Here is something we can learn from robinkphotography about the techniques and story behind this awarded photo and his photography style.
"In 2013 I decided to change my life – I packed a backpack and started to travel the world. I purchased my first digital camera and started to publish images about the beautiful experiences I had on my travels around South East Asia, Australia, and South America."
Where did you take this photo?
This photo was taken in the center of Germany on a relatively unknown flower field near Magdeburg. I love exploring new areas and just driving around with my car. Luckily we came across this beautiful tulip field. This must be my favorite travel image of 2018. I remember I brought a tripod to the fields because I knew we would be shooting around sunset time. When I took that image I didn't need to use a tripod though because a handheld provided me with a better angle. I guess it must have been around half an hour before sunset. The lighting couldn't have been any better, really. Usually, photographers want this red burning sky, dramatic clouds, or the last light of the day but I was happy with what we had. A low-hanging thin cloud blocked the sunlight just enough to let it cast this warm light on the white dress which made the whole scene look dreamier.
What equipment did you use?
This was shot with a Sony A7R and a Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 16-35mm F4.0 lens without any filters.
What inspired you to take this photo?
A few days before I went out to explore these fields together with my girlfriend I have seen a couple of images on Facebook of people who has been to that field. My girlfriend is a big fan of flowers and colors and the place was just about an hour and a half away from my hometown. So yeah, things were pretty clear.
Did you do any post-processing?
I did quite a bit of post-processing here. Firstly I had to remove the wind turbines in the horizon because they were simply too distracting. Then I had to adjust the white balance according to the time of the day we were shooting at and dodge and burn a few areas to make my girlfriend with the white dress stand out a bit more. I also added a glamour glow filter to enhance the dreamy look of the shot.
What equipment do you normally have in your bag?
I usually carry my main body (Sony A7r), a wide-angle zoom (Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 16-35 F4), a tele-zoom (Tamron 70-200mm F2.8), and a lens for astrophotography (Laowa 15mm F2). To give my images the perfect look I usually carry filters from Haida with me (ND's, CPL) and of course a sturdy tripod from Benro.
Any advice for others trying to capture something similar?
Well, you've gotta do your research and obviously, you have to try it next year. Be there shortly before the heads of the tulips get cut off and wait until you have good light in the evening or in the morning. Also, I would suggest you to encourage your girlfriend/model to bring a white dress - it just makes all the difference.
Get inspired and see more photos by robinkphotography.
