Posted by Mr. Robot | March 14th, 2020 | No responses
Bring your sunglasses and plenty of water if you’re going to visit this place. We are in White Sands National Park in New Mexico to take on the beauty of a beach only without the beach. Now, it’s time for…
White Sands National Park was a place where they did missile testing. The place is filled with enough radiation to turn regular humans into deformed creatures. Peep these iPhone photos.
Speaking of deformed creatures and missile testing, our two models for today will do their very best to compliment the scenery.
You have several options for photos in White Sands, but if you want an undisturbed photo shoot, you will want to choose the Alkali Flat Trailhead. There’s hardly anyone there, so you’re free to set up some light stands without worrying if anyone will intrude in your shots. But be cautious! If you venture out too far from wherever you parked without a compass, then you’re going to get lost. I’m serious as a heart attack, everything starts looking the same everywhere you turn, so go in with a plan on how to get back to where you started because your foot prints in the sand will fade away.
Ericka sets up the Profoto B10 Plus with the OCF Magnum Hard Light Reflector as our main light. The creatures are pretty far away from me at this point, so I have to yell out instructions. I am locked in with my Nikon 70-200mm lens for these first set of shots. With a B10 Plus and the OCF Magnum reflector we have enough wattage to overpower the sun for our subjects.
So the 70-200mm gives you some nice perspective shots on how vast White Sands is, but I got tired of yelling. I wanted to move in way closer and use the mountains as a nice little backdrop for the next set of shots.
You may notice that our models have sunglasses on. This is an absolute must have if you’re out here exploring. The white sand acts like a huge reflector bouncing off bright sunlight in your face. You will get sunburn and it will affect your vision. It could probably damage your eyes if you’re not careful. Both models were complaining of dizziness without them.
Wardrobe Tip: Be sure to have some nice contrast in your model’s wardrobe. Red is a beautiful color in all of that white sand as you can see. Sporting the colors of the American flag, very little wind, and the sun in the right place. You will have beautiful exposures no matter what radioactive creatures you photograph.
Placement: For these shots I had a Profoto OCF 2′ Octa Softbox on the right side of our models with a OCF Magnum Reflector kicking in on the left side. I shot at F10 with ISO100.
After about a couple of hours, we wrapped up, then we headed back to the car. You’ll spend more time walking than shooting I think. We did get a little lost. I admit it, I didn’t adhere to my own advice about carrying a compass. Your signal here is next to nothing, so don’t expect google maps to guide you back.
In conclusion, White Sands National Park is an incredible location for shooting professional portraits. I would wager the best time is in the early morning or golden hour. I recommend a long lens to capture the depth of this place because anything else makes the images seem flat.
Tip: Remember sunglasses, bottled water, and a compass. You will track a bunch of sand back in your vehicle, so if you have a new car, keep this in mind.
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