Just a few steps from where I photographed another a lady sat a man who looked like he had been time warped from the late 19th century. For some reason he reminded me of Doctor Watson of Sherlock Holmes fame.
I wanted my Doctor Watson to appear very dignified. I felt that the background should be slightly underexposed in order to bring him to the forefront of the photograph. I also thought that I should direct the viewers’ eyes to his face (eyes, nose, lips and beard), so I selected an aperture of f/4.8 to limit the overall depth of field primarily to those areas of the photograph.
Enjoy.
Camera settings: Nikon D3, Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 at 60mm, shot at ISO 200, f/8 and 1/30th of a second with flash set at rear sync.
Flash: Nikon SB-800 mounted on monopod with softbox attached, triggered by AlienBee CyberSync radio triggers, in manual mode at 1/16th power positioned to the camera’s right and slightly above his eyes.
Post Processing:
Lightroom—Set white and black points, added mid-tone contrast and added a slight vignette in printing.
Photoshop—cloned-out various small, distracting elements, used nik Color Efex Pro tonal contrast filter to add shadow, mid-tone and highlight contrast to her clothing.
I see why you dubbed him Dr. Watson. You have great light on his face and enough details in his clothing and surroundings to make the portrait look like it came from the late 18th century. I also like the fact that he is not looking straight into the camera. It makes it seem like you caught him contemplating something.
ReplyDeleteAnne
Fantastic, one of my favorites of yours from Dickens. Not only is his clothing perfect, but the dark background is so reminiscent of a foggy London scene.
ReplyDeleteOutstanding. You achieved your own Dr. Watson. Everything goes together.
ReplyDeleteThe Professor
While this guy has many striking features to photograph (ie. beard, eyes, hat, etc.), the item that stands out for me is the light on his face. He has otherwise blotchy skin and the light softens all that. Good job and a wonderful portrait to see in person. Thanks again for your Body of Work with this portrait includes at our Bay Area Photography Club meeting.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed seeing your Festival body of work at the photo club Patrick! It would have been impossible for me to pick just one favorite but this was definitely one of my favs!
ReplyDeleteWell done!
Barry