I wake up to my fantasy manifested by my parents American dream.
Jan, 2021Views
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Awards
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Spring 21 Award
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Virtuoso
Magnificent Capture
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Pasco, Washington in a sunflower field during the fall of the 2020 pandemic.Time
This was taken on September 29, 2020 at 4:56 pm. We had about an hour or less of really great light to work with. Normally our area is really windy, but we lucked out with an absolutely gorgeous fall day. The conditions for photos could not have been better!Lighting
Late summer, early fall in eastern Washington produce fantastic sunsets and mild weather. We produced this image the last week of September and the weather was still in the 70s! Although the sun was setting fast, we were able to harness the golden hour in a beautiful way to highlight Lupe and our location in a magical way.Equipment
This was captured with a Canon Mark IV 5D with the Canon 85mm L series lens at 100 ISO, f/2.8, and 1/1600 seconds. We only used natural light for this shot.Inspiration
"I wake up to my fantasy manifested by my parents American Dream." The individual in the portrait and I had a specific idea in mind when we chose to shoot together: to celebrate her Mexican roots and heritage. September 15 - October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month and we captured this image during that time as a way to honor the month and her story. From the symbolic monarch butterflies tattooed on her body to the serape blanket, the posing, location, and time of day was all intentional to bring this photo and story to life. Lupe, the woman featured in the image, wanted to celebrate who she is and her family and this was our way of doing so.Editing
I kept this photo as simple as possible. Aside from some basic color adjustments, this photo was meant to be seen as raw and as close to the original in my camera as possible. Sometimes folks can go overboard with post-processing and often forget that magic can be created in-camera and while shooting if you're intentional and have decent circumstances.In my camera bag
I exclusively shoot with primes. I enjoy the challenge of a prime lens. It forces me to move around. I have a Canon 85mm 1.2L, a Sigma 35mm ART lens, and a Canon 35mm L series lens. And of course, I have my body (Canon Mark IV 5D), a basic little tripod, a reflector, and a flash. I function pretty bare bones it seems like. I try to produce as much magic as I can naturally.Feedback
Representation and stories matter in art. Working with models/folks you connect with on a deeper, more personal level matters. This photo was a significant one to capture because of the conversations and creative brainstorming that happened prior to the shoot. Lupe, the focus of the image, had a story she wanted to creatively express. We worked together to create an image that reflected what and who she is. My advice? To make meaningful art, it requires for both photographer and those in the photograph to be connected and invested in the outcome of the image. Take the time to dig deep and make something worth celebrating and sharing with the world.
