‘Self-Portrait in a Mirror’

5D Mark IV – EF 24mm F/3.5 L – 1/200, f/6.3, ISO 100, Eval Meter

This weeks PotW is titled ‘Self-Portrait in a Mirror’. The pic itself looks easy enough but it was a complex shoot. Mostly because I was working in such a confined space. If you are familiar with our house, you know the foyer entry is pretty small, with a mirror on the wall as you enter. This was the area of the shoot. I had to put up two stands stretching a black curtain several feet. In addition, I had to fit two 640 watt strobes, also on separate stands. Then I had to have the tripod, etc. I had to block out light from an octagon window, then a lot of trial and error, working tethered to a computer, to get the light just right. I was looking for an edgier type of lighting.

Normally I wouldn’t use a 24mm lens for a portrait, but because of the location of the mirror, I had no other choice. Two other things to note – Photoshop was used minimally. I did remove a light switch to the right of the mirror as I wanted a more balanced look. Second, I had Photoshop help in making the black backdrop darker. The proximity of the lights to the cloth made it inconsistent with some areas lighter than others. Photoshop helped make it consistently darker.

One more question for everyone to ponder: where’s the camera?

Remember what I said about Photoshop. And note the letters on my shirt and headstock of the guitar – proof this pic was taken looking into a mirror.