Challenge Accepted with Liam Tain
Words and Photos by Liam Tain
Edited by Eryka Bagwell
"In late September I decided to give myself a challenge. The Rules? Capture, edit and post one image every day in October. Capture an image? I can try. Edit an image? Easy as pie. Every day? Let’s go! Post to social media? Aye, there's the rub... Posting to social media has always been my Achilles heel. But let’s see where this leads. These are two images from that challenge. If you have any questions about these images or any images from the challenge, please reach out!"
"Now, let's go take a look."
"This first image is such a simple idea, I wanted to depict two people sitting on a couch together watching TV. Easy right? I knew I wanted the light as not just a source but also as a foreground element to depict the TV itself (I used an Amaran Ace 25c). Then I begin to build the world in my mind. I need something to make it feel like a 'home'. Side table, lamp, ok. Fire up the 3D printer and an hour later, problem solved. And a new one created. A lot of people watch TV with dimmed lights, so how do I depict the lamp 'glowing'? Lume Cube! I knew the spread would be too wide, so how do I control a wide spread, with a snoot! I designed and 3D printed a snoot for the Lume Cube (that also allows its filters to be used!), 2 versions later, I had the exact size pool of light I wanted. What I didn’t want was to try and hold the light in position while I snapped the image. Out comes the Platypod Max, Platypod Handle and Platypod Elbow. I was able to position the light EXACTLY where I wanted, allowing the lamp to have a glow and just enough
spill to change the mood."
"It’s the subtle things we do for shots like this that really bring life to them isn’t it? All very intentional, but if we do it right, they aren’t seen, they’re felt. I’m curious what story comes to mind when you look at this image?
"This second image, I love this image. I've taken hundreds of thousands of images in my life, and this one is a top 10 favorite. I had already printed several of the 'Dummy 13' models by Lucky 13 Toys. So I picked two, posed them, tossed my Platyball Ergo and Platypod eXtreme into my bag and set out. My youngest child and I found the perfect spot. I set up, found my angle and click... something was missing... The composition is what I wanted... The lighting was excellent
for the mood... The colors are what I had imagined... I'm shaking my head looking around and it hits me. The colors, it's fall, LEAVES. My youngest goes and grabs handfuls of leaves, gets into position, we wait for a bit of wind and go!! Almost! He gathers them up again. SO CLOSE. Half a dozen attempts later and…"
"The moment I captured it, I knew it was something special. Processing the image really drove that feeling home for me. It would turn out to also be the first time I have had people randomly message me on Instagram asking to buy a print of a posted image. (Maybe I should use social media more often?).
"You might be asking, 'If posting to social media is such a sticking point, why do this at all? What’s the point of it?'. It was a personal challenge. Over the last several years my photography had started to slack. Two car accidents between 2018 and 2022 left me with mobility issues and chronic pain that made getting out to photograph much harder. After breaking my back in February of 2024, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it at all anymore. And that was a sad thought
for me. Photography has always been a vital part of my life. Sometimes you just have to test yourself, so I did. I knew that physically I would never get back to my old 100%, so I had to see what my new 100% was, and learn how to function within that. I did it, because I needed to. And if I’m going to see what I can do, why not try and grow a little in the process (social media is still my Achilles heel haha). Was it difficult at times? Absolutely. Was it worth it in the end? Absolutely."
"When the Platypod team asked me if they could share these images, I was more than willing. Not just because I use a lot of Platypod products in many creative ways, but also because it proves a point. There is that saying 'It's not the gear, it's the photographer'. And that is mostly true, but the gear we select is a tool that aids us in getting the results we want. The Platypod products I use make it so I have one less thing to think about during the process. Most of the images captured during my self imposed challenge involved at least one Platypod product in some way, because they made it easier for me to take what was in my head, and bring it into the world. And we can all use a little 'easier' now and then can’t we?"
To view more of Liam's work be sure to visit his website at: https://www.freneticfox.photos
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