Photo Active
10 things to shoot, edit or create this month, including urban memoryscapes and a collection of lighthouses
Sarah Bowman
1 | CREATIVE
Levitation inspiration
Sarah Bowman shoots an ethereal composite Specialising in fashion and portraits, my style consists of surreal, ethereal, and whimsical imagery. I’ve gained attention through my conceptual and surreal photography, which I find to be the most soul-fulfilling. Although I’ve been a photographer for more than 10 years, I still consider myself a newbie, as there is still so much out there to learn.
Some of my favourite works are from experimental shoots, where I attempted to do something out of my comfort zone. Initially, I’m often sceptical of it working, but if you don’t try something new, you will never learn. From compositing to crafting, and from wardrobe creation to set design, the possibilities are endless!
Once you’ve gained confidence, I suggest reaching out to local like-minded creatives; always look to learn from others. Your knowledge on each aspect of the creation process will broaden.
www.facebook.com/sarahbowman
photographs
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@sarahbowmanphotography
1 Start with the subject
When I’m shooting a look for compositing, I like to start with the shot that will contain the subject. For this image, I had my sister-in-law sit on a stool and place her legs on a table, since I planned on doing a levitation image. I also had her flip her hair forward, for a more mysterious, dreamy feel.
2 Capturing motion
Next, I had my model fling her dress so that I could capture it in motion. Using a fast shutter speed and continuous shooting mode will allow you to capture multiple sharp images. That being said, I sometimes don’t mind some motion blur, as it can look more natural.
3 Adding extra elements
For the last shooting step, I used my camera remote to take shots of music sheets I threw into the air. To ensure that the compositing process will be easier, be sure to have your camera mounted on a tripod for these images.
What’s in my bag
Generally, I like to keep my equipment to a minimum; I rarely even use a tripod. However, for more complicated images like this, where consistency is important, using a tripod is a must. My go-to lens is my 85mm f/1.8; however, my favourite would be my 70-200 f/2.8, as I’m a sucker for the bokeh it produces.
I tend to prefer shooting outdoors with beautiful natural light. All I may need is a diffuser or reflector, and I’m ready to go! In this image, I used all natural window light, a tripod and my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with a 50mm f/2.5 lens.
Blending the images
After importing your images into Photoshop as layers, you will want to use Layer Masks to blend everything. You can paint white or black on each Layer Mask to show and hide areas of each image. You can see above where I cut the pieces out.
2 | LANDSCAPES
All aboard
Brad Matthews visits Scotland for the first time to capture its timeless beauty
Bbased in the heart of ‘Robin Hood Country’ in Nottinghamshire, I’m an adventure and wildlife photographer. Growing up in the English countryside, I developed a deep connection with the outdoors from an early age, so when I picked up a camera for the first time, I naturally gravitated to places of natural beauty on my travels.
The combination in photography of technology and creativity is what really resonated with me in the early days. As my skills progressed I spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs of Lightroom, which is where I really started to develop my style.
Today, I have a range of presets available on my website, which have helped hundreds of photographers save time and achieve similar looks in their images.
www.matthewsphotography.co Instagram: @iam_bradmatthews
Location scouting
Naturally, I always prefer to visit epic landscapes. I’d never been to Scotland before 2020, but it exceeded my expectations and resonated with my photography style perfectly. But I have also taken some of my favourite photos in a forest five minutes away from home. It’s all about creativity.