Introduction by Mark Weber, M.Photog., Cr., M. Artist., CPP – Marathon Press
One of the best resources we have as photographers for education and inspiration is the PPA Imaging Excellence and PPA Showcase books. As a longtime professional photographer, I’ve turned to these books often for fresh ideas, creative motivation, and as a reminder of what it takes to create award-winning images.
While flipping through the 2023 Imaging Excellence book recently, I came across an image titled “Peaceful” that immediately caught my eye.
“Peaceful” immediately stood out to me for its impact, technical excellence, and gorgeous lighting. The choice of black and white over color, the meticulous details in the hair and face, and the horizontal presentation all elevated the image to another level.
Curious to learn more, I did a little research and discovered the maker was Alvaro Balderas. Alvaro is a Master Photographer with PPA and a Technical Master with the Mexican Society of Professional Photographers.
With over 20 years of experience in portrait photography, he dedicates his time to teaching workshops and mentoring photographers across Latin America and the U.S., inspiring others to create meaningful, artistic, and technically excellent portraits.
I asked Alvaro to share a little more information about his PPA Image Excellence selection titled “Peaceful”.
The model was a very beautiful young woman, and I decided to try something a bit different and out of the ordinary. I had her sit on a chair, lean back, and look up. One of the students held her hair while I climbed a ladder to capture the shot from a unique angle.
For lighting, I used only one Bowens flash with a 70 cm softbox.
I developed the RAW file in Lightroom and then moved into Photoshop, where I cropped the image, applied the Oil Paint filter, and converted it to black and white using Nik Silver Efex.
I used a Canon 5D MK III with a Canon 70-200mm IS II lens.
Settings: Aperture f/5.6, Shutter Speed 1/160, ISO 100.
This image is part of the Honor Collection of the Mexican Society of Professional Photographers.
If you would like to be inspired by other photographers like Alvaro Balderas, check out PPA’s Image Excllence and Showcase books here.
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