Page 43 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #1

FALCON 43

Any amount of light at all can cause the window v The most intense part of the light strikes
to become a mirror. If too much light is used, or the wall, which has two desired effects. First,
if you expose for the model, the window will be it ensures that the “hottest” part of the beam
blown out. If too little light is used, the model never strikes the eave. Second, the light that
will be underexposed, and the world outside the strikes the wall and reflects back further diffus-
window will be visible. es the light.
There were some additional problems as v As far back as I was when I created the im-
well. The strobes had to be well back from the ages of the setup, the detail in the floor in front
eave or they would end up showing in the win- of the window is clearly visible.
dow when they discharged. Sounds like a simple
solution, but if not done precisely, it can cause Remember, the camera is not the human eye.
problems. Placed too far back or at the wrong It can’t make the adjustments we instinctively
angle, the light would strike the wall and cast a make. In order to create images that are emo-
strong shadow across the eave. The human eye tionally and visually powerful, we must learn
wouldn’t see the light in that space this way. how to use the camera’s limitations to create
In Figure 6 (see page 40) we see not only how images that look as natural as possible. Light-
the lights were placed, but what happened when ing the un-lightable begins with understanding
they were discharged. A few points of note: how to use the volume of light to balance shad-
ow and light. In the next issue, we’ll look at an
v Strobes were placed far enough back from even more difficult situation: photographing a
the wall to allow light to enter the eave. model in front of multiple windows.

nyghtvision magazine RETUEN TO CONTENTS volume 3, number 1, WINTER 2013