Portrait and Landscape - Maks Danilin

For the final set I tried to emulate the style of David Dreblin.  His work inspired me because he combines the use of landscape and portrait shots, although typically using urban settings.  I am currently traveling through the western United States and was able to take shots in Utah, Arizona, and Colorado.  I tried to make use of the variety of different landscapes around me, selecting those that best compliment the colors in the model's hair, skin tone, or clothes.   Given the nature of a long distance trip, I was not able to bring most of my equipment, such as my lighting set up and tripod, and had to make the best out of what was around me.

The first shot was shot in Moab, Utah.  I had the model stand with the red rock mountains behind her to create a nice soft backdrop.  I selected just the model and used the highlight and shadows adjustments to get the lighting to my liking.  I also inverted the selection and darkened the background to make the model stand out.

This shot was taken in a slot canyon in Utah.  There was limited light so I ended up depending heavily on my camera's flash.  I increased the saturation of the red rock behind the model while brighting the models coat to create further contrast.  

This shot was taken high up on a mountain edge in Kannarra, Utah.  Although the landscape aspect of this shot is mostly sky, I like how the shot gives the feeling of depth and elevation.  I played with the levels and saturation of the background to create a true blue sky.  I have been separately adjusting the model and the background, and used the highlight/shadow adjustments to bring the colors in the models hair and skin tones out.

 The next two shots were taken in Arches National Park, Utah.  I like the tone and formations of the red rock and how they create a serene backdrop.  For this shot I played with the highlights and shadows on the model as well as sharpened the image to make the model stand out.

This last shot is of the model posing in front of the famous Corona Arch.  I had the model do different poses and I settled on this one because of the lines created by the model as well as the outline of the arch.  I lowered the saturation of the backdrop while keeping the model as is.

This has been another great photography class! After researching and learning about the greats, it has definitely helped me see portraits in a new light.  The techniques I have learned have stuck with me and I have seen my pictures improve as I play with different lighting and posing.  I plan to continue in this medium and branch out to learn more about different styles of photography.