This was the time session K_ and I have worked together this year; as the first worked by the ocean,
I thought we'd spend the second working in a river; by August, Nova
Scotian rivers tend to be quite warm, and more than a pleasure for
models to pose model in.
Digital original with a mean shutter blend
|
It
was only when we'd parked, and walked into the location that I realized
I'd left all my neutral density filters at home (with 9 filters in
sizes from 72mm to 145mm, I have a separate bag for them)...and my plan
had been to use neutral density filters to provide me with slower
shutter speeds to blur the water around K_'s figure.
It
is said that discovery comes from adversity, and in this case, that is
certainly true. Though I had never used the technique, I knew it was
possible to combined multiple images into a mean blended image, which
should in theory provide "blurred" water if there were enough source
images. With this in the back of my head, K_ and I began making images.
Digital original with a mean shutter blend
|
For
each composition that worked, I tried to create at least 8 exposures of
K_ in the water; these typically had shutter speeds in the 1/4 to 1/2
second range, which meant they had only a moderate amount of motion
blur. When combined into a mean blended image in post production
however, they emerged as a wonderfully smooth image displaying as much
if not more water blur than I usually work with.
Though
I had no idea the approach would work at the time, my faith in the
abstract concept paid off - K_ and I made a number of really striking
water Nudes, each of which is made stronger when combined with the mean
shutter blend. I suspect I would have been happier working with my more
traditional approach of "real" long shutter speeds accomplished through
Neutral Density filters, but in the end, the final result is all that
matters, and I am more than happy!
Digital infrared original with a two-frame stitch
|
Towards
the end of the session, K_ and I walked to the head of the river, and
did a few images on the side of the lake that fed it; there was a
fabulous tree that rose into a deep blue that was was just perfect for
infrared. After K_ found a pose on a smooth rounded rock below it, I
made a series of images with the 17mm TS-E lens that gave full
expression to the massive tree rising above K_.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to make a comment, or ask questions!