Newsletter

Imagine yourself walking into a room where there are numerous objects covered with small mirrors. The mirrors follow the form and shape of the objects. The walls of the room have a slot that goes continuously around the entire room. Behind the slot is a light that shines into the room and that travels the entire distance, from wall to wall. As the light travels it passes through numerous color filters built into the slot. The light reflects off the mirror facets on the objects. You can also move throughout the room and observe the objects and the light by standing with the light coming in over your shoulder, from the side or even standing behind the objects as the light hits them.

Backlight is light that comes from behind the subject, whether it’s an artificial source or the sun. In the following examples, I decided to use the sun as my only light source, placed behind the subjects and guided by reflectors both natural and man-made.

Lighting portrait subjects with different hair and skin color can be a challenge, especially when you are using a dark background. With a little time spent adjusting the color temperature and placement of your lights, you won’t have to rely on color correcting the images later. No lighting challenge is too extreme if you break it down into a few simple steps. Do you want hair lighter or darker; do you want to complement or contrast the skin tone; and what is the overall “look” you desire—warm or cold? By answering these questions, you will be able to determine which color temperature of light you need to create the mood for the image. Again, don’t just set the camera on auto white balance. Set your daylight or tungsten balance lights accordingly and manually adjust the camera’s color temperature—you’ll be glad you did.

When fighting with the sun, your flash might not be powerful enough to fill in the deep shadows created by that large key light in the sky. Luckily, we have help in the form of reflectors which send almost all of the reflected light onto the subject. I will be referring to two types of reflectors here: the Flexfill (and its variations) and reflective (silver-sided) foam core.

April 2011

On The Cover
This month we are providing a reality check on the state of the photo stock market as pros reveal the winners and losers, and how to smartly play the game. We hope their thought-provoking ideas will help you evaluate your own situation when contemplating joining the stock fray. And if you are considering turning pro, be...