I’ve often said that digital photo editing is the other half of the equation to artmaking through photography. Yes, the pure art of photography is incredibly important to learn and master.
When Ellie asked me to write for the annual “Lighting” issue, she suggested “Lighting Patterns.” My first thought was dark, gloomy closeups with sad people and of course Rembrandt.
As someone who shoots with any kind of light available to me, I’m pretty resourceful when it comes to incorporating external lighting within my shoots. A lot of my photoshoots are spontaneous, so I don’t like to weigh myself down with heavy gear or props.
We know that weddings can be extremely unpredictable. You can do all of the preparation in the world, but as the famed fighter Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Nailing the perfect shot doesn't always have to involve endless posing or complicated lighting. Sometimes you can capture a magical photo just by thinking outside the box and using an everyday item in an unexpected way.
Simply defined, gels are transparent colored material used to modify lights for photography (both stills and motion). Gels are placed over light sources to create colored effects. The two basic types are color correction gels and non-corrective (color effect) gels.
I love the challenge of shooting on location with wildly varying lighting situations and environmental conditions between sets. It can be an exciting way to exercise blending ambient light and existing light sources with your speedlights or OCF systems and modifiers.
There are two main approaches you can take in the studio or on location. And which lane you choose will have a huge impact on the outcome of your images. You could choose to emulate window light, or you could choose to simulate sunlight.
As both a fashion and portrait photographer, I photograph a wide variety of posing styles. I photograph models in back-breaking avant garde positions and portrait clients who would prefer to remain seated, thank you very much (not that I let them). And it’s my job to coach them all.
There is a distinct art to photographing men, one that I would even say has become a passion of mine. This is most likely because of my love for men’s fashion and styling, but also because I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like on wedding days because as the lead photographer I’m primarily with the bride.
