YinYang016
This image is part of my latest project entitled "Yin Yang", that focuses on the emotional turmoil and struggles that we go through. Finding a balance...
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This image is part of my latest project entitled "Yin Yang", that focuses on the emotional turmoil and struggles that we go through. Finding a balance between two strong but opposite emotions such as happiness and sadness will contribute significantly to your journey towards mental and emotional wellness.
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Sep, 2018Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Fall Award 2020
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Virtuoso
All Star
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank
Top 30 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 30 rank week 1Categories
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Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this photo is the house of two of my closest friends, in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Their house has really beautiful and large windows that let in a lot of soft light, regardless of the time of day.Time
Although the windows let in awesome and even lighting, I decided to shoot this image at around 12 noon on a sunny day, because this would help me achieve a sort of high contrast look.Lighting
I would like to consider my shooting style as high contrast and moody, and I tried to make the lighting represent this. I shot this with natural light only, coming from the window, as you can see! Haha! On the other side of the model, there were grey curtains with a white inside layer which help reflect back a bit more light into the shadowy areas of the image. This gave it a nice dynamic range, with detail in both the shadows and highlights.Equipment
For this project, I used only my camera, the Nikon D3300, paired with the kit lens. I can also consider the curtains as additional equipment, because I used it as a large reflector.Inspiration
This look was inspired by a look created by our MUA for the day, Francisca Kalekye. From this look, I developed a photo concept around the idea of mental health, and finding balance between the up and down times. We worked with Wendy Omanga, a model I have worked with before, because of the attitude she brings and her strong, elegant features. For this concept, "Yin Yang" focuses on how happiness and sadness; how light and dark correlate. One cannot exist without the other. It is based on how these two opposite energies help us find balance in our mental health, and ultimately, within ourselves. It shows us how important it is for us to find balance in all the emotional turmoil we go through.Editing
Yes I did. When working with black and white images, I usually shoot them in color, then later convert them in post production. This is because it gives your black and white images more depth, contrast, and tonal range. I did the same for this images; some color correction and general edits, then converted them to black and white, and tweaked them a bit more to get the result I wanted.In my camera bag
I have my camera, a Nikon D3300 with the kit lens as my go-to shooting kit. I also have a extra battery, an external flash with a trigger, gels and a small softbox for the flash to act as a portable lighting solution for my photos. I also have two tripods for stabilization; one that i don't carry around unless I really have to because it's a bit bulky, and a really smaller one that I can use in run and gun situations. As a hybrid shooter, I also have a shotgun mic to help record audio when shooting videos.Feedback
The best advice I have is to never be afraid to try out the ideas you have, because if you are, then it will continue living in your head. I f you have the courage to develop and idea, then you are on step closer to executing it; you might never know just who is watching you and getting inspired by what you do. Even if it seems out of the box, go for it, because that is the best way you can express yourself. For me, I know I looked really crazy in between the curtains with the model, but seeing the idea come to life was a very rewarding feeling. I'm glad I had the support of everyone involved, because they help transform this crazy idea of mine into a very successful project.
