richardalliers
FollowViews
3595
Likes
Awards
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Contest Finalist in ViewBug Homepage Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in A ViewBug Logo Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol11
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 49
Featured
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in an adjacent room in my apartment with a light brown rug as the backdrop.Time
This was done at night time, probably around 9pm or so but not too late.Lighting
The lighting wasn't anything special really, all I used was fairy lights to illuminate the image and give it a magical and nostalgic feel.Equipment
I used a Sony a7ii full frame camera, a Sony 55mm 1.8 lens and my hands to hold the camera steady. No tripod was used and definitely no flash as that would have taken away from the fairy lights.Inspiration
I wanted to focus on relationships, specifically past relationships people have had with others. Not all relationships end with that fairy tale ending we all long for but we can take away some good memories we've shared with that person. It's difficult to look at a past relationship with fondness as it often saddens us, but if we look at the good times we've had, we can take something from that and learn to appreciate it. I was thinking about my last relationship when I was coming up with the concept of this photo and if you look closely, you can see old polaroid pictures of her and some of me laying on the floor. The polaroid pictures literally represent the good times we've shared together.Editing
I did use post-processing. I used both Lightroom and Photoshop interchangeably. I dimmed the background a bit to bring out the fairy lights more in order to give it that magical and nostalgic feel to the photo. I tried to make you feel as if you were in a fairy tale or a dream. I also increased the lights of each fairy light a bit in Lightroom. In addition I changed the hues a bit to a more bluish or teal color to give you a sense of wonder and good feeling. I did use the clarity tool a bit to make the image "pop" at you when you look at it. Honestly, that's all I did.In my camera bag
I usually carry my Sony a7ii, a Sony 28mm 1.8 lens and a Sony 55mm 1.8 lens, a few batteries, wash cloths (specifically for lenses), a camera backpack and random accessories like a prism glass or magnifying glass for creativity. That's all.Feedback
Honestly, just take it from the heart. Be creative but not cliche. I could have used roses or flowers or anything else that symbolizes love but there are many other things that mean "love" to many different people. And what I mean when I say from the heart is something that makes you feel, that when you look at the image you begin to cry, or feel happy, or lost, or alive! As long as you feel something and dig deep into your soul for creativity, you will always come away with an amazing image.