Chiaroscuro
Jun, 2020Views
153
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Legendary Award
Summer 2020
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 30 rank week 1Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Actually this photo was taken in one of the most apparently boring places in my house, in a small corner between the cupboard and the sofa. It's a very small piece of wall, the only one without any type of decoration, furniture, or paintings. Probably, It's the reason why I was unusually so attracted to it, and I decided to take all the photo of this shooting right there and nowhere else. It seemed like an abandoned,lonely, peaceful place, and that was exactly what I needed. An empty, white wall. Filled by the movements of the model's body.Time
I was early 2PM in the afternoon of the 28th may of this year. I took this photo with the model, a dear and very talented friend of mine, after one of the fastest lunch break ever. The time we had was actually very short, i was preparing this project for my graduation, some week after the Covid-19 quarantine was over. Some weeks later, I've graduated. In front of my laptop webcam, showing these photo as replacement of my presence and the one of my model in front of committee. By the awards i received, I must deduce that they were all worth the time I spent shooting them.Lighting
As well as in most of my portraits, I exlpoited the natural light and the forms of light projection to create the right atmoshpere for this shooting. For me, it was essential to emphasize the texture of the fabric I had chosen for creating the outfits, so i pulled down the blinds of the living room window, partially covering the sunlight, so as to create a sharper contrast that would better enhance the shapes and movements of the model and the dress. The atmosphere that was created in that room was beyond my expectationsEquipment
I started photographing recently, not even two years, so my equipment is still very limited. Under the advice of a friend, I bought a canon 700D, in excellent condition, to which I then added a 50mm lens, with which I took this photo and many wonderful portraits.Inspiration
As I said before, the shooting in which I took this photo was meant for showing at the committee some outfit of my collection for the graduation. The project was focused on the history of natural dyeing, together with the history of fabrics and textile. As many people know, this story began in the Paleolithic, where primitive people had their first approach with colour in a cave, trying to clean their hands from the dirt rubbing it against the wall. It left a hint, the first human painting in the world. I tried to focus the theme of colour, dyeing the fabric myself using ancient recipes, creating very simple outfit, which could reference that period. When I took this photo, I was asking the model, who was a professional dancer, to imitate with their body the lines and the forms on the dress she was wearing. But while I was shooting, I realized that his poses were very fluid, almost interconnected, as if they were a kind of dance. A dance which, just like painting, is one of the most ancient forms of human expression. From this thought, the photo shoot slowly took shape. The photograph I took is like a snapshot of that dance.Editing
Usually I spend much time processing the photos, correcting spots and improving the contrast and the lights. In this case, I left the photos almost identical to how they were taken, most of all with this photograph. I think that they look perfect in that way, with that peaceful atmosphere, in the dim light. So, I just improved a little bit the temperature and the contrast, that's all about the post-processing.In my camera bag
Since I have only been working properly with photography for a couple of years, I don't have much equipment to take with me. The few things that I have still bought all fit in a small backpack, and I always carry them all with me. My canon 700D, faithful travel companion, with its standard lens, the canon ef-S 18-55 mm 1: 3.5-5.6. Second, but not least, is the youngnuo 50mm F1.8, with which I shot most of my portraits. Together with the camera, I always carry the K&F Concept variable ND filter with me, which varies from ND2 to ND32. I found it very useful for shooting outdoors, where I couldn't adjust the brightness too much, for shooting along waterways, or simply for experimenting with more creative shots. Together with the filter I always have the adapter rings to use it with all lenses. Apart from that, besides the spare battery and charger, I don't need anything else, I only need good places and subjects to photograph.Feedback
I usually like to feel free to experiment with the objects available at the moment, to create my comfort zone and the perfect place to photograph. The only useful advice I can give, to take similar photos but universally valid for all shots, is to have no limits. Experiment, contaminate your workspace with new elements. Especially with natural light, which, beyond what you might think, is very useful and you can use it to your advantage to create real shadow games. Even the tightest or most distracted spaces are not to be underestimated. A white wall is not just a white wall, but it can be a starting point for your shots, as a black table can replace the black backdrop in some cases. The limit is only in our head.
