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.
How I Shoot with Limited Equipment (2109 SUMMER SCHOOL)
SUMMER SCHOOL 2019 CLASS ONE SHOOTING STILL LIFE WITH INEXPENSIVE GEARClass by Barbara Sherman, Flagstaff, Arizona I don’t own much equipment and no studio so my images are often made by a window in the corner of my bedroom using white and black boards,...
THE COLLECTIVE LOOKBOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHERS
... is available here as a PDF download (free). If you would like an old-fashioned analog version - you know, paper, cover, ink, binding and such... yeah... we have them at Blurb. There is no markup on the books, they are being sold at Blurb's wholesale price.
DOWNLOAD THE PROJECT 52 2019 ROAD TRIP BOOK
You should come next time... really!Every year I invite whoever wants to go with me on a week-long exursion/roadtrip/helluvatime in southern Utah and Northern Arizona. We explore slot canyons, Zion, Bryce, Escalante, and finish up at the Grand Canyon.And...
5 EASY LIGHTING SETUPS THAT MAY SURPRISE YOU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBVciD7eLWs&t=272s
The Five Biggest Mistakes I Made as a Professional Photographer
(Being a freelancer can be quite a challenge. Like this little flower above, you can be battered and surrounded by those who didn't make it, but you keep on blooming for as long as you can. Survival means making big mistakes and learning as much as you can from them.)...
8 WEEK COURSE SCHEDULE FOR FIRST HALF OF 2019…
... AND IT'S HERE!Favorite courses like Food and Product return, as well as two new classes: Editorial Portraiture and One Light Portraits. These classes are 8 weeks long with one assignment per week. They intense, fun, and full of learning. It is expected...
7 STILL LIFE IMAGES DECONSTRUCTED (WITH LIGHTING)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbtk_v-D5jg&t=382s
BLACK FRIDAY REPLAYS, 2018
BLACK FRIDAY NON-SALE EVENT REPLAYS BELOW This is becoming a tradition. One I enjoy very much. Instead of trying to sell stuff, we just have fun and try to learn something new. We had 6 shows on Friday, November 23, 2018. One is private for P52 members as...
BLACK FRIDAY NON-SALES EVENT
(The day is passed now, but if you missed it you can see the replays of all the webinars by clicking here and having fun.)ALL DAY BLACK FRIDAY (NOVEMBER 23)Last year I did a Black Friday Free Event that was really a blast.While everyone and their cousin is...
MINIMAL VIABLE BRAND FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
MINIMAL VIABLE BRAND FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Is FREE for every photographer, as long as this site is up. My goal is to help you succeed. And this self-directed class will get you ready with all the tools, services, and lists you will need to start your freelance...
APACHE SOLAR: GUEST ARTICLE BY STEFANIE SPENCER
Solar Array Industrial Beauty Photo ShootThey say taking the first step is always the hardest. Overcoming our fears and pushing through can seem impossible, but it is so rewarding to come to the other side with some beautiful images to show for it.Reaching...
DON’T LET YOUR COCONUTS HOLD YOU BACK
One of the most difficult things to do is to believe it before you see it. It is our belief that makes it real or not. When I heard this story about how monkeys will not let go of their coconuts even up to being captured, it made me think of how many beliefs we hold...
I’m Very Grateful for This Award
Thank you so much, Seshu. I am proud and humbled to be in the company of so many wonderful photographers. TiffinBox. "Who is Don Giannatti? Please join me in my congratulating Don Giannatti, creative mentor and coach, as this year's recipient of the Tiffinbox Award. I...
FIND OUT IF PROJECT 52 PRO IS FOR YOU
If you have wondered if the Project 52 Pro System is right for you, this is your opportunity to check it out. This is a real, LIVE webinar where you can ask questions of me, and some of my alumni who will be joining us for this meeting. Project 52 Pro...
STOP FOCUSING ON THE GUARDRAILS
I could barely make out the song playing in the little bar in Ouray. I knew the melody, but it was damned hard to hear it over the clanking of glasses, conversation, and the air conditioning. The chorus did it for me, and I smiled big enough...
Portraits From the Environmental Workshop
[rl_gallery id="25315"]
Lists Can Save Your Bacon When Making a Photograph
I was asked if there was some sort of list of things I look at or think about before I click the shutter? There is. I used to have a checklist that included “was the film loaded correctly” and “are the dark slides clean” and such. We don’t do that anymore, but there...
Dallas J Logan and I Discuss Light and Photography
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7zeXLLWJs8
My Perspective on Marketing in 2018
For more information on my coaching and mentoring programs for emerging commercial photographers, hit my site at: http://www.dongiannatti.com These are my takes on social media marketing for photographers. You may notice a few missing social media...
SHOOT CHOCOLATE LIKE A PRO
A few links to Chocolate photography tutorials: Bret Doss: https://www.lighting-essentials.com/ma... Sam Breach: https://www.lighting-essentials.com/ma... David Price: https://www.lighting-essentials.com/ch... For more information on Project 52 Pro System, go...
This Is The BEST Time Ever to be a Photographer! Why All the Long Faces?
This Is The Best Time EVER to Be a Photographer... Why All the Long Faces? Professional level cameras are selling for less than what we paid for one in 1980. Lower priced lenses are so much better than they used to be it is astounding. You can do all your...
My New Personal Website is Launched
I have been mentoring and coaching photographers for the last 10 years. Hundreds have been through my Project 52 System, and a great many of them are now full-time professional photographers, or at least making good money on the side doing the work. I teach...
Let’s Deconstruct A Few Pour Shots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mnmFMJGOLo
The Portfolio Workshop is Coming Up
We spend a good amount of time working with the photographers to develop the theme or story for the portfolio. Work is shot deliberately, and it is then edited and put together for flow. We have five group meetings and then a one-on-one with me to finalize the...