Lighting Techniques

Winter is a great time to meet with other photographers and to learn new tricks and techniques. Recently, a group gathered to work on portrait lighting. We started with the basics - one light and then worked up to colored filters, snoots, and dramatic lighting. It was fun and our model was fantastic. Below are just a few samples of what we focused on.

One light with a black background. The model is facing the light at a 2/3rd angle. Delightful.

Still using one light the model was asked to look straight ahead to give a more dramatic image.

Here a red gel was placed on a light pointed towards the back of the head (hair light) and a "snoot" on another light was used to focus light on the face. Very mysterious.

This is an example of the photo above, but the "snoot" light was narrowed and focused on just the eyes -- Casablanca style.

Family

Whenever I gather with my relatives they have learned that there will be an afternoon of photography. So, when I announced one evening for everyone to set aside time the next day to take pictures, they expected it. We spent a chilly afternoon creating images around my brother's home. We came away with some wonderful images. But how can I not with such a great looking family -- as my father says.

One evening, my brother brought out a box of treasures he found in my parent's attic over the summer. Old letters, newsclippings and glasses my mother had saved. The glasses belonged to my grandmother's sister. The letters were to my grandmother from her sister.

 Below is a photo of the items in the box and a pic of my niece trying the old glasses on.

What big beautiful eyes she has.