Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to photograph in Little 5 Points, here in Atlanta, GA. Earlier this semester, we were introduced to the process of taking open shade portraits, in the same vein as photographer Richard Avedon. I was really impressed with the way that you could emulate studio lighting scenarios, at an outdoor location, using a relatively simple set up. So when a classmate of mine (Sarah Harris) proposed that we try and take some open shade photographs, I jumped at the opportunity.
Sarah and I set out on what seemed like the hottest day of the year so far, with the goal of better understanding the process of capturing quality images using the open shade technique. We decided on L5P as a location, and met up shortly before noon (Hindsight being 20/20, we probably should set/met up earlier). We searched for an area where we would be able to take advantage of the shade of buildings, which meant we needed walls that faced east and west, as to take into account the movement of the sun throughout the day. We would also need somewhere that had a decent amount of foot traffic, as we planned on co-opting passersby into posing for our portraits. There were no calls placed asking for models. We decided on the corner of Euclid Ave. and Colquitt St.
I shot with a Canon 5DmkIII, and a Sigma 85mm 1.4 HSM. We set up a 9′ roll of Savage Super White seamless backdrop paper against a wall, added a 6′ Wescott overhead scrim,and double diffused the harsh GA. summer sun with the diffusion core of my 5 in 1 reflector, placed over where we would direct our models to stand. We then bounced as much soft light as we could gather back in to the faces of the models, with a second 5 in 1 reflector. We were available for portraits for a total of just over 5 hours, and were able to garner great results. Although it was a learning experience, and I can see how I could get better results next time, I really enjoyed the experience and look forward to doing it again.
Complete Gear List:
Canon 5DmkIII, Sigma 85mm 1.4 HSM, Sekonic L-358, Induro 3 way tripod, Wescott 6′ Overhead Scrim, (2) 5 in 1 41″reflectors, 9′ Savage Super White Seamless backdrop paper, (4) 10′ light stands, (4) Sand Bags.
Camera Settings: Varied throughout the day. ISO 100 for all pics.
Special Thanks goes out to Sarah Harris, Chase McEvers, Judith Pishnery. and Erik Rodriguez for helping to make this happen!
omegaruth 