Sometimes I feel like if you just watch things, just sit still and let the world exist in front of you – sometimes I swear that just for a second time freezes and the world pauses in its tilt. Just for a second. And if you somehow found a way to live in that second, then you would live forever.
~ Lauren Oliver, Pandemonium
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The Studio
I thought you might be interested in the way I have things set up to take my daily photos. Luckily, I happen to live in a house that has the perfect photographer’s lounge room – white walls and big windows with soft blinds.
{click on the photo for a larger image}
I shoot in horizontal mode because I crop to a square. In the uncropped, unfinished version below, you can see the table and lamp behind me.
My camera is on a tripod, the lens positioned slightly higher than eye level. The camera is connected via a HDMI cable to the TV so I can see a live feed of each photo as I take it without having to run behind the camera to look at the LCD screen.
Because of the large amount of white in the room, I put my camera in manual mode. If I leave it on automatic, the camera sees too much light and compensates by underexposing the subject (me). I use a RC-6 remote control on a 2 second delay to take my shots.
I was using some fill flash for a while but I worked out it gave me tiny boring catch-lights (the white reflections) in my eyes and dark shadows under my chin and on my neck. I’ve since gone back to natural light only. You can see my camera settings at the bottom of every post.
Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.
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Technical Information
Camera model: Canon EOS 7D
F/stop: f/3.2
Exposure time: 1/15 sec
ISO speed: ISO-400
Focal length: 50mm
Post processing: Photoshop Elements
Filters: Adjust saturation | Diffuse Glow | Adjust levels
Overlay : French Kiss Collection Textures Capricieux
Blending Mode: Hard Light 33%
Texturizer: Sandstone