First up, the size of the light source in relation to the size of the subject.
Imagine looking out the window at the front yard and without seeing the sky knowing whether it is sunny or cloudy. We do know, right?
We don’t have to see the sky to know if it is sunny or cloudy, we can tell from the way the light is behaving on the subjects in our yard. The car has a deep shadow below it if it is sunny and very little shadow at all if it is cloudy.
The plants are either casting long shadows or seemingly no shadows. The sun makes everything have a shadow, while the cloud cover acts as a shadow reliever.
We know this because we have observed the world for our whole lives and we understand how light works when it is sunny and when it is cloudy.
The sun is a tiny light source. (Yes, science nerds it is way huge, but I am talking about from where we look at it.) No more than a coin in the sky.
That is a very small light source. And it can be totally blocked out by the smallest of items: a branch, or a rose, or even a butterfly. That means that the light cannot go around the subject and is instead blocked by the subject.
Here is the equivalent of the sun in the studio. A small, unmodified light at a distance from a coffee cup.
And here is how the shadow falls on a small coffee cup when a very large light is applied. The light wraps around the coffee cup because the light is so much larger than the subject.
That is how the sun works as well.
The sun is the very small light source, and when the clouds come over the land, the sun lights the back of the clouds and they light the earth with no shadows because they go from horizon to horizon. Light is wrapping all around all the subjects it is seen by.
Think of your softbox as a “cloud cover” for your light (the sun) and it makes more sense to you.
Question: is a 4’x5′ softbox a large softbox or a small softbox?
The answer is compared to what? Other softboxes? Yes.
The subject? Well – that depends. What is the subject?
If the subject is a Hot Air Popcorn Maker, then it is indeed a very large light source.
If our subject is a jetliner, then no – it is not a very big light source at all.
And then… how far will it be from our subject?
Distance makes the perceptual size of the light source diminish as it gets farther away. And it is that perceptual view is the one that matters.
A 20″ light source very close to a 1″ watch is a large light source. A 72″ x 72″ source far away from a 14′ square box is a small light source.
And the light will render that way as well.
LIGHT DOES THE SAME THING EVERY TIME – IT IS THE SUBJECTS THAT CHANGE THE GAME
ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS CLASS:
- Choose a subject less than about 8″ – like a shoe or a water bottle. Light it with a small light source (speedlight) to see how the shadows fall. Then light it with a softbox (24″ or so) in close. Very close.
- Move the softbox 6″ away and take another shot. Then do it again at 6″ intervals until the softbox is 6 feet away. Notice the changes in how the subject responds to the light, and how the shadows get sharper and deeper.
The size of the light source in relationship to the subject is one of the four principles of light.
Move. Seriously, Get Up and Move!
The curtain to the ER room flew open. A white coated doctor stood there with some papers in his hand and just looked at me. “You aren’t supposed to be here”, he said. I smiled and said they were moving me to the ICU in a few minutes. He kind of wryly smiled and said,...
A Concert in Boras, Sweden by Tomas Jansson (P52)
Tomas Jansson is a Project 52 PRO. This is his project shoot. "With my pictures I have tried to capture a story, give an overview of the area, the people and of course the concert. Every Thursday for eight weeks in the summer there are festivities in my hometown of...
CreativeLIVE is Having a Sale on All Programs
And you can get mine for $50 off. Also suggest the first Sue Bryce and the first Zack Arias. Hit their site for all the sale items... every show is on sale.
Vintage Clothing Expo, Malmo by Flora Cusi
Vintagemässan i Malmö, 25th of May 2013 http://vintagemalmo.se photographer: Flora Cusi floramc@floramc.se Project: I decided to visit the vintage expo in Malmö for my event project. My main interests are colors and patterns and less documenting the presence of...
Interview With Photographer Scott Toepfer
I first found Scott's work one day when a P52 member linked his great video on motorcycling, "It's Better in the Wind". Watch it. All with DSLR video. I became an instant fan. The words I use for Scott's work are fresh, surprising, intimate and classic. I expected the...
Tour of California Bicycle Race: Adam Bendig
Project 52 PROS is a group of highly motivated photographers who are spending a year with me working on their books, their marketing tools, marketing plans and becoming more familiar with shooting like a professional. Adam Bendig is one of our pros,, and this is the...
Adi Talwar, Photographer
Adi Talwar has been a strong member of Project 52. His wit and charm infuse his work no matter whether it is lifestyle, photojournalism or portrait. Adi was asked to do a show of some of his experimental work, and for those of you who may not be near NY at this...
Two Photographs by Sheila Morgan
Sheila Morgan is a photographer that I worked with in the Bay Area on a One-on-One consultation. Her lighting skills needed a bit of a clean up and we spent a day in the studio and a day on location working on various lighting challenges. I really enjoy the one one...
Still Life Breakdown: Corn in Virginia
Project 52 PRO’s: Summer to Summer
We are starting a new class for Project 52 PRO - Summer to Summer... And at this point we have 5 openings left. You can sign up or get more information at the Project 52 site. I thought I may share these images with you. A recent assignment from the current Project 52...
Pricing to the Value of the Work
I heard a very talented photographer say she charges less than others because she is new to the business and doesn't think she should charge as much as the older, more established photographers. I think she is completely and totally wrong. The value of the image to...
Are You Making YOUR Photographs?
"Imitate. Assimilate. Innovate." - Clark Terry, Jazz Trumpet Legend Always a concern for beginning and emerging artists. Where do we draw the line between inspiration and appropriation (stealing)? In our examination of what makes an image portfolio worthy, we begin to...
What Makes an Image “Portfolio Worthy”?
That is the essence of a big source of discussion by photographers. There seems to be a lot of hype and 'science' bandied about regarding this question. I want to talk about what makes an image worthy of your portfolio today, and have you think about your work in...
A “Sign of the Times” – Project 52 Pros
The assignment was a brochure cover image for a brochure titled "Sign of the Times"... the P52 PROS hit it out of the park. Project 52 PRO is a group of photographers devoted to becoming the best they can be, while working in a real-world assignment venue. We keep the...
Interview with Texas Photographer Jennifer Boomer
I love Jennifer Boomer's work. The first time I saw it I spent about an hour looking at all the images and loving the style, the point of view and the wonderful subjects. It was imagery that spoke to me. I decided to ask Jennifer if she would do a webinar with me and...
Well, This Cliff Jumping Thing Worked Out Well
On Jumping Over A Cliff... So this guy tells me... "You should jump off that cliff, Don." I stare incredulously at the guy cause I am not good on cliffs. Not as bad as my bud Charles... but that is a different story. I am not crazy about heights. "Are you crazy", I...
First Be A Photographer
I follow a very nice group of people on a forum on Facebook. They are all trying to start their businesses with varying degrees of luck and success. One of the things that is emerging is that many of them are simply not ready to be professionals and in business. And...
One Layout: Many Versions
Man these Project 52 PROS are really dialing it in. And that is making it more fun than a guy should have. The assignment was to shoot to this layout (furnished in PSD layers) and make sure it worked. I wanted them to put the images into the layout and show us what...
Project 52 Pros: Assignment Four
The assignment was called "The Tear Sheet" and it involved the students working through creating a "fauxtolio" to help them focus their energy on making images that they LOVED to make. The "fauxtolio" helps guide the sensibilities of the photographer as he or she...
Men. At Work.
I recently completed an assignment for an advertising agency here in Phoenix. The Lavidge agency has been around quite a while and it was a lot of fun to shoot this industrial gig with them. The client was United Rentals - a major player in the tool rental niche....
Photographs of Strangers by P52 PRO Group
This was the first assignment completed by the Project 52 PRO's. Photographing strangers can be a very delicate and scary idea for a lot of people. The fear of rejection or having the subject be angry stops most from ever attempting photographing people they do not...
Meet Jan Klier: NY Fashion Photographer
I met Jan about five years ago when he flew to Phoenix to take one of my one day workshops. We met again in Seattle when I was doing the workshops nationally. I knew he had a strong work ethic, and a powerful desire to be a photographer, and encouraged him to make it...
The “Truck Shot”: Simple Moves for a Better Shot
I asked the folks who get my newsletter how they think I shot it. Many folks tried to figure it out, but most had something about a front light... and that was a no go. I used four lights (2x2) and Photoshop to get the look I wanted. Working it a bit in Photoshop also...
“The ICONIC Image” – a Discussion with Photographer Gary Crabbe
Gary Crabbe is a full time landscape and environmental shooter living in Central California. Recently, one of his blogposts caught my attention as it is something I am wondering about as well. I just came back from Zion and Bryce Canyons and while there found myself...