Golda with her new Canon 7D at the New Salvador Dali Museum in downtown St. PetersburgIt was my first time to have a DSLR Photography Lesson on the grounds of the new Salvador Dali Museum on the St. Petersburg waterfront. I will definitely be using it again as there are ample architecture photography opportunities along with a very interesting garden to photograph, plus good locations to practice portraits as well. This was the site of my fourth of four lessons with Golda who will in September be going on a three week mediterranean cruise!!
I actually visited the Dali Museum to photograph it for promo shots for a hotel recently, but did not get up close like I did today. The strange design of the "waterfall" of glass looks much better close up I think than it does from afar. I used it for the background of the above portrait of Golda. She is standing under a tree that has long green streamers tied to it, upon which people tie their Dali ticket wristbands as well as handwritten messages and notes. I thought it was a nice interactive touch to have as part of the greater museum exterior.
As for what we practiced during the lesson, we started with architecture shots of the building itself, then moved on to making shots with bokeh (using the streamers), transitioned to use an external flash to add fill light for portraits in the shade before ending with composing portraits to take advantage of repeating patterns. It was a photography packed 2-hours!
I look forward to seeing Golda's mediterranean photos and especially the promised postcard she said she would send!
--Professional Model DSLR Photography Lessons now available!