Woman of a 1000 Years
Model, Styling and Makeup Artist: Lauren
Photographer and Post: Eric Courtney
Nov, 2020Views
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Awards
People's Choice in Goths Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken during the very first shoot I did in my home studio in Rio Linda, California. My wife and I were still in the process of moving into our new home, so I took advantage of the extra space before boxes cluttered it up.Time
This photo may have a nighttime vibe, but it was shot in my garage at around 5:30pm in the middle of October. It was sweltering in there, even with two fans blowing. I was ugly-sweating behind the camera, and she was completely comfortable and confident.Lighting
I wanted a night-inspired look. I used three strobes. Two of them with blue gels. One pointing at the black backdrop, and the other was my kicker light. The primary light was diffused with an Octobox and grid.Equipment
The camera is a Nikon D700 with a Nikon 85mm 1.8 lens. I used two Alien Bee 800s and an Alien Bee 400 as the primary. I used soft boxes for the primary and kicker lights and barn doors for the light on the backdrop. The backdrop was just a roll of black seamless paper on hanging apparatus.Inspiration
I have really been digging the popularity of witches and goth lately, and Lauren (my subject) is into the dark and macabre as well. So we got together and collaborated with a few different looks. She is a makeup artist by trade, so it was easy to get looks we were happy with. I think this was my favorite shot from the series because she is in 'the pose' and her expression is delightfully sinister. She's got the whole, sexy but dangerous, look working wonderfully.Editing
I did do some overlay for the backdrop and floor to make it appear as if she is in the forest at night somewhere. I took a B-roll still of some trees from some video I shot a while back and adjusted the saturation and transparency and then overlayed the layer mask to the backdrop to give it that whole 'deep forest look at night' feel. I basically did the same for the ground she is sitting on. A B-roll still of a pathway on a local trail here worked great for that effect.In my camera bag
While this image was created using Nikon hardware, I am mostly shooting Panasonic now. I have fallen in love with the Lumix S5 and full frame anamorphic lenses from Sirui. I currently have the 35mm T2.9 1x6 and the 75mm T2.9 1x6 anamorphic lenses, and I have the powerhouse Lumix S Pro 24-70mm 2.8 for those moments when I just need to get the shot. I also use an old Lumix G7 M4/3 for traveling. It is such a fun little camera and amazingly powerful for what it is. So that is normally what is in my bag(s) right now.Feedback
My advice to anyone trying to capture something similar would be to talk to your subject or designer often leading up to the date of the shoot so you are all on the same page. Take small details seriously so there are no surprises in the studio. Also, make sure you plan out your shots well ahead of time (i.e. poses, wardrobe, makeup, etc). That way if you want to squeeze in multiple different looks in a small timeframe, you can easily utilize time together. As a photographer, you can change lenses, move lights, or rearrange props while the subject is changing clothes or makeup. Most importantly, make sure your subject is comfortable. If you are in a hot/cold environment, do whatever you can within control to keep your subject cool or warm (depending on the environment). A happy model will perform better if they are comfortable.
