light

: something that makes vision possible 

: the sensation aroused by stimulation of the visual receptors  

Welcome to Tech Tuesdays.  Once a week I'm going to discuss photography on a more technical level than I have in previous blogs...which won't be difficult because techno-babble is pretty much non-existent in any of my earlier blogs.

I'm going to keep things light and fun and just talk about my experiences and show examples when possible. 

I hope to hear from all of you.  I'm officially inviting all of you to fill my mailbag with questions.  You can send your emails to rob@robseguin.com. 

Today I'm going to discuss different things that you can do with one light source.

Exhibit 'A'

Here's an image of Maiu which was shot in the studio.

I am using a studio strobe, shooting through an umbrella.  The strobe is placed at a 45 degree angle and about 4 metres away and about half a metre higher than the Maiu's face.  My model is on a light coloured seamless backdrop.  The effect gives a nice soft shadow on the backdrop and lights her up just right.  

This is a very versatile setup for one light.  You can also shoot this using the umbrella as a reflector.  The light will be a bit more harsh.  Removing the umbrella altogether will enhance any edges and make any shadows more defined, giving you a lot of contrast.

Exhibit 'B'

Here, we have an image of Alycia Gallagher.  This was shot on location in an art studio in Toronto.

Once again, I'm using one studio strobe.  This time I am using an umbrella as a reflector.  I have it placed about 6 metres away and at a 45 degree angle of the model and just a bit higher than Alycia's head.

You'll notice that because of the angle of the light that only one side of Alycia is lit up.  The other side is in the shadows.  We're getting a lot of light everywhere due to the umbrella  reflection.  This really works for this situation.  It's lighting up the entire area around her, and because of all the shadows, we're getting a lot of definition in everything.

Exhibit 'C'

Last image of the day is of Oliver Pigott.  

For these portraits, I wanted some really edgy.  This was shot in the studio on a black seamless backdrop.  I had a studio strobe placed at a 45 degree angle once again, but because I did not want any light spilling on the backdrop, I used a snoot.  

If you're not familiar with a snoot, it is a cone shaped reflector with the small end of the reflector placed where the light is exiting.  This way the light is shaped to a very narrow beam. It gives a very dramatic effect.  I don't use this a lot, but I'm so thankful that I have it. 

So there you have it.  There are many other things that can be done with a single light source.  I hope this small sample gets your creative juices flowing.  

Let me know your thoughts.  I look forward to hearing from all of you with your comments and any ideas for future Tech Tuesdays.  Please send your emails to rob@robseguin.com.

mu·sic

: an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.

When working on photography projects, I have often worked with very talented people.  This has usually been makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, fashion designers and models of course.  Last summer I had the opportunity to add musicians to this list - enter Oliver & Sebastian Pigott in need of some updated photos.

The Pigott Brothers have been putting the finishing touches on their latest album, and have also just launched a new website (www.pigottbrothers.com) and needed images, images and more images.  Well, we succeeded. 


They're a couple of very talented guys, and a blast to work with.  You'll find our main shoot under PROJECTS and a couple portraits of Oliver under PORTRAITS.  


Also involved in the shoot was makeup artist Trason Fernandes (www.trason.com) and wardrobe stylist Alisha Hanif.  An amazing team with incredible results.


High Five gang!!!

cel·e·brate

a : to honor (as a holiday) especially by solemn ceremonies or by refraining from ordinary business  

b : to mark (as an anniversary) by festivities or other deviation from routine 

 

Happy New Year

This year (technically last year) for New Year's Eve I finally had the opportunity to shoot some fireworks.  It's been a long time coming.  Although the actual fireworks show was quite disappointing, I was very happy with the results of the images I was able to get.  We had what one would call 'a room with a view'.  35 floors above Nathan Phillips Square, across the street from Toronto's city hall.  I highly recommend renting a room at the Sheraton in downtown Toronto for a special New Year's Eve. 

I will have all of these images available in my For Sale area of the website (www.robseguin.com) shortly.