The Journey 2

It was 2am.

My roommate was asked to submit some portraits for the entering of a model company.But he don't have any eligible portrait at that moment.So he found me to take some shots for him.

I never shoot portraits for really a long time already.I was very excited also.But the problem was there's no any professional equipments with me.No backgrounds,no lights,no interchangable-lens camera.The only things I have was a 35mm fix-lens rangefinder,a very tiny flash,and a reflector.

Because of the short focus length of my camera's lens,I decided to shoot some kind of close-up.

Before we started,I went out alone and walked around our neighbourhood to find somewhere as a background.I found 3 places which is quite well.Then I asked my roommate to carry my equipments and come out.

I brought him to the wall I've found,and shot normally.

 Then I realized there's 2 different colors of light.So I tried to do something to make the effect of contrast more strong.I used my tiny flash to light up the wall and the left side of my roommate.Because of the big difference between the color temperature of the flash light and the ambient lights,the effect of contrast was very plain to see.I turned down my color temperature setting in my camera,and got this green-blue portrait.

Then I tried to use the wall as the background and do a low key portrait.
I shot from a very low angle to make the model looks great.It's a very usual way,especially for males.

After some shots at the same location,I wanted to brought my roommate to another place,but on the way to there,I stopped in front of a plant.Why not try to break the rules?Why not take a photo with a foreground instead of a background?

After this shot,my roommate found a floodlight in the parterre.The light is strong,and concentrated.So we decided to use it instead of my flash.

I used the flash to shoot at the back of my roommate,so that there would have a gold outline.I opened up my reflector,and used it to light up the face of my roommate.

As my roommate moved a little bit,I saw a little "moon" in the frame.So I tried to break the rule again.Usually we don't let the hard light shoot directly into the lens,because it'll make some reflections,and disrupt the picture.But sometimes reflection can be something interesting!

Then we reached my favourite background I've found.I really like it,because it's what we called "break the rule"!Why background must be a wall or something standing?A ground can be a background also!

I asked my roommate to laid on the floor,and made the floor looks like a wooden wall.I let him to wear a hoodie like a musicianan,and use the ambient light beside to light up his face.Finally I got this lovely shot.

After this,we finished all the shots in my plan.But as we reached our house,I got a new idea,which is using the window to do reflections.

That's what we get after spending the whole night.

The only pity is we don't get any full-length portrait.I found a place to shoot it,but because of the flash,I can't light up the whole body.This is the place I've found.

Let's finish this next time.

The Journey 1

It was a rainy day.I waked up before the sun raise.

After washing and brushing,I decided to go out for a walk.

As I am a photographer,I always bring my camera along.It's a rangefinder camera with a fixed lens.I like it because it's compact and convenient.Fixed lens means that I don't have to think too much.But to get amazing pictures,I must think more about how to break the rule given by the fixed visual angle.It's a mind training.

When I was waiting for the lift,I took a look outside,a train passed away.Then I raised my camera up,and tried to record the train.So I wait for about 5 mins,and got this picture.

And then I looked at the lights,and tried to shoot by defocus,I got this.

I decided to go out from the back gate,because there is a very small garden,and I haven't been there before.There were some different kind of flowers,after the the rainy night,the flowers were wet and some even dropped on the ground.
I tried a few shot with my small flash light.

Then I tried to use the lights on the street as a background.

But the light was not stronge enough.
So I picked up a little flower,and hold it in front of the camera.and got a fancy shot.

As I looked at the poor flowers lying on the ground,how sad it was that one day before they're the most beautiful things standing on the top of the tree and now they are just bodies waiting for the withering.So I decided to take a shot for it.

I tried a few shot to show the colorful lights far away,and the dying flower in front.What a sad contrast.

I kept walking and enjoyed the loneness until I reached a park with a lake.That's a place which is quite close to my house but I didn't know it before.I sat down at the lakeside and looked at the mirrored surface.That's what we called peace!
I quickly raised up my camera and took a shot before the peace getting breaked by the dawn.

After the sun raised,I walked back.When I passed the garden at the back gate,I saw a special flower which I couldn't take a fine shot by my flash light.I realized that different situations have different kind of beauty.