Michaela under the Cliffs
Added 2015-12-16 18:29:10 +0000 UTCMichaela is just wonderful. Goofy and sincere, she works long hours to support herself yet makes time to collaborate with me on whatever photo ideas I send her. This was the first time I attempted to use a road flare as a lighting element, and I must say it was very successful.
I've always been a sucker for all the primary colors fitting into one image, and my timing the sunset with the red intensity of the flare worked in a way that even I was surprised by. I had never lit a flare before, so I was as uncertain about the danger that we could have been in. I cautiously lied that even though the flare read "Do not hold in your hand," it would be safe. Upon lighting it, as she stood naked and waiting for the hand-off, I stood there holding it a few long seconds as the ignition lit up the beach. After a few moments of not burning to death, I concluded it was safe enough to hand off to her, theorizing my lie was correct. "It's okay," she said, "I'm Mexican, I can handle it."
It burned far brighter and longer than I thought, and we ended up getting at least 15 minutes of light out of each of them. Thankfully they come in a three-pack.
See more experimental lighting techniques at the $5-$25 levels...
