Ultimate

darklighthouse

Be like a tree . . .

Oct, 2022

Views

254

Likes

+30

Awards

Winner in The Shape Of A Woman Photo Challenge

Peer Award

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Choice

Superb Composition

All Star

Outstanding Creativity

Emotions

Impressed

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in a campground just north of the Susquehanna State Park in Maryland. There are a variety of locations on the property that make great backdrops for images. This particular image was taken on the campgrounds, using a beautiful pine tree as a backdrop for the model. The full-length pose alongside the tree made for a great composition.

Time

This image was taken at 9:35am. The sky was a bit overcast and the sun was just beginning to break through the clouds, which provided for a beautiful, even light for the scene, with soft shadows.

Lighting

This, like most of my outdoor images, was taken with all natural light. No reflectors or light modifiers were used for this image. Because this image was captured fairly early in the morning, the quality of light was perfect for this kind of image, with the early morning light providing a nice, almost golden glow.

Equipment

This particular image was taken with a Canon 5D Mark III, using a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 zoom lens. Camera settings were: aperture was set to f/5.6; exposure time was 1/1600; ISO set to 400; focal length set to 70mm. The photo was taken hand held (no tripod or camera support), using only the natural light in the scene.. no flash or reflectors.

Inspiration

As if the model alone was not sufficient inspiration for this image, the location made a great place for the image, with beautiful, tall trees to include in the composition. And the warm morning light illuminating the model provided even more inspiration for this full-length shot.

Editing

I shoot in RAW format for most images, including this one. Editing was done using Lightroom and PhotoShop. Editing for this image included minor adjustments in Lightroom to contrast and some sharpening of the hair. I also used Photoshop to remove some of the distractions from the background (e.g., a small building along the tree line). Otherwise, this image is as captured in the camera.

In my camera bag

I have been a Canon user for many years. This particular image was taken with a Canon 5D Mark III. As for lenses that are always in my bag, they include the Canon 24-105 zoom, a 100mm marco lens (that I use for macro as well as portrait images), and frequently a 70-200mm telephoto zoom. Other equipment that I carry includes a variable ND filter, circular polarizer filter, a ColorChecker Passport, and a travel tripod. Regarding the filters, I usually buy filters for the largest lens I carry, then use step up/down adapter ring to mount the filter on smaller lenses... Saves a lot of money that way ;-) Regarding the ColorChecker Passport, if you do a lot of outdoor shooting where there is a lot of green from grass / trees, etc., these are very handy tools to have. You can capture an image of the ColorChecker and then create color correction profiles for most of the popular editing software that enables you to easily remove color casts that often occur when shooting under trees, etc.

Feedback

I enjoy taking natural light photos like this one, using only the ambient light. For me, the key to making this kid of image successful is making sure that you position your subject in the light in a manner that makes the light an integral part of the image that looks natural. One thing I often do is to just walk all around a particular location and get a sense of how the light is interacting with the subject, background etc. And I will ofter try different angles, different positions with respect to the primary light source. So I guess the bottom line here is to really look at / think about how the light is interacting with the image, try different combinations, and be willing to take the time to experiment a little.

See more amazing photos, follow darklighthouse

darklighthouse

darklighthouse

Be like a tree . . .

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow darklighthouse

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.