22 PPMAG.COMu “I wanted to tell the story of how I turn to God
when the weight of the world is too much to bear,”
says Brian Castle of his self-portrait “Heavens
Hands of Hope.” The additional arms in the por-
trait belong to his family members and were com-
posited into the final image. “They represent my
earthly family lifting my hands to heaven when
I feel I have no more strength.” Picture Perfect
Photography is based in Kingsport, Tennessee,
and specializes in wedding, newborn, and fine
art portraiture. thepictureperfectphotography.netMERITED
IMAGES FROM THE PPA LOAN COLLECTION
LOAN COLLECTION / ©BRIAN CASTLEHEAVENS
HANDS OF
HOPE
- CAMERA & LENS: Nikon D4S, AF-S
Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens with a B+W
77mm UV Haze MRC filter - EXPOSURE: 1/200 second at f/9, ISO 100
- LIGHTING: A Profoto D1 with a Larson
48x72-inch soft box was the main light
directly above the subject. A Profoto
D1 with a Larson 12x48-inch soft box
was the kicker. A Profoto D1 with a
Larson 12x36-inch strip box with a grid
was placed on the ground to cast light
up onto the backdrop and create the
praying hands vignette. A Larson Super
Silver 48x72-inch reflector was placed
directly under the subject on the floor
for fill light. - POST-CAPTURE: In Adobe Photoshop
CS5, distracting elements, such as
excess wrinkles in the shirt, were re-
moved. Additional arms were extracted
from separate shots and composited
into the image around the main subject.
Dodging and burning was used to create
the shadows for the extracted arms and
to pull the viewer’s eye to the subject’s
face and arms. A grunge texture was
applied to the background for a weath-
ered look. Finally, the image was lightly
painted using gentle strokes to give it a
soft, mystical appearance.