Jeans and jacket
Oct, 2021Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
My wife and I started our small photographic studio in our hometown, Nelspruit, South Africa, in February 2021 after COVID wiped out our tourism business. This shot was one of the first sessions we did with our daughter the day after we got some lighting gear. It was so exciting to experiment with the new strobes in our own space!Time
According to the metadata this photo was snapped at 14:18 on February 11. Michelle (Better half & MUA) must have just picked Rori (daughter & model) up from school and got back to the studio when I said: "Grab mom's jacket and put some makeup on, I have an idea I want to try."Lighting
As the studio was all white at this stage I needed to know if I can successfully flag light to create a dark moody background for future shoots. I wanted to experiment with light falloff from a reflector (camera right) while providing the main sources from the sides of the subject and flagging it off the back wall. I was very pleased when this shot popped up on the DF's screen. I also love the way that the fabric of the jacket reflects the light in an almost painted fashion. I believe that textures play a big roll in creating mood and feel in a photograph. So lighting was very simple, 2 strobes on either side of the subject in diffused modifiers. Power was set low to just light the subject and minimise spill on the background.Equipment
This was shot on the camera I had and love. Nikon's Df. Not sure why it was not a popular camera? Stunning sensor, a real good feel in the hand and in my opinion just beautiful. Lens was the 50mm f1.8 kit lens that came with the camera. Something else Nikon just got right. Hand held at 1/125th and f5.6. ISO 100. I had just got the Godox AD300PRO kit that included 2 strobes and had them in the P90L Parabolic modifier as fill on subject right. The key light was in a double diffused 80x120 Softbox on subject left.Inspiration
I am extremely lucky to have my MUA as my wife and my daughter as our main model. So inspiration comes daily between the 3 of us. One of us will say: "I have an idea!" and then its lights on, camera ready and go. This shot was inspired by the clothing. I saw Michelle grabbing this jacket the night before and wanted to capture the denim. Everything else just feel into place once Rori had it on. Michelle knew exactly what to do with the makeup and once I reduced the lighting for the moody feel it just felt right.Editing
Lightroom Classic. Processed the RAW file and did basic adjustments. Pulled the blacks down and added a gradient to control the light on the right. Nothing spectacular. Suppose its old film habits, so I try and do as much in camera as possible. I've been out of the game for so long that post processing is a bit nerve wrecking for me at the moment. So I try to keep it simple. I really need to do a photoshop course!In my camera bag
Recently switched from Nikon to Sony Mirrorless so lugging around a lot less gear. Sony A7C & A7Riii. Sony 50mm f1.8. Sigma ART 24mm, 70mm (Macro) & 100-400mm. Godox AD300PRO x2. I'm a Manfrotto fan and there is a Ronin M for video. Most of my portrait work is done on the A7Riii and Sigma ART 70mm f2.8, however, I am really starting to love the A7C and 50mm combo for both video and stills.Feedback
Keep it simple. I find that as I'm trying to further my craft, I overcomplicate lighting setups and concepts. With all the photos at our fingertips on social media it's easy to get sucked into someone else's style. This shot was true to my style. A little bit hard, rough, unpolished. Thats not to say don't try new ideas! Just breathe, remember why you're doing this and let the light guide you. Read the moment, push the trigger, do it again. You're telling a story. Then it will all come together in the end.
