Birdfeeder on a rainy, overcast day, waiting for the birds to arrive
4.7 feet from camera; F5.6; 1/16 ND Filter; ISO 1000; 6800K color temp; Focal distance 70mm; 1/48 shutter speed
Post-production filters used: Tiffen Dfx v4 HFX Diffusion: Center Spot 1; Diffusion - Wood bark 2 - Blend: Add
I appreciate overcast and rainy days for what it can do for the camera and subjects. I chose this shot because the trees in the background are so far away, yet the focal length that I chose compresses them to make them appear almost directly behind the birdfeeder. I wanted to give this a very ominous, almost horror film feel. I chose the center spot filter to focus the eye more on the birdfeeder, and the diffusion filter to manipulate the background, as if some other entity is floating around the empty birdfeeder.
Grapevines after a rain
6.2 feet from camera; F4.5; 1/4 ND Filter; ISO1000; 6800K color temp; Focal distance 200mm; 1/48 shutter speed
Post-production filters used: Tiffen Dfx v4 HFX Diffusion: Satin - Black Satin 1 - Blend: Add
Again, for this shot, I wanted to utilize the rain that had been falling all morning. I love the raindrops that got caught on the grapevines and the color pallet of the aging wood against the dormant grape vines. I chose the black satin filter to brighten the colors and make it look as though we’re watching the rain fall through a foggy window. It also adds to the shot making it feel as though the depth of field focus is about to change at any moment.
Crystal skull on a dusty glass table with yellow flowers
5.6 feet from camera; F8.0; No ND Filter; ISO1000; 2800K color temp; Focal distance 200mm; 1/48 shutter speed; Key light: 500w Soft Box
Post-production filters used: Tiffen Dfx v4 HFX Diffusion: Soft/FX - Warm Soft 6 - Blur 10; Pearlescent 3 - Blend: Add
When I shot the original photo, I knew that I wanted to brighten the yellow in the flowers and make the skull glow, as if it’s too bright for us to handle. I worked with the soft filter first, to soften the image and give it a warmer glow. I then added the pearlescent filter to give the skull and flowers the bright glow I was looking for.
Self-portrait
9.8 feet from camera; F4.5; No ND Filter; ISO1000; 2800K color temp; Focal distance 100mm; 1/48 shutter speed; Key Light: 500w Soft Box; Fill Light: Sunlight from an open window
Post-production filters used: Tiffen Dfx v4 HFX Diffusion: HDTV/FX5
I took several self-portraits, most of which had me grinning, but not too broadly. I like this one because it shows my personality and reminds me how much fun I have when I’m behind the camera. I wanted more dramatic lighting, so I kept the lighting sparse with one key light and a fill of filtered sunlight (from the overcast sky) coming through my basement window. I wanted to soften the piece, but also give it more of a comedic effect, which is why I went with the HDTV/FX 5 filter. It softened the image and added a brightness to it as well, giving it an almost fake, or make-believe, feel. As if to say, “my creations come from my mind, what you see may not be real.”
