Photo copyright Ramon Ramirez
As a photographer, I am constantly thinking about what I should do and where I should go to capture my next favorite image. I usually like to plan out my adventures of exploration ahead of time, but I broke that habit in the creation of this photograph by driving up Mt. Humphreys for no reason other than to see what kind of pictures I could get. Once I got as high up as I could drive, I got out of my car and scanned the area I was in. It was around five o’clock, so golden hour was about to start setting in.
The view I had was especially breath taking, which naturally led me to taking quite a few landscape shots. As much as I enjoy landscapes, I still prefer to take pictures with human subjects in them. Since I was alone, I had to use myself as a model for any picture I took where I wanted one. I spent about an hour and a half just walking around and taking different pictures as the sun gradually lowered.
After I felt satisfied with what I captured, I got in my car to start driving back home. Just before I was about to leave, a vision for another picture popped into my head. I put this idea into action by backing my car towards the scenic view I had and laying down in the back of my car. I then took my camera out once more to take a point of view shot. Once I captured that image, I knew for sure that I got what I came there for. The camera I used was a Canon 5d Mark II with a 50mm lens. I used an aperture of f/5, a shutter speed of 1/80 of a second, and an ISO of 100. I’ll admit that I am a sucker for the vintage film style, so in post processing I made it look like a worn picture by adding grain, lifting the shadows, and altering the colors with the help of some presets that I purchased. I was more than pleased with the end result. The picture says a little bit about the life I lead. I lay in my car carefree with the back hatch open as I enjoy the beautiful weather and take in the nature in front of me.
About the Photographer:
My name is Ramon Ramirez, and I am an 18 year old freshman attending Northern Arizona University majoring in visual communication and minoring in photography. I bring my camera with me whenever I do something other than every day activities. I have taken photo classes, done portraits for friends, and taken pictures at a wedding which all has helped me grow as a photographer. I prefer to photograph people in natural environments because it creates a sense of lifestyle. As far as process goes, I usually try and capture pictures with a foreground, middle ground, and background so that my images have depth to them. I also try to follow the guidelines of good composition for photography, such as simplicity and rule of thirds. My work is different than others because I create photojournalistic styled pictures that have a moody feeling attached to them. As an artist, I aspire to become a professional freelance photographer without compromising my style. My biggest inspiration is an old acquaintance of mine named Trey who has grown to become an exceptional photographer with the style that I have adopted myself.
To read more about the Northern Arizona University “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” project on our blog, please read the introduction at youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/4th-annual-northern-arizona-university-behind-the-image-guest-blogger-project. Please take a minute to leave your thoughts and constructive comments in the Comment section below – Ramon would love to hear from you!