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Meridian Hill Park

On September 13th, I attended the Costume & Camera event at Meridian Hill Park in downtown DC. I have always wanted to shoot at Meridian Hill, as it has a lovely stepped waterfall and just looks nice.  However, the day was super hot and humid, and it didn’t help that I was having an IBS flare.  I almost canceled but toughed it out, which was good because the photographer-to-cosplayer ratio was way off, more cosplayers than photographers. Another nice thing was getting to see one of my favorite people to work with after their two-year hiatus.

For this event I used:

  • Canon R6
  • 24 - 105mm lens
  • Cannon speed light
  • Platypod Handel
  • Assistant

Camera Settings:

This shoot started at 2:00PM in the afternoon in downtown DC.  I ended up about 15 minutes late because I had to find parking and a bathroom, both hard things to find sometimes. It was super sunny with a few clouds, even though the forecast called for rain, which added to the humidity. The park also had a ton of people walking around it, which is fairly normal but added a challenge.

For this shoot, I used ISO 100.  My aperture ranged from F4.0 to F14, with the most common aperture being F8.  My shutter speed ranged from 1/30s to 1/250s, with 1/250s being the most common.  My focal lengths ranged from 24mm to 105mm, with 24 mm being the most common. I have such a range of settings because I was either working in direct sunlight or dappled shade; thus, I was going back and forth between settings.

The Photos:

One of my favorite photos from this event is of the lovely Laci in a 1790s historical dress. I like the symmetry of the photo. I also feel like it has a nice historical feel because it reminds me of fountains in historical gardens in Europe.  For this image, I did the basic adjustments: white balance, contrast, clarity, and luminance. I then added an orange (highlights) / teal (shadows) color grade to balance the colors and add a bit more of a vintage feel. I also used Adobe AI to remove all the people who were walking along the path next to the fountain. 

ISO 100, Aperture F8, Shutter 1/200, Focal Length 43mm

This second photo is of Integrityoftheimpossible as Penelope from Bridgerton.  I like this one because of the play between the shadow and light. I think it really plays to the character, with part of her life in the shadow or secret and wanting to be in the light.  It also portrays the character's inner confidence.  I used a speed light to light the model for the image.  In post, I made basic adjustments and used medium contrast.  I enhanced the vibrancy of the colors and added a very heavy vignette to the image.  I also used masks to darken the right-hand corner and add light to the model's profile.  I also removed the people from the background.

ISO 100, Aperture F8, Shutter 1/200, Focal Length 24mm

I work with Gloria of Inthelongrundesigns a lot, so she was great when I told her I was speed-shooting because the heat was getting to me.  Usually during events, I try to spend more than 5 minutes with a person and go to a few different locations to get a variety of images.  However, at this point in the shoot, the heat was really getting to me, so I was staying in one shady spot.  Even though I was shooting fast, I still felt I captured a strong, regal, yet elegant shot that matched the Regency Wonder Woman cosplay. To get this image, I zoomed the flash to mostly light the model’s face. I was going for a beam-of-light look, but that is really hard to get in sunny conditions.  In post-processing, I did the basic adjustments.  Used the color mixer to slightly tone down the green, which was affecting the whites. Then I applied an orange (highlights)/blue (shadows) color grade to give it a little pop. I also applied a heavy vignette to shift focus to the model.

 ISO 100, Aperture F5, Shutter 1/250, Focal Length 24mm
Wrap Up:

I don’t feel like I was at my best during this shoot because I was dealing with an IBS flare; thus, the sun and heat were affecting me more than usual.  I really should have canceled, but I pushed through, making it about three-quarters of the way through before I had to tap out.  I just got too hot.  I am happy I went because I got to see someone I haven’t seen in a while and shoot in a location I have been wanting to shoot at. However, I’m not happy with my performance.  I think several of these images could have been better, but I had a hard time getting into the groove.   I may get to try again if I attend the DC Portrait Meet event near the end of October.

You can see all the images from the meet-up here: Meridian Hill Park
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