Creative Challenge - Reflection
Creative challenges are back for 2019! And to start things this year, I wanted to do something based off of the word "Reflection."
My original idea was to have this photo be a reflection of someone reflecting on their past self, a reflection of a reflection if you would. I found this idea to be a bit too much like like the movie Inception with its concept and wanted to find a better solution to this challenge.
So I started with just thinking about a simple mirror image type of reflection and wanted to elevate it in some way. Then after finding some great inspiration on Instagram, I came up with the idea of focusing on a pair of heels and having the reflection of a woman underneath. And I also thought it would be a great idea to illustrate how people might reflect on seeing a pair of sexy heels. You might see yourself all dolled up wearing lingerie with that perfect pair of shoes.
- Reflection -
How do you picture yourself in a new pair of heels?
As a male, this concept is speculation as I don't see myself looking sexy wearing heels. However, whenever I look at a nice looking shirt or a kick-ass jacket, I picture myself rocking the shit out of it and looking like a complete boss. So I can only assume that women feel the same way when looking at shoes.
Let me know if this concept resonates with you. Do you see your self looking sexy when you spot that perfect shoe?
How It Was Done
Shooting both images was easy enough, I just used a medium sized umbrella to light the entire subject. I put the camera on a tripod so that it would be easier to line up the images in Photoshop.
The reflection effect is super simple to do. It's just two images put together. The first is of the model and the second is only of the shoes. Put both photos in Photoshop, reflect the image of the model and line everything up. Lower the opacity of the model image, so it looks like a genuine reflection and your done.
I love how this concept came together, and I was so thrilled with the model for the shoot and the lingerie she brought to wear.
Behind The Scenes
Equipment USed
MAIN LIGHT SETUP:
CAMERA SETUP:
What I Would Do Differently?
I would love to do this concept as much in camera as possible. I wish that I didn't have to Photoshop two images together. So to do that I would want to get a large piece of plexiglass that I would place on the floor and that would give me a natural reflection. Although I'm not sure if I would be able to get the full body reflection looking as good. Have to test it once I get a piece of plexiglass.
What Would You Do Differently?
Let me know in the comments if you think I completely nailed this concept or if I should have tried something different. Should I have stuck with my original idea? What would you do if you had to take a reflection photo?