kagebaker

Alice in vaucluse

A rabbit hole by any other day

A rabbit hole by any other day
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SM-N9005

Aug, 2015

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Awards

Top Shot Award 22

Contest Finalist in A Blast From The Past Photo Contest

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Peer Award

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Absolute Masterpiece

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Superb Composition

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Top Choice

+23

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Superior Skill

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this Photo at work, Vaucluse in an historic House Sydney. This girl came dressed in this costume to the house on this day, so as a tour guide, I could take her past the bollards and into the drawing room to use the piano as a prop for that lovely dress. In fact there were quite a few visitors in that day and I was finding it really difficult to get a good shot of her front on, she was really nervous.Taking her away to the drawing room was a good idea as this shot came about by chance,I had no idea the back of her dress was so lovely nor that it would bounce off the room the way it did. I took this shot from behind so she could just relax, then I wanted to block out the rest of the room so i stood way above her on a chair. it's the only shot I took of her that worked.Vaucluse House, vaucluse Sydney Australia

Time

It was just around midday. The interior of the house is poorly lit, having her back to me meant she was being hit by the light coming thru the window behind us both. dramatically soft, just enough to bring out the whites in her lace work and the keys on the Piano.

Lighting

The lighting in this house in its time was whale oil lamps, today converted into very dim electric chandelier light it doesn't throw much light on the room at all. The lighting in this image is rather natural and coming from the 8 foot tall glass bay windows behind us.Diffused further with screens and a wrap around awning on the verandah. I only had this angle to shoot from so I positioned myself above her as to not cast a shadow over her, and to allow the light to fall over her like a halo,just on her and what she is doing.

Equipment

Canon EOS6D with 24-105mf4 kit lense. handheld no tripod uploaded via my phone to Lightroom application and then directly to viewbug from editing.

Inspiration

the fact that she was in period costume and looked so wonderful, albeit the wrong date(I think her gown is more Alice in Wonderland than 19th Century colonial Victorian australia, however I have learnt not to let these situations disappear back into their ethas in this house. Reality rarely takes a detour such as this, So I asked her immediately to sign a waver and asked if I could have her picture Then asked my boss for an early lunch. Her physical shyness and inability to relax was what inspired the pose as I had taken rather a lot of very awkward stiff and unusable shots of her. So to relax us both really I got her to sit at the piano and focus on the room ahead of her, so she could forget my lense, posing herself and the look of strain that must have been showing on my face, taking her to restricted areas on an unscheduled lunch break interrupting other guest tours to take photos of this fabulous girl that so far were dismal on a hot summers day was intense. The dress was intense the moment was intense and I stood above her I remember holding my breath to help stop my shaking tried to get myself stable for just a second and shot. Was the final shot and only one that worked and I've never managed to find her to show her this particular image. This is one of the first images I had taken with my camera and every time I used it on people then I would be shaking visibly, my heart would go into my ears and I would literally fall down my own rabbit hole of insecure wonderland. I tend to remember my shoots and individual shots even if I shoot an entire 32gig card these days however. Back when I took this, I didn't have a relaxed bone in my body, I was more uptight than her corset ties and I wouldn't usually even know I was sitting on a gem until it was uploaded to my computer.

Editing

I know the only thing I did in Lightroom was to take the highlights out of the room, so the carpet and walls became subdued and just she came into focus. So the only thing I did was dim the priority highlight tones right down, I didn't want the texture or colours in the belgium weave carpet, or the ornateness of the piano or anything else in the room to compete with her in anyway. The angle I took myself up to changed the perspective of everything and all of a sudden she didn't seem like this attraction, rather she melted into the room and blended in beautifully. both with her dress her hat her shoes and the moment! everything was already in the shot inside the camera.

In my camera bag

These days I'm sporting a variety of lenses and have been thru a few rentals too but when I shot this I had the kit lense only and would carry my camera in a simple small bag with its hoody and a SLIM UV filter attached. Today when I shoot I usually have a fair idea before hand what I'm wanting to achieve so I pack accordingly. Having said that, I mostly always keep my kit lense mounted to the body as it is weatherproof and insured to a point. But I carry my wideangle 12-24m f4.5 rectangular for full frame sensor with me if I'm outdoors shooting landscapes or light painting always using a tripod. If I'm shooting cityscapes or doing night scenes with performers, bands etc I Always pack my 85m prime f1.8 and 50m f1.4 lenses. However I'm still very much in learning mode and the other night I packed all 4 lenses to a music concert to test out what the differences would be, in a venue that's familiar with a band I've shot there before. so generally what's in my bag, a whole bunch of ideas and a whole bunch of patience with some determination and a bit of just see how she goes.Other than that I carry spare SD Cards 3 fully charged batteries, a phone charger as I often upload directly from camera to phone, and cleaning clothes a puffer cleaning lense pens and a raincoat for my camera.That I never leave home without, or a small towel either. I lost the leg off my tripod whilst trying to pull it out of the coy pond I had just submerged it into. Was an intensely fraught struggle but I did in the end manage to superglue that leg back into a sort of place and keep from drowning my baby!. I have also managed to self release my kit lense from my camera mounted to its tripod upon a roof top 5 stories high in sydney. The lense fell 3-5mtrs each time between crevices as it made its way downward.All I heard was smashing thuds and the sound of deep regret. The only breakage was the EXPENSIVE GLASS UV FILTER I kept on it for protection and the hood cracking. oh I also keep No fear in my bag, you can not play with toys this expensive and be worried about damaging it.If your to scared to break it then you cant afford to take it!

Feedback

I would have advice for myself today for how I shot back then, It would be to try to calm down and trust your instincts, training and passion. To take risks and try for that shot that's in your head, don't let the situation intimidate you or stop you from wanting to go and try it that way. Don't let yourself get into that headspace where you think your not worthy of trying because you're only learning or that just being an amature disintitles you from having a go.I did that for so long, it took me so long to get the confidence I now have again behind the lense, and I just needed to give myself a break and let go and honour the reasons why I was even tinkering again with a camera."because I love it that's all and that's more than worthy enough" so shoot away unto your hearts content at what ever you want to try.

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kagebaker

kagebaker

Alice in vaucluse

A rabbit hole by any other day

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow kagebaker

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