Two things you can't get enough of: Benedict Cumberbatch and Dan Winters. Cumberbatch stars in The Imitation Game - opening next week - as Alan Turing. Dan Winters photographs him for the cover of TIME. Dan Winters' perfect attention to detail is on full display here - personally building various set pieces and even having an authentic WWII Enigma machine hand-delivered from a museum six hours away.
For this particular portrait, Winters shot digital and tethered to Lightroom. Check out the video around 1:10 where, besides small adjustments to exposure, clarity and saturation, everything is zeroed out. Talk about nailing it in camera. Dan's approach is meticulously thought out and expertly executed. For a better look into his process, check out his book, Road to Seeing - one of the best books on photography out there.
Interesting to see he's using a large softbox behind him and a ring flash for fill. Anyone want to speculate why the ring flash?
I remembered he talked about it being there for catch light in the eye, not for fill. He said he didn't like the effect of it for fill (he shot Jack Nicklaus a few years ago and talked about this)
Dan Winters is the man. Not just a great photographer, but an amazing design and conceptual eye. His work is just stunning, he's like a 21st century Arnold Newman meets Karsh or something, blending that environmental brilliance with carved light and magnificent expressive portraiture.
gotta love this slightly flagged main light. Did anyone see what the mainlight was? Maybe a medium softbox (with a gobo)?
Interesting to see him use this same pose and almost same lighting as he did with Tom Hanks in his portfolio.