Page 56 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #2

the sun would be relatively low in the sky, and I found myself pondering two remaining
that over the next hour it would become lower questions: (1) Where can I place the moon-
still. The white wedding tent outside not only lights so that they increase the volume of light
filtered some of the light, it also removed the around Salena without being visible in the
warm afternoon color I would expect at this windows? and (2) How can I increase the vol-
time of the year—meaning the light would re- ume of light in the room without making every
main "cool." Finally, as the light from the after- window surface a mirror? (The solution wasn't
noon sun moved across the room, even with the intuitively obvious, and even with all the ex-
tent in place, the shadows indicated to me that perience I have had lighting difficult scenes, I
the intensity of light would be a problem for the had to really think about this one.) In the end,
camera. Black and white were moving farther both questions shared the same solution. This
apart as the sun lit the room more directly. is the logic I used:

I identified an additional problem that was ❶ First, I made a mental list of all the envi-
far less obvious, but which experience had ronmental conditions I couldn't change. This
taught me to look for: As the sunlight came saved time, because as I analyzed the room
through the glass, it would be refracted (bro- and the path of the sun I was able to eliminate
ken) as it passed through the first pane. Some potential solutions that ultimately wouldn't
light would pass straight through and strike work.
the window on the other side. Once again,
some light would be reflected, but some light ❶ Next, I analyzed the physical structure of
would be refracted. I needed to pay attention the room so that (a) I would know how light
to the changing angle and direction of the sun would move around the room, and (b) I would
if I wanted to keep this variable under control. be able to use the architectural detail of the
If I didn't compensate for this, sections of the room to shape the paths of the light from the
windows would become mirrors and my im- moonlights. (This is the same process I went
ages would have unintended objects superim- through when assessing how to photograph
posed as a result. The blue arrows in Figure 2 isis in the stairwell.)
(see page 55) show the effect of the light enter-
ing through the glass and how the light would Initially, I tried lowering the power of the
most likely refract and reflect. moonlights. This proved to be a dead end. No
Since light reflects at the compliment of the matter what, the silver lining of the umbrellas
angle with which it strikes an object, as the reflected too much light and as a result, there
light reflected from one window it would cross was always a reflection of an umbrella in one
the room and reflect again... and so on. Reflec- or more of the windows. I knew that using one
tions would be everywhere, and the more in- moonlight wouldn't be a viable option either,
tense the incoming light, the worse this prob- because the right side of the room was just too
lem would become. Windows aren't walls. dark. There was no point in even trying this,
(I know this sounds obvious, but my point is as it would essentially recreate the problem I
far more profound than that.) Given the phys- needed to solve.
ical structure of glass, windows reflect much I surveyed the architectural detail of the
more light than walls. Should I have been room. Since the door on the right side of the
working in a room with more walls than win- room was wood, I decided to use that corner of
dows, I could have used this to my advantage. the room to reflect light back into the room. I
In the garden room, however, there were more positioned the moonlight so that when it fired,
windows than walls. the light would strike the umbrella and hit the

56 | lighting the un-lightable