Deep in the Wild

Out in the hot summer months in southern Appalachia when the canopy is so thick the forest floor barely sees the sun you find perfect pockets in the dense foliage to craft a portrait, today was one such day, and the area was superb. Fallen log over an old trail, the canopy bruised form the pounding sun, and unforgiving heat, there was a lovely moment to craft a fine image. Lifting the subject out of the background and leaving nothing but intrigue behind. Such opportunities are fleeting, so take care to watch for them as they come and go, somewhere deep in the wild.

The joys of winding around forest trails with a full lighting rig, and heavy cameras cannot be overstated. Sarcasm intended, had this been far off the beaten path I may of said no to the entire idea. This was a simple self portrait, out near enough my backyard I didn’t mind the extra work it required to get back here. Trimming, and clearing the old hiking path with some hand tools in the near 90 degree weather. Setting up the light stand was another challenge, my smaller, lighter stands simply too short to accommodate my needs I had to get one of my studio stands out.

The edit here is more than you may imagine. Layers upon layers were thrown in. Creating subtle highlights, dodging and burning the background, prompting shadows. Then the color corrections used to create further illusions and contrast in the scene that one may not see at first. Then of course I had to lift some shadows bellow the brim itself, blend the color temperature between myself and the background, my light shoots a bit cooler than perhaps I would like. Finally the eyes, you have to bring the light of your subjects eyes up, it captures the viewers attention, even if for a moment.

Until Next Time!

Aperture: f2.8
ISO: 400
SS: 1/60th
Focal: 50mm

Fujinon 50-140mm