Christmas Calendar Photography Session.

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The "Mirror Stream" in Kharkov provides an exceptional photography spot. The pillars of this monument creates an excellent sub-frame which can be used very versatilely. The church in the background makes for an interesting backdrop.

It is a mass favorite both in the summer and the winter, for very good reasons. Pro or not, it facilitates wonderful pictures.

In the summer there is a busy fountain between the monument and the church. This can be played in many ways to create a variety of scenes and moods.

In the winter, the snow substitutes for great reflectors and diffusers.

The kicker? The constantly changing lighting. A lot can be done with those flickering soft lights. It almost made me feel like I was capturing images for a colorful Christmas calendar.

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But first, my favorite self-portrait of the night:

Just south to the Mirror Stream, there were plenty of decorations lighting up the streets. This one, specifically, caught my eye.

These beautiful lights created a wonderful contrast on the phone camera. If the ISO was reduced and the focus was fixed on the lights, it created a wonderful, soft look.

I tried different settings with my hand being the primary subject.

Once I had a good idea about the pose, angle and look I wanted, I "selfied" myself for further clarity. I wanted to get a unique looking self-portrait. Deep, poker and peculiar, close behind the lights is what I decided on.

With the help of a friend, the final result was acceptable. Scroll up if you want to see it, again.

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Original and other takes:

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Back to Mirror Stream.

The lights in the monument face the top wall, reflecting off the marble-like pillars and more lights bouncing off the snow.

In my personal experience I have found it best to have either efficient or wrap lighting when taking photos with mobile. A bright cloudy day or the diffuse from morning sun works best.

Here, albeit not technically wrap lighting, I did find it very similar to it.

The spot I chose had a perfect backdrop with the church. Intentionally chose a sitting position to avoid the harshness of light above. Although, I do not like it that I could not work around getting the night sky over exposed.

I used picsart mobileapp to fix the perspective, rotate to erect, and do a few touch ups.
However, I prefer the pictures with the colors and not the basic white light.

For my instagram I decided to tap into the chaos inside and represent it with a grunge-ish look.

Here it is:

Some of the details weren't as clear on the subject, so had to touch them up. Namely, eyes and fingers.

I think what would make this a complete picture would be striped adidas bubble jacket instead of the North Face jacket. And adidas sneakers. Maybe sunflower seeds, and a bottle of vodka? No? Ok.

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Other takes:
These would look better combined in a GIF, IMHO.

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One that will never go anywhere, except here.

What a decision to make, huh. I am going to share a picture that I don't want anywhere else, except where it will live forever.

There is no specific reason as to why I won't be sharing this anywhere, except that it lacks creativity or effort in contemplating this shot. It is as candid as candid gets.

The inspiration behind the final products is the documentaries I watch on a Sunday evening. Post-soviet and prison documentaries.

They often showcase someone, as in the picture above, with a glorious past or in front of an extravagant structure. Often the subject has a deep and reserved character as observed from the way he speaks or behaves.

A retro look fit best. Tell me I didn't get close to making it look polaroid.

What documentaries do you watch?

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Equipment:
  Samsung S20 Ultra - 48 MP (f/3.5-aperture) 
  Huawei y6p -13 MP (f/1.8 aperture)

Location:
  Kharkov, Ukraine.

Date: 
  12/25/2020

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