THESE PDF COPIES ARE FREE COURTESY LIGHTING ESSENTIALS AND THE TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHERS FEATURED INSIDE.
Jamie at the Window
Jaimie at the Window: Fredericksburg, Virginia. I really loved the feeling of light coming in the window but the shot was very blah without the addition of a light source inside. Using a speedlight with a modifier of cards around it to give direction, I lit Jaimie...
Texture
Lighting for texture is a very important part of what we do.
Understanding Reciprocals: A Basic Tenant of Exposure
Lighting Basics, Class Three I am often asked what do I decide first when making a photograph. The answer is easy... aperture. Aperture changes the way my photographs work more than any other thing. It is important to note that I am not an 'action' shooter or sports...
In Threes
Many times in catalog or product work we are asked to shoot the same thing from different angles. This is NOT as easy as it sounds. Objects present light differently depending on shape, color, texture and dimension... and many objects have different qualities on...
Double Portraits: David Price
Bay area photographer David Price was assigned to do a double portrait. He chose some co-workers who were happy to work with him to make the shots. It is always wonderful to have people want to work with you to make images, and David took his time to make the images...
A Simple Portrait by Tomas Jansson
This portrait of a young man was shot by Tomas Jansson, Norway. Tomas used a softlighter umbrella (a bounced position umbrella with a diffusion screen over the front) for his main light, and a silver reflector for a secondary light source from camera...
“Man In The Red Coat” – Photoshop Magic by Irene Liebler
Here is a chance to get something very cool. One of our Project 52 long time members has created a book of images from her series "The Man In The Red Coat". Irene Liebler is a photographer and designer in Connecticut and has been working on this project for a while...
Still Life for a Water Repellent Company
The assignment was to show two images for a company that made water repellent spray. It could not have the spray in the shot, and the client wanted a second shot for the banner across the top of the website. Type and images would be placed on it, so it was to be...
Lighting Basics, Class Two
The Lighting Angle: Part One Now that we are starting to understand the metering a bit better, we are going to look at how the angle of the light can create different presentations - AND different exposure situations. The camera is a fixed position. It is where the...
“Tungsten”
Photographer Anders Ericksson, Sweden. A combination of several photographs, Anders Eriksson creates a 'magical' moment of light. The bulb was shot alone in order to get the edge lighting exactly right. A strip light was used to light either side and then the two...
Lady in Blue
Photographer Girish Bashavar, Ohio In this photograph by Girish Balshavar of Dayton, Ohio, the model is lit with one large source to camera left, and slightly below the subjects elbow. The light source, a softbox, is only a little out of frame and providing...
Through the Rainy Glass
Photographer Anna Gunn and Filipe Martins, Portugal. A thin sheet of glass was sprayed with water to provide a bit of an out of focus foreground and create a mood for this stylish portrait by Anna and Filipe. To create the feel of a rainy day, they used a large...
“Firemen”
Photographer Julie Clegg, Seattle. A main light softbox from slightly to camera left provides the overall illumination. Julie added a fill card to camera right, and it is just out of frame. Directly behind the center fireman there is a gridded spot to add very...
Bob Knill’s “Moody Style”
Photographer Bob Knill, Maryland. Bob Knill of Frederick, Maryland wanted a very dark, moody portrait. Using a main light consisting of a 5-in-one scrim (the inside of a 5-in-one reflector system) with a speedlight he created a very earthy, dark but sublime...
One Light Glamour
Photographer Alicia Bonaterre (Trinidad) For this shot, Alicia used a single strobe in a dish reflector from slightly to the left of her camera. The hard light provides a wonderful highlight on the models legs and sculpts her form well. Using a single hard light is...
Lighting Basics, Class One: Light and Exposure
WELCOME TO THE CLASS... ENJOY LEARNING. This is Lighting Basics... a way to get a fundamental instruction in the art and science of photography. It is geared toward beginners, and those who are mid level but have not had formal training of any kind. Please do all the...
Lighting Basics: The Introduction
It's February 1, 2014. This begins the "Year of Teaching" for me. I may or may not be doing any workshops, but I love to teach so here goes. What this year long series will be: A comprehensive look at what I call "Subject Centric Lighting" - the understanding that the...
And We Are Back
That medical issue took more out of me than I was willing to admit. But I am back - and so is Lighting Essentials... a new post every day. Lighting, gear, photography and fun... What's gonna be new? Watch and see. We will have a new photograph, complete with lighting...
Going Back to Go Forward: REBOOTING Lighting Essentials
As many of you know, I had a pretty rocky third quarter with some serious health issues. They took the wind out of my sails, so to speak, and I had limited energy to work on the things that I loved. Lighting Essentials is one of my favorite things, but I had to keep...
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The “Help Me Pay My Docs Off” Sale… LOL
The "Help Me Pay My Docs Off" Sale As many of you know, I was hospitalized for a week in August for a severe blood clot, and a PE which resulted in a heck of a lot of clots in my lungs. I am on the mend, and things are getting back to normal... but I also have...
“Everyone is a Photographer Now…”
Photography: A recent quote by photographer Mary Ellen Mark has had some angst-driven controversy: "“People are bidding on something that has no value. I thought it was a joke, so I just took a cell phone picture of a real photograph. It is easy to take a good picture...
Impatient Patience
Impatient Patience...Keeping The Momentum While Learning the Ropes You know how you think about things around the edges, trying to formulate the thoughts into some kind of pattern that makes sense and can be challenged and won from various angles? You do? Cool, then...
An Excerpt From New E-Book
Chapter Eight Becoming Exceptional As we move toward the beginning of our business plan, I want to take this time to discuss becoming exceptional. Being exceptional means you are a cut above. Maybe two. Being exceptional means you do things differently, and better....
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