun. Natural light and handheld camera. what you don't know is that the water is from the tops of the mountains and very cold, even in June. I had to stand in the river barefoot, so by the time we finished shooting at this site my feet were blue. The image has been slightly cropped
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Jul, 2018Views
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Awards
Winner in Show Those Legs Ladies Photo Challenge
Winner in For the love of summer Photo Challenge
Peer Award
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Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Virtuoso
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Superb Composition
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brianbaitystudio
January 11, 2019
you're welcome and thank you for creating challenges. i think they are great fun. i try to keep a few going most of the time as well
Platinum
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
A mountain stream in Ledgemere Picnic Ground above Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this image. I had her sit in a spot where the sunlight broke through the trees to help light her in the shadows. Sam and I both had the idea to create images in nature. We spent half a dozen hours wandering the Picnic area looking for appealing settings and shooting in each.Time
As time of day was midday I was looking for shaded areas to shoot to avoid the bright, overhead sunlight. The dappled light through the trees made for a moving atmosphere I believe.Lighting
For this image, natural light was my choice. I wanted the dappled light to create an atmosphere of calm and peace. I also wanted the sunlight to act like a spotlight on Sam, making her the main focus. The light on the stream behind is the reason I chose this spot even before positioning Sam in the foreground. The biggest challenge was the moving sun. We had to keep shifting Sam's seating so the light fell on her face.Equipment
A Nikkor 16-80mm f2.8-4 lens on the Nikon D500 body is the setup for this shot. They were mounted on a Manfrotto tripod which was set in the water in order to get the camera angle I wanted.Inspiration
The inspiration for this photo came from Samira's desire to be photographed in nature. She wanted to have ladybugs in the photos with her. After we finished the shots she wanted I took advantage of the time and place to get extra images. The stream with the rough water on the rocks in the background and the sun shining on the water called to me. After we did some long exposures to blur the water in the background I just asked Sam to be herself and enjoy the day. I just stood in the stream and pushed the shutter when I saw something I liked.Editing
No post-processing was done here, I don't have any experience or training with photo-editing so I offer my images for the most part as they are shot. Once in a while I will have a friend do some editing for me.In my camera bag
My kit contains a Nikon D810, which has been my goto setup with a Nikkor 105 mm f2.8 lens. Recently I upgraded my second body to a Nikon D500. I bought this body for it's lowlight capabilities. Normally the Nikkor 16-80mm f2.8-4 lens resides on the D500 and is the setup I carry when I want to travel light. For those special occasions where I need a wide view the Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 fills the void and a Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3 helps me reach out long and far for those subjects that don't like us getting close or the animals that might cause severe bodily harm. The Nikon speedlight system works wonders for all my supplemental lighting. I have a collapsible reflector I carry frequently because it fits in my pocket and I use a Manfrotto tripod when needed.Feedback
to create such an image I would recommend a model with a good sense of humor and a love for nature. The water was uncomfortably cold. Luckily for Sam, she was able to stay out of the water for the photos. I, on the other hand, had to stand barefooted in the water. So I would say be willing to "do what it takes" to get the images you see in your mind. Sam was great fun to work with. Don't be afraid to get yourself wet or dirty to get "the shot of the day". Use a strong tripod that can handle the weight of your camera as well as the current of the water to give the stability required for the long exposures
