#507 -- Masked Model

We did a portrait shoot a few weeks ago in the studio, and it gave Bob Dempsey and I a chance to try out a few new techniques and play with light. One added prop on this one was a great mask given to us by fellow shooter Doug Haass, who was nice enough to let us borrow the mask even though he wasn't there to take photos. This is Cate, who we met on the Galveston photo walk in October. Seeing as it will be Mardi Gras in a couple of weeks, consider this my Mardi Gras photo of the year. I think we all had a good time with the mask. It was a challenge for Cate to bring personality to an image without being able to use her facial expressions, and it was definitely a challenge for Bob and I to light and capture this theatrical-styled pose. 1/80 sec at f/8, 85mm, ISO 200; light from a Nikon SB800 in a Westcott 26" Rapid Box from camera right, back light was an SB800 shot into a black muslin background. Interesting, the background seemed to go a little cool -- I figure from the light spilling through the feathers. Nice accident.