Flower girl
Feb, 2019Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shoot took place at my home studio in Kingston, Jamaica. It is a small studio space where I do portraits with a model, a makeup artist and maybe a stylist.Time
This shoot was done about 2 pm Saturday 8 of September 2018, exactly 8 days before my birthday, which I probably spent editing images from this shoot.Lighting
I wanted to emphasis both the model and the flowers without either being too dominate in the frame. I use only one large gridded octagon light modifier above, a reflector below to bounce some light under her neck and a grid and small gridded slightly behind the model for separation.Equipment
This image was shot with a Canon 5D Mark ii with the Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS II UM mounted on a Zomei tripod. Flashpoint XPLOR 600 as the key light and and L400 (off brand) light for separation.Inspiration
For this shoot, after seeing some crown made of plastic flowers, I wondered if I could use real flowers but instead of a crown, turn a model into a flowerpot. So I called on the makeup artist to go over ways of making the idea work like which model, type of flowers and how we would arrange the flowers on the model's head, we also spoke about the style makeup (not emphasized in the monochrome).Editing
As a portrait photographer, post processing is a vital part of who a image comes to life after the shoot is over. A lot of imperfections (not the unique ones) like some cracks in the makeup, pimples, discolorations and such, can take away from making a good image great. For this shot, I lower the the highlights on the flowers, removed spots and pimples using frequency separation then dodge and burn where it was needed.In my camera bag
My nifty Canon 50mm f/1.4 is always in my bag. It's a lens which I don't talk about much but it is really quick and I don't mean just to let in light but also with focusing. I had a special love for my Canon 5D Mark ii but have since replaced it with Mark iv. My 70-200mm is another must have in the bag and when I am on wedding assignments, the compression you get from that lens is unbelievable. For everything else it just depends on the assignment/task at hand. As for my lighting, I use the Flashpoint/Godox light and trigger system for off camera lighting.Feedback
In the case of a portrait photographer, it's easy to get lost in the mundane if you're unwilling to try something new (to you). There are many inspiring images and great photographers out there but you don't have to copy, you can twist, tweak, reimagine and recreate a project into something that reflects your style. It was my intention to do something completely new to me and at that time, I wasn't thinking of anything else, I just wanted to create what was in my mind. So think or do some research of things you want to try but have not, plan how you want to achieve it and then do everything (within reason) to bring your idea to life.
