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William_Doyle
June 08, 2015
Can't help it, I just want to squish him. Not too hard though, he is too small. LoL
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This is my niece. I was visiting my sister and her new kittens, when I noticed my niece holding this one. I always have my camera with me so I can capture these rare moments when the subject is unaware of the fact the camera is pointed at them. In my opinion, candid shots always make better images. The blue eyes of this kitten are what draw the eye before they drift over to the sweet smile on my niece's face.Time
This image was taken in the early evening, which lent beautifully to the amazing backlighting and the beautiful bokeh. You just can't manufacture that stuff! This is one of my favorite images.Lighting
Natural lighting, especially backlighting is always my preferred method. But sometimes that's not enough so I like to use either a silver or gold reflector to add drama to a particular image. But once I start dragging out all the extra stuff, I lose the mystery and my subjects are no longer candid. So I like to rely on the light at hand.Equipment
I used a canon 5D Mark III with my 85mm 1.2 lens. My favorite lens for these kinds of shots. I rarely use a tripod and the lighting is just the natural sunlight.Inspiration
My niece is a beautiful woman with great lines and a gorgeous smile, but very difficult to photograph when she's aware of the camera because her forced smile is so obvious, so when I saw her lost in her own world, gently talking to the kitten, I jumped at the chance to catch her unawares.Editing
I absolutely post-process all my images. I have an ever-growing arsenal that I use with photoshop to add depth, drama, highlights etc. to my images.In my camera bag
I carry my canon 5D mark III, my 85mm 1.2, a canon 24-105 which is great for large groups or landscapes and a canon 100mm macro for those rare moments when I might come across an itty-bitty subject. My daughter lives in Utah, where the snowflakes are absolutely gorgeous, but challenging to capture, even with the macro. But it's also a great lens to capture the tiny features of a sleeping baby. ;-) I also carry a speed light and dome light defuser, plenty of cards and an extra camera battery and charger. And I never leave the house without a lens cloth!Feedback
Never leave the house without your camera! Always expect the unexpected and always look for opportunities to shoot. Practice, practice, practice! The more familiar one is with their camera and equipment, the better one's images will be! Manufactured, or posed images can be beautiful, but I prefer to shoot when my subject is unaware of the presence of my camera.