Captivating Eyes.
Jul, 2020Views
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DrethePhotog
August 10, 2020
Thank you all very much—this image I captured eleven years ago. Even today, I am still captivated by the subject's eyes.
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
the photograph was captured in Dallas, Texas.Time
The time of the day was 1730 hours, evening natural light approaching the golden hour.Lighting
I used the best lighting technique; natural light. It was an "Indian Summer" day in Dallas, Texas, on September 24, 2011.Equipment
The equipment I used was a Nikon D60 DSLR camera.Inspiration
. "The eyes are the windows to the soul." There is a story connected to this image. The subject in the photograph, Arsema, and I first met via Facebook. I was detailed to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department's crime scene unit at that time. The year was 2010, and the temperature was in the high 90s on this June day, accompanied by the three H's (hazy, hot, and humid). That day, I decided to eat my lunch inside due to the humidity outside. While on my thirty-minute union break, I decided to surf Facebook and read some comments posted on my latest photographs at that time. Then it happened, Arsema's profile popped up, and because we were mutual friends with another person the comment; "people you may know" appeared. I replied, "No, I don't know her, but I damn sure want to," and requested her friendship. Arsema's eyes had captivated me. The following day, I had to respond to a shooting and photograph the scene; by the time I returned to the office, my supervisor and I got into a heated argument regarding evidence and my report, which proved to be right. The victim was not killed by a drive-by but rather by the passenger in the front seat. Anyway, my temper was in the high 90s, so I sat down at my desk to cool off when I noticed a hello message from Arsema. We chatted a few minutes before I went to lunch and found out we had something in common; photography. We exchanged numbers and communicated/chatted every day. We had agreed to do a photoshoot later with the Autumn colors as a backdrop, but then silence fell. Two months later October 2010, Arsema returned to Facebook but had relocated to Dallas, Texas. I visited her the following year, 2011, and did a variety of photoshoots, first in the morning and then in the evening. In the middle, Arsi, showed me the sights in Dallas and told me that she would plant her roots in Texas. I had promised to revisit her the following year, but that never happened. The job and court kept me from taking any form of pleasure leave; however, we maintained contact via Facebook, but that too began to dwindle. I eventually returned to Dallas in 2019, but by then, the mood and the atmosphere had changed, and silence had emerged between us. My intuition had already told me that I had missed my opportunity a long time ago, but as a man, I had to find out in person. On Mother's day that year, Arsema's fiance proposed to her, and she happily accepted. They were married in November that same year. I can truly say they are the perfect couple. Arsema, who always liked to help people, is active in her church and health care while pursuing her nursing degree. I have an eye for beauty and always will have eyes for beauty. In my personal assessment of Arsema, she is beautiful inside and out with a heart of gold and an angel in human flesh. I always follow my heart, which at times can be hurtful. Those who do follow their hearts; do not hesitate, be bold and make that move. Whenever I listen to the Cure and their hit "Pictures of You," the lyrics: "I've been looking so long at these pictures of you, that I almost believe that they're real. I've been living so long with my pictures of you that I almost believe that the pictures are all I can feel," which makes me chuckle.Editing
Cropped and switched from color to B&W.In my camera bag
Canon 7D Mark II, Nikon D5400, a 24-70mm, 50mm, 150-600mm, filters, cleaning kit, plastic bags, batteries, flash,Feedback
Shoot like there is no tomorrow. Practice makes perfect.
