The aftermath
Our small rural community recently had huge bushfires rip through, and while no lives were lost, the devastation was enormous. This photo represents the devasta...
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Our small rural community recently had huge bushfires rip through, and while no lives were lost, the devastation was enormous. This photo represents the devastation, the pain, the feeling of loss, the aftermath of the fire.
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May, 2019Views
133
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Awards
Top Shot Award 21
2020 Choice Award
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in a burnt-out pine forest in rural Tingha, NSW after the Tingha Plateau Fire ripped through 23,400 hectares.Time
I knew the exact look I wanted to achieve from this shoot, so I went and scoped out the location before hand. I knew I needed the sun to be about an hour before setting, so that the backlight would pick up the smoke and frame Tiff beautifully. This shot was taken around 6.30pm.Lighting
I knew the backlight from the sun filtering in from the trees would give me some great bokeh, as well as really highlight the smoke behind Tiff. I rarely use artificial lighting, and wanted this session to stay as natural as possible, so the only source of lighting came from the sun behind.Equipment
This was shot on Canon 5Dm3, using the Tamron 85mm at f2.8. There was no other photography equipment, but we did hire a smoke machine to get the smokey look, and used a petrol powered generator to run the smoke machine.Inspiration
We live in a teeny tiny rural community and the devastation and heart-break that these bushfires caused was enormous. I wanted to do a concept shoot with two dresses: a red dress and a black dress. The black dress = the aftermath. She is hurt, destroyed, vulnerable, sad and hopeless. She must find the strength to pick herself up from the ashes and find new life, to start again.Editing
I converted the image to black and white, pushed contrast and clarity right up, and then reduced the highlights so the smoke could be clearly seen. I then ran a clarity brush over the smoke, and reduced highlights even more, to really make it a central feature. I then made my blacks blacker and added a very slight dark vignette. My model, Tiff, is utterly stunning, so I didn't need to make a single edit on her.In my camera bag
My back and neck were really starting to pay the price for all the gear I constantly carried to every shoot, so I've been a good girl and decreased the stash! In my bag you will now find my Canon 5Dm3, Canon 600ex ii-rt Speedlite, Canon 24-70mm 2.8, Canon 50mm 1.8, Sigma 35mm 1.4 and my beloved Tamron 85mm 1.8 - I seriously love this lens and couldn't be without it! I also have lens cleaning cloths, a stack of spare batteries and SD cards, all my speedlite accessories, tissues and water. I also carry with me ( only on some shoots) my tripod.Feedback
It was utterly freezing the day we did this shoot! Tiff was an absolute trooper (I couldn't have asked for a better model), so my biggest point to take away from this is always come prepared with cooler/warmer clothing! We had a blanket that Tiff wrapped around herself in between photos. We were in a burnt-out pine forest, and trees were falling down, so we had to be extremely careful. Protective footwear was also essential - I made sure I had floor length dresses so that Tiff's shoes couldn't be seen. I had a stack of assistants to help - Tiff's partner, my husband and son, and the hair dresser. They all worked hard, from lugging around the generator to operating the smoke machine, to keeping us warm and giving us food and drink, to filming behind the scenes footage, to helping Tiff get changed, to lugging equipment from one location to another within the forest, to keeping Tiff looking her best, to making sure we didn't trip and keeping an eye out for falling trees. I would highly advise anyone wanting to do something like this to have a team of helpers. In relation to the concept and the photography - sit down and write out a plan. I had heaps of scribbles and notes about different areas within the forest and what kind of outfit I wanted Tiff in, in each of those areas. Tiff and I went and tried on dresses to make sure we were on the same path with what I wanted to achieve. Make sure you have a sunny day - this wouldn't have worked if it was overcast. We needed the sun to backlight Tiff and bring out the smoke. Don't use the smoke machine during a windy day! We had many hilarious moments when the wind would pick up and blow the smoke from the machine in the wrong direction - straight into Tiff's face lol. And most importantly, the sun needs to be in the right position. If it's too early or too late in the day, the sun will be too harsh or won't produce enough light to achieve this look.
