Nora at the Waterfall

NSFW

A lovely actress named Nora asked me to create some sexy images of her in front of a waterfall.  I just happen to know of a private spot not far from Portland that provides enough privacy for nude photoshoots.

The location is actually quite tricky, because of the quirky lighting.  There is a lot of green foliage that casts a green light on the model and a small open, grassy slope that gives off a lot of yellow light when the sun is on it.  There is also some exposure to the blue sky as well as whatever electronic flash illumination you care to add.   The result is that your model will have the top of her head look blue, the part of her face and body facing the flash look normal, and some parts, like the legs or sides of the torso, looking green!

I've used this location several times, so I have learned how to adapt.  Sometimes, I try to make the flash overwhelm the ambient light.  At other times, I will use only ambient and color correct in Lightroom.   It makes for a challenging post-processing session!

This first shot is a 50/50 mix of flash and ambient:

The next five photos use more flash than ambient.  Notice the moving water behind the model, that will give you a clue to the slow shutter speed.

The next three images were all done with available light only.  The waterfall was behind me and acted as a large, diffuse light source.  If you have never used a waterfall as a giant softbox, you don't know what you're missing!

As we moved away from the waterfall, the green ambient light became more dominant and made it harder to maintain good skin tones.  I didn't really mind, as the result is rather artistic looking.

It's really up to you how red or green you wish to make the final image.  BTW, the beautiful bokeh behind the model was produced by the Tamron 85mm F/1.8 lens used wide open.

For this final shot, Nora wanted to pose with her swimsuit in front of the waterfall.  Illumination was provided by an Alien Bees 400 with a large umbrella.  I use the excellent Vagabond Mini for power.

I'm not sure what Hugh Hefner would think of these photos, but I like how they show my style.  I'm not trying to duplicate the style of the Playboy photography team.  Sure, you could bring ten people to this waterfall and carry in a dozen studio lights and powerpacks, but it's so much more satisfying to say you did it yourself!  With the aid of the lovely Nora, of course!