Our daughter was home today for a family function that we all had gone to at my Mom's (oh GOLLY!! SUCH awkward grammar! forgive me, Mom, the English teacher who governs my speech and typing... even now in my 50's 30's)... Daughter gave me a precious five minutes of her time (during law school finals!)... and would have given me MORE (although I knew she was quite anxious to get back to her studying (that... unfortunately... was never one of my worries in my studying years)... to model for me after we all had gotten home and before she left again. She's amazingly giving to me. I am so blessed. *contented sigh*
Anyway... I'd seen something like this image a few years ago on the internet (I wish I were clever enough to have come up with this on my own *sigh*) and had wanted to try it. In fact, we DID try it a couple of years ago and I couldn't get it to work.
Today, it took us trying twice (first time I had too much DOF and the mirror was obviously a mirror since the DOF didn't match). The key to this image is having the same "background" in the background and in front of the model AND having a really shallow depth of field.
I'm happy with this... especially with how little time we had to spend on it... and it was COLD outside (for her anyway). The wind cut through her like she wasn't even there.
Ha!
But, really. :D
It was getting dark already, and our grass is not pretty being "dead" looking in Winter while the weeds are fresh/healthy green. Also, the sun was hitting the trees behind her... and didn't match the ones in front of her (in the mirror). Therefore, BW was the best option, I thought.
This is the only place on our property where the front of the model and the background match (as they must for the illusion). The "tree trunk" lining up in the mirror and in reality... and the reflection of her boot... appearing to (almost) line up with her leg are both just really, really happy accidents. :D I didn't even notice them until I was choosing an image and editing.
It was hard for her to hold the mirror at the exact angle to line up the "horizon"... since it moved when she breathed, and... went WILD when she laughed (which we both did many times with the absurdity of it all). I'd tell her to move it... up... and that actually meant toward her. Or down... and that meant away from her... She couldn't see what I was seeing to be able to correct it (just imagine holding the mirror yourself and trying to follow what I was saying) and I had a really hard time making sure that I didn't show and, making sure that none of her body was showing in the mirror, the horizon was lining up, and her face was doing what it needed to be doing... (just imagine trying to keep up with all of that while trying to balance near the ground and trying to "baby" your after-surgery back... in the cold and... give instructions "forward" or "backward" when you want the scene to go "up" or "down".
Her hair had to cross the horizon and... her neck had to come out of "nowhere"... Her left hand "making the cut" was also a happy accident in the five minutes we had.
Anyway...
I'd have loved to have done it in color.
Maybe another day... in a different season... earlier in the day... and with more time... and a better back. :D
We did have fun together. We always do.
I am blessed.
But... I repeat myself. :D
Mirror6013cBNr5.jpg
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Congrats on the red. You achieved that in 5 minutes?! It must have taken longer to type up your notes. Thanks for the notes. Always entertaining! Your daughter is a very pretty young lady.
*Beautiful model.
*B&W is not something I am necessarily crazy about, but in this case it is perfect (and not just for hiding flaws, it is just RIGHT).
*Lovely idea (recycled or not, it is still a great idea).
*Fabulous execution.
And then, to top it all off - another Lydia story, something I always enjoy in its own right.
Well done...... I almost wish I hadn't been so stingy with my vote (I was only one of your 9s instead of 10s).
I saw it on the internet too and wondered if I could manage to create a scene like that some day - I can imagine all the struggles you had to overcome very well. The result is just perfect!!! Congrats!
And your daughter is a beautiful model with her very natural smile
What's the matter with you, this is perfect. It must be in B&W, as you'll most probably have too many distractions in colour, so that the idea becomes a lesser part of the mage. Here it is central and immediate.
This is one of my favorites with its other worldly possibilities. I think it would work much, much better with a very tight crop that would let the mirror world take an important visual role in the image. As it is, it still catches the eye with its fingers and face popping out. 7
An excellent portrait with perfect technicals. Being the dark type, I would prefer an introspective forlorn look as if to say "I am empty and invisible" - your beautiful model smiling is just too darn happy to complete my desire for edgy dark photos ;) Regardless, one of my top choices for this challenge! 8
Now you see me.
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