Old Time Photographer

On November 8^th, I did an on-location session with SunnyRae at Claude Moore Park. The theme for this shoot was 1920’s photographer, which came about during SunnyRae’s 31 days of closet Halloween costumes during October. I saw the outfit and had to photograph it, complete with the early 1900’s era camera.

For these sessions, I used:

Photography Equipment

Other Equipment

Cannon R6

24-105 mm Lens

Transmitter/Trigger

1 Cannon Speed lights

1 30-inch umbrella

Light stand

Assistant

The setup

The setup was relatively easy. I mounted a Canon speed light on a light stand with an umbrella. My assistant then held the light in the spots during the shoot. Because the camera shown in the pictures was an antique and rather heavy, we only shot in two location, with me relying on angles, expressions, and props to fully use each of the two spots we choose in the park.

Camera Settings

This session was held outdoors in bright morning sun which was perfect for this type of shoot. My goal was mostly to fill in harsh shadows with the flash. I used ISO 100, which is great for sunny conditions. Depending on the type of shot my aperture ranged from F4 for nice bokeh for portrait type looks to F8 and F9 for more editorial and storytelling images. My shutter speed ranged from 1/125s to 1/250s, with the most common being 1/250s which allowed me to balance ambient light with the flash. Finally, my focal length ranged from 24mm to 105mm. This is one time I should of got my lens adaptor out to use my 200mm lens for a long shot across the pond. Sadly, I thought about that after I was on site and shooting.

The Photos

The theme for this shoot was 1920’s photographer, so I developed a mood board based on portraits of famous photographers from the 1920 such as Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Paul Strand. I wanted to capture both the model and the antique camera, so did a mix of portrait and storytelling images as well as a few close ups. To add to the vintage feel, during the editing process I leaned into black & white and cross process images that have a more brown/yellow undertone. I also added some grain to a few of the images to help make them feel less modern.

This first image is one of my favorites from the session, and I think it really captures the mood and vibe we were going for during the shoot.

ISO 100, Aperture F9, Shutter 1/250s, Focal Length 29mm

This next image shows what I mean by close up, which in all honesty isn’t that close but just a tighter shot. It shows the detail of the camera and detail of the lens attachment, while telling a mini story.

ISO 100, Aperture F10, Shutter 1/250s, Focal Length 25mm

While this final image captures the side of early landscape photography, the sitting and taking notes and soaking in the surroundings.

ISO 100, Aperture F10, Shutter 1/250s, Focal Length 30mm

Wrap Up

It is always fun to work with SunnyRae, as she has the best personality and can easily create a story for the character which makes the session much more fluid, leading to more natural posing. I felt this session was very collaborative, allowing both of us to play off each other’s ideas resulting in a ton of frames, even though we only shot in two locations in the park.

Credits:

Model: Sunnyrea (IG: Sunnyrea37)

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