the shot
i chose a studio setting for my nefertiti idea as i wanted complete control over
the lighting and a plain backdrop that would not distract the viewer’s attention
from the model. The ancient egyptian way of drawing or sculpting people was
to show the most interesting part of the body, with the head in profile and the
thorax seen from the front, and this is mirrored in the pose i was most pleased
with. i used several small light sources to give the image a three-dimensional look
and to lift Kala out from the background, giving depth to the picture.244 PhoTograPhers’ gallery
Lighting the background
To make the gray background appear more
vivid, i shined one of the lights through a cut-out
screen. i could have created the effect in
Photoshop, but i prefer to create as much of
the finished image as possible in the shoot.NefertitiFor This shoT
Camera: Canon 5d; 80mm lens
Aperture: f/11
Shutter speed: 1/15th of a second
Sensor/film speed: iso 100
Lighting: seven Broncolor flash heads
and two dedolight video lightsChecking the details
i zoomed in to check the
sharpness of the image and
to make sure that she had
the right expression in her
eyes. i knew now that Kala
and i had found the ultimate
pose from the shoot.
Positioning the lights
i positioned two lights to Kala’s left,
and angled one on her hair and the
other to highlight her neck,
separating her from the background.