Imitate this image, advice needed

[DMadrid]

Hello Photographers! I am taking an Intro to Photography course and we have to do journal about famous photographers in history. This week's photographer is Julia Cameron. Part of the assignment is to choose on of her pictures and attempt to mimic it as much as possible. I will really appreciate some advice from you fellows. Regarding ideal camera settings or some equipment I might need to borrow

Moderator Note: Julia Margaret Cameron (11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879)

 

[thetrue]

It's just an off color portrait with a relatively shallow depth of field...shoot it on the shadowed side of a wall and change the color in post. What kind of setup are you using?

 

[Derrel]

It's just an off color portrait with a relatively shallow depth of field...shoot it on the shadowed side of a wall and change the color in post. What kind of setup are you using?

Yeah...I think a large area of open shade, with some light from the sky to help provide catchlights for her eyes, would be just the ticket!!!! The shade of a building would be good...move the subject so she's in shade, but so that light from the sky creates those two tiny "catchlights" at the top of her eyes. Om this shot, the subject is standing under the very edge of some kind of viney, climbing plant on an arbor.

 

[DMadrid]

Not sure what setup means to you... sorry i kinda new to the world of photography! That's why I'm studying it

 

[thetrue]

What kind of camera and lens and lighting are you planning to use?

 

[DMadrid]

I'm using a Nikon D40 with 18-55mm lens. I don't know what lighting I might use, but for sure I can access to any lighting equipment

 

[amolitor]

See if you can get a neutral density filter for the lens so that you can get an exposure time of 10 or more seconds, even with the aperture wide open. This is a big part of the overall look, making the model hold still. Also notice that her lower hand is blurred, possibly due to moving during the very long exposure time.

You might be able to shoot at night to create the long exposure time. Photographic materials at that time were wildly less sensitive than a modern digital camera, which is why exposure times were so long. Aperture wide open for the shallow depth of field they got with the large format gear they used back in the day.

Then duplicate the setup, clothes, and pose as much as possible.

Use lighting as Derrel suggested.

 

[thetrue]

To use an ND for this in daytime, you'd need 5 stops or so, even on an overcast day...

 

[Designer]

Adding my two cents worth; in reality, the photographer may have dodged some in the print-making process, particularly her neck. Besides the other tips above, I think I would take along a reflector to make sure I got a little bit of light under her chin.

Don't forget your tripod for that longish exposure. Have an extra light stand or a friend hold the reflector. For this, don't reflect pure sunlight, but rather the light from an overcast sky.

I think one key to this may be finding the right model.