SHOW YOU THE ROPES.
Black and white close-up still-life of some balls of string, shot on a wooden table, in natural light only, against a black background....
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Black and white close-up still-life of some balls of string, shot on a wooden table, in natural light only, against a black background.
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Jul, 2022Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
“Show You The Ropes.“ was taken in my home studio. I am a young self-taught photographer, so what I call a “home studio” is really just a table standing near a large window in the attic of my family’s house, my mother’s drying rack on which to hang whichever background I’m using, some cardboard to modify the light and my essential equipment. But it's remarkable what you can achieve with so little: it amazes me every time.Time
This shot was taken in February 2022 right before dinner time. That time of the year in North Italy means the sun goes down pretty early, so at 7 P.M. the light is usually nowhere to be found already. I knew I had less than 10 minutes to set everything up and shoot what I had in mind.Lighting
I always shoot with natural light only and this time was no different. “Show You The Ropes.“ was taken in a beautifully soft natural light coming from a wide window on the right after the sunset to void direct light. When the sun is that low in the sky, the subject is lit from the side, which makes tiny shadows appear wherever there is a crack or crevice, exaggerating the texture and the perception of details, with the bonus of adding lovely evening light to the image. The side lighting was bounced back onto the scene with a white reflector to avoid too deep shadows on the left side of the subjects and risk missing some details there. At the same time, I've used some black boards to shade the background. I think it adds drama and mystery to the entire scene, as well as drawing the viewers’ attention to the main subjects more.Equipment
I used my trustworthy Nikon D7100 body, with a 24-120mm f/4 lens. To avoid shaking due to the slow shutter speed, I mounted my camera on a tripod. The only other equipment involved was a white reflector. - Camera: Nikon D7100 - Lens: AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VRVR - Focal length: 85mm - Shutter speed: 15.0s - Aperture: f/8 - ISO: 100Inspiration
I was looking for a shot all about texture. I wanted to capture those magnificent details, so I opted for a black and white image from the start, because, without colour getting in the way, I could emphasize shapes and lines better. In the absence of color, in fact, variations in surface details can add variety, drama, and even levels of storytelling to compositions. I strongly believe texture brings interest to the photo by providing tonal variance and detail densely concentrated in certain areas of the frame. It can help make the overall image stronger, giving character and atmosphere. I personally love how texture can evoke the viewers’ tactile sense, making them almost want to touch the photo just to see if they can actually feel the texture that I’ve captured. In an image like this, the emphasis is on the patterns, structure, lines and curves of the texture. Together, they form an artistically appealing whole and that was exactly what I was looking for.Editing
I’ve never been a fan of exaggerated post-production, so I always keep it to a minimum. Mostly, I corrected the light in the original raw file, in particular shadows, brightness and highlights, to keep a good tonal contrast and achieve both bright and dark tones in the image. I wanted to include true blacks as well as true whites, plus a full range of greys in between, and make them all work together in harmony. Then I proceeded to adjust the contrast: I opted for a sharper look to show all the strength and clarity of the shot.In my camera bag
The first thing I always pack is my Nikon D7100 body with a standard kit 24-120mm Nikkor zoom lens. I've got them since I was 16, so for 8 years now, and I’m not doing to change them anytime soon. I traveled everywhere with those two along for the trip: although they are not the easiest choice in term of weight and volume to always have with me, they never disappointed me thanks to their quality and robustness. Sometimes I use a dedicated Nikkor 105mm macro lens as well. Indispensable is also my Rollei tripod, a compact model in carbon, light but still very stable, perfect to carry around. Last but not least, the super useful Neewer’s 5-in-1 reflector/diffusor I brought recently. Playing with light has never been easier and funnier.Feedback
Think before you shoot. Planning a composition ahead has changed my photography game. It’s essential for me to already have an idea around a subject to develop later on in my home studio: this mental process allows me to achieve only meaningful shots, avoiding those “good but not great” ones, saving me some time and creative energy. For example, researching other creators, who are already familiar with the kind of photography I am looking for, helps me build a visual mind moodboard, to which I can return whenever I need to during the shooting.
