38/366 Playing with Light - Photo Meditation Series

prmelat has added a photo to the pool:

2.7.12

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Hey Flickr,

So...I'm proud of this shot. I don't always say that about my work, but this shot I feel I demonstrated proficiency in both the technical aspects of photography with studio lighting and Photoshop skills. This is a submission for the state level of the SkillsUSA contest. I've already moved through the District and Regional competitions (www.skillsusa.org/index.shtml) If I win at states in April, then I'll go to the National Competition in Kansas City in June. Needless to say...I'm excited, nervous and humbled by this whole experience.

The requirements were to:
-create a photo demonstrating proficiency in photography off of the prompt "Playing with Light"
-It must be a 3 image composite.
-It must include text.
-It must be completed in 3 hours.

So that's what I've been working on over these past couple days. We split the 3 hours into two 90 minutes sessions. I felt that one of my strongest photos of this project that best fit the requirements was Day 28.(www.flickr.com/photos/perrymelat/6779166377/) So I decided to build off that concept, with speedlights...

I budgeted the first 90 minute session to just shooting. I used a similar light set up as before by booming a beauty dish over my camera and overexposing about a stop. My addition was a single AlienBee with a 9 inch reflector behind my head for rim light. Thanks to my photo teacher Mr. Smith for clicking the shutter. :) I then shot two speedlights with double diffused softboxes set to equal power on either side. It turned out well straight from the camera, so I knew I had the freedom to go a little crazy in editing. :)

The next 90 minute session was dedicated completely to post-processing and believe me a I used every minute of it. I wasn't sure going in that I was going to actually blend in the speedlights with my hands. I was just going to have them floating, but I figured why not at least try. I'm satisfied with how it turned out, considering my time frame. I made the background from scratch and 'turned on' the Flashes at the last second using the "Lighting Effects" filter in PS.

More importantly though....what do YOU think?


Camera info:
Canon T1i, Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L, f/11, 1/200s, ISO 100

Strobist Info:
-AlienBee B800 shot through a white socked beauty dish directly above the camera and in front of subject. 5 feet high and 3 feet away from subject. 1/4 Power
-AiienBee B800 shot with a 9 inch reflector directly behind subject for rim. 1/2 Power
-Flash trigged with Cactus V5 triggers

Comments? Crit?