mtalavera

Self Portrait - In the dark

Jul, 2015

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo last year at home in Chicago. I don’t really have a dedicated home studio; When I’m at home, sometimes I just setup my gear on a “remote” area of the house at any given moment and improvise.

Time

I was curious about LED lights at the time, so I bought this one to experiment on a Winter night. I was home alone, with no deadlines or pending projects…. no concept of time. It was all for fun.

Lighting

I was looking for different ways to use this little LED device as the only source of light, observing its effects on (e.g.) facial features, hands and feet at different distances and angles.

Equipment

This self-portrait was shot on a Nikon D5100, with a 50mm f/1.8 (at around f/4), on a tripod… and a little IR remote trigger.

Inspiration

Playing with a new LED at night in a dark room, I was just following the pre-existing mood :) …. exploring how to create a self-portrait by showing just a bit of me in as little light as possible. Soon, the goal shifted to images that could also momentarily resemble aliens from an old SciFy movie.

Editing

This session was all about learning through experimentation… and having fun. So, minimal post-processing was done. I love black-and-white images, so I just did a quick conversion to black-and-white using Silver Efex Pro 2 (I still love that software), increasing the image “structure” just a bit.

In my camera bag

I love my Nikon D610, and it didn’t break the bank. I carry it in one of two light bags prepared for a specific type of shot in mind (I don’t usually carry more than two lenses, with maybe a flash and a monopod). For example: When shooting low-light action sports, I just bring my favorite lens: A Nikon 105mm f/2 DC (beautiful/sharp results, versatile and strong as a tank). I don’t like super tight hockey shots (I prefer to show some game play context), so the 105mm is perfect for me. For almost everything else (landscapes, cityscapes, dog portraits, casual events, etc.), I bring my Nikon 80-200 f/4 AIS and Rokinon 35mm f/1.4, both of them manual focus. They provide incredible images for a tiny budget.

Feedback

I believe experimentation is a big part of learning and enjoying any form of art. Taking time apart just to play, momentarily eliminating deadlines and similar limitations, gives you the opportunity to explore new techniques and grow your skill set. I strongly recommend others to just go “out there” and shoot as many different images as you can… just try something new every week. When I’m not shooting for a specific project, I like to pick just one lens (usually a prime), go to a new place, and try explore what kind of images I can create with it. You may be surprised with the results.

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mtalavera

mtalavera

Self Portrait - In the dark

Behind The Lens

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