Behind the scenes with Irene Rudnyk: Natural light photoshoot using a Canon 5D III & 85mm f/1.2 prime

 

 

Portrait photographer and educator Irene Rudnyk recently headed out into downtown Calgary with her sister, Orysia, who is also an artist. The portrait shoot was themed around an early-to-mid 20th century look and was done entirely using natural light. Rudnyk went with her typical camera setup, which is a Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon 85mm f/1.2 prime lens.

When working with natural light, Irene likes to be constantly moving to try to find the best light. If you are moving regularly around the model, be sure to keep your eyes on the background and ensure that you haven't accidentally introduced a distracting element into your image. It's a constant balancing act between finding the best light on your subject while maintaining a pleasing background which is free from distractions. This also reinforces the importance of good communication with your model, letting them know what you are doing and giving them feedback for their pose. If you're shooting digital -- Rudnyk regularly shoots film in addition to digital -- then you should not be afraid to try a lot of different poses. It's better to have options you can discard later than to come home and wish you'd tried something different out in the field.

For more videos from Irene Rudnyk, be sure to visit her YouTube channel. You can see more of her work by following her on Instagram and find out more about her portrait photography courses at KelbyOne by clicking here.

(Via Irene Rudnyk)