danibentonphotography

Villains Series: Freddy

The first in my series of ‘character studies’ of my favorite classic horror movie villains. I have spent months piecing together detailed costumes and resea...
Read more

The first in my series of ‘character studies’ of my favorite classic horror movie villains. I have spent months piecing together detailed costumes and researching the best possible locations. I won’t be using blood or gore, but rather, expressing the essence of the character through the atmosphere, colors, props and lighting of my images. What’s the catch? I put a feminine pinup spin on their costumes, and they will be portrayed by ladies hand-picked for each persona. I call it my Villains Series.
Read less

Dallas, Oregon, US

upload_date

Dec, 2022

Views

Likes

Awards

Winter 23 Award

Contender in the Visual Poetry Project

Gem Award

Peer Award

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in the boiler room of an abandoned hotel. We had permission from the owner to use the building.

Time

Our shoot took place in the afternoon, but when working indoors with multuiple speedlights, the time of day is less important than when working outdoors or with natural light.

Lighting

As part of my ongoing 'Villains' series, I wanted this image to convey the personality of the fictional character Freddy Krueger, and the feeling of his movies Nightmare on Elm Street, without any blood or gore. I used two speedlights to light the dark boiler room. One has a yellow gel, to light the back wall and create separation from the model and the wall. The other has a red gel, and was placed in the boiler to make it look functional, as well as light the model's face, hair, torso, thigh, and tips of her shoes.

Equipment

This was shot a while back, on my Nikon 350D. I used a somewhat wide-angle lens, I actually can't remember the specific lens, as it was later stolen out of my car on a trip to Canada, but I do remember it was a generic (non-Nikon) brand. one speedlight on-camera was used to fire the two speedlights off-camera.

Inspiration

Editing

My post-processing is always fairly simple; I use Lightroom to make minor adjustments. I work hard to create my images as close to finished "in camera" as possible.

In my camera bag

I always carry two Nikon D750 camera bodies. I primarily use a 50mm, a 24-70mm mid-range zoom, and a 100mm macro (my longest lens). Now that I'm traveling, I carry a Rokinon 24mm tilt-shift, for landscapes and portraits, along with a vintage Polaroid camera and a modern "vintage-esque" PaperShoot camera. My light bag contains four speedlights, each with various MagMod modifier options, two lightstands, and a (rarely used) tripod. Of course, I always prisms, extra memory cards, batteries, assorted bungee cords, gaffers tape, and other things that might come in handy. I use a BlackRapid camera strap, if shooting with one camera; and I use a HoldFast double camera strap, if shooting with both cameras.

Feedback

First, be open to the idea of collaborating with others to create the visions in your head. I worked behind-the-scenes with my friend, who happened to be a talented model and makeup artist, to to create the first two characters in my 'Villains' series, and she was just as excited about the project as I was. Second, don't be afraid to work with lighting over and over until you can achieve your desired effect. Lighting is what initially drew me to photography, and I spent countless hours working with minimal equipment, to pull off some pretty elaborate lighting scenarios, on a budget. When you're able to pull off some creative lighting, with minimal use of post-processing, that's a great feeling!

See more amazing photos, follow danibentonphotography

danibentonphotography

danibentonphotography

Villains Series: Freddy

The first in my series of ‘character studies’ of my favorite classic horror movie villains. I have spent months piecing together detailed costumes and resea... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow danibentonphotography

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

The first in my series of ‘character studies’ of my favorite classic horror movie villains. I have spent months piecing together detailed costumes and resea...
Read more

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