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Leaving Closed doors behind

I took this in my grandmother's old house. It is empty now, but it is a special place for me.
The dress in the image is also very special because it was ...
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I took this in my grandmother's old house. It is empty now, but it is a special place for me.
The dress in the image is also very special because it was hand painted by a good friend of mine.
Also, the girl in the image is my little sister, who is always willing to do all the crazy things I ask her to ;)

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Canon EOS 7D

settings

Aperture f/5.6 ISO 1000 Shutter 1/160

upload_date

Jan, 2015

Views

1939

Likes

+162

Awards

Featured

Contest Finalist in Levitation Photo Contest

Peer Award

+80

Outstanding Creativity

+33

Absolute Masterpiece

+12

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Genius

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

Love it

Emotions

Impressed

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo in Arequipa, Peru. I had wanted to photograph this room for years. This is my grandmother's old dinning room. This house was such a wonderful place growing up, but once she passed it was left vacant. The room had been empty for a about 4 yeas when this image was taken. It has the same curtains, paint, and doors it has had for years... I just wanted to capture some of the joy I felt in this house as a child.

Time

We started shooting at about 11 am. I avoided direct light and just used what came indirectly though the window. When I do my surreal images I avoid artificial light, I believe natural light creates a more believable image.

Lighting

I knew this room very well, the windows are huge and cover the entire left wall, so I was very aware that, though indirectly, the light would be beautiful and plenty.

Equipment

I used a tripod and my trusted Canon 7D with a 28-135 mm lens. Also, I used a chair to lift her from the floor and create the levitation effect. A friend (who was crouching to her left threw the dress up for the effect)

Inspiration

My grandmother. She was wonderful. I remember her very little though because she suffered from Alzheimer. I was very little when she started presenting symptoms, so I remember being afraid of her a lot. I also remember that, when she was lucid, she was the sweetest, most loving grandma one could ever wish for. I wanted to capture what she would look like without the disease, without the fear and disorientation... I wanted to show the joy of her spirit and her love for us and her home.

Editing

Yes! This is the first time I allowed myself to just go with whatever my gut told me. I played in Photoshop for hours and created over 30 layers before I knew where I was going with this image. I experimented quite a bit and fell in love with this style of photography... before this image, everything I did in photography was pretty standard portrait work. A couple of things I should mention, I added the trees on the walls (my grandma loved her garden) and the dress was created through multiple layers. I actually never use an actual dress, this is just 7 yards of white fabric wrapped around my sister, and painted on location by an artist friend of mine.

In my camera bag

I carry two camera bodies: Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 7D. I also have a 50 mm prime, 70-200 mm, 24-70 mm, and a 10-22 mm. I always have a grey card, a tripod, a light meter, and a reflector with me.

Feedback

The most important thing for surreal and levitation photography is to have a plan. One has to know in advance the effect you wish accomplish so you can get the necessary shots. It is like a puzzle that can't be put together without all the pieces. Take some time before the shoot to make a list of the images you will need and set up your shoot according to that list. Also, know your equipment. One has to have the ability to adapt to the lighting situations. Pay attention to your white balance, ISO, shutter speed and aperture settings . If you are trying to shoot in automatic settings the image quality, color, and feel of the images won't be consistent. This makes it extremely difficult to create a composite that is believable and looks natural.

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Leaving Closed doors behind

I took this in my grandmother's old house. It is empty now, but it is a special place for me. The dress in the image is also very special because it was ... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow CasaBay_Photo

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I took this in my grandmother's old house. It is empty now, but it is a special place for me.
The dress in the image is also very special because it was ...
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.