⭕️ Hey, how are you Hive❓
Today, I’m sharing 3 pictures made during the lockdown in France with Alexia (the model). Those shots were all made using 2 lenses for each shot : a macro lens and a 50 mm lens. This technique is called :
lens swapping and was inspired by 
Those pictures are a way to ask the most simple question : " why❓" :
I’m not only talking about the smoking problem, we all (or almost, some of us are perfect, I guess 😅) do stupid things that we already know aren’t good for us :
fast driving, alcohol, drugs, take risks during an urbeX shooting…
▪️So why do we keep on doing those things that are often shortening our lives❓
Of course, this is a rhetorical question but feel free to answer… If you can, want 😉❗️
#macro #whitebackground #lensswap #LP
As always, those 3 shots were made in 1 single exposure in complete darkness. Explanations below the pictures ⬇️
🔦🎨 LP is MAGiK 🤪
⭕️ Steps through these LPs (studio) shots :
▪️First, I took all the cigarettes I could find. I placed those all together in a small glass jar that I installed in my snoot (because the glass jar feats perfectly well inside and gives me the possibility to light it from under with my 1st flash_3rd picture) & put my camera & a macro lens on the first tripod right above the cigarettes.
▪️Then, I placed my big soft box (with my 2nd photo flash inside & the 2nd tripod) close from the bucket, right behind Alexia with a seat so she could stay still while I start the shot with the cigarettes.
▪️So… Starting by trying different ways to light the 🚬 to find the best lighting set up ("light" here doesn’t mean light up the cigarettes but means use light to illuminate the cigarettes so they can be seen in the final picture, I apologize if I’m not very explicit, english isn’t my first language). Once I found my lighting set up for the 🚬, meaning : which lamps, which angle and which time… I could start the "real" shots.
▪️The 1st shot was done using a black skull stencil ☠️ that I sticked to the softbox. For lens swapping pictures including macro, I always start with the macro because the focus is very thin in macro shots and too difficult to set perfectly during the shot.
So :
▪️light up the 🚬 from above for a few seconds with a white scripter (LP tool composed of one led, white or colored). The scripter isn’t very powerful but I start these shots with macro so a scripter is powerful enough.
➕
For the third picture only : I added a red gel on my flash to light the 🚬 from under.
▪️Once the cigarettes illuminated, I cover up my lens with the lens cap, take the camera off the first tripod, swap lenses (macro to 50 mm lens), install the camera on the 2nd tripod in front of Alexia & the softbox :
▪️ change the focus manually
▪️ change the aperture manually
▪️ Ask the model if she’s ready
▪️ uncovering the lens
▪️ go behind the softbox to trigger the 2nd flash
▪️ End the picture (noise reduction ON = waiiit)
You did it, this is the end of the shots explanations 😅, I hope it wasn’t too hard, I’m ending this post with 2 quotes I love. For my english speaking friends, the first one only works in French :
🧠 "Je vis la nuit parce-qu’on va tous mourir un jour"
Maes
🧠 "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"
Oscar Wilde
⚠️ I apologize if the explanation is too long and not easy to understand, again, english isn’t my first language.
▪️As you can see, the lockdown gave me a lot of spare time to think 😅, thank you for your time, if you have any questions, feel free to write them in the comments. I’d also love to know which one is your favorite.
✨ LiGHTPAINTING is MAGiK ✨
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