When cooking, if you’re the sort who thinks one teaspoon is good, and 2 or 3 will be even better, then you probably eat alone a lot.
Come to think of it, you probably eat lots of leftovers too.
When you’re making pictures, especially when you are starting to explore lighting, resist over-lighting.
It’s all about quality of light not quantity.
It’s precisely that reason photographers sometimes choose to light their subjects.
Less is more–Artist Johnnie Dominguez was photographed using just available light and a large gold reflector. My friend Ted Kulesa held the reflector on the left of Johnnie just outside the frame. Canon 40D ISO 800 1/125 sec @ f2.8 camera on monopod. 80-200 zoom @ 80 mm. No fancy schmancy lights or flash used. I did have an voice-activated assistant Ted Kulesa. I wish I took more behind-the-scenes pictures of this. I’m starting to do so now that I’m teaching.
A change of attire for a different mood–Getting different looks for their models is often a goal for photographers. It can be something as simple as letting their hair down and introducing a colored backlight. Here is the setup for the lights.
Before you tear down the set sometimes you have to ask yourself, “What else can I try? I’m already here.”
Everything is already set up. If you have time, you might as well push the envelope and see.
That’s what I really enjoyed about working with Hadia.
She was up for more.
When she produced the paraffin lamps, I was chomping at the bit.
Now we were literally playing with fire and turning up the heat.
I don’t make it a point enough to head downtown for Riverside’s Art Walk, the 1st Thursday of every month.
I tend to pop in only when my students have their work displayed at Back to the Grind.
Thursday evening I got to meet the family of some my students and I was also treated to some very exquisite Belly Dancing by Hadia Habibi.
In my previous life I photographed all sorts of events, indoors, outdoors, some staged others totally impromptu.
On a good day, my photo assignment would give me a good idea or a “mental picture†of what to expect.
Lighting on-the-fly–With little preparation, all I could do was put my Canon 580EX with radio receiver, set it to 1/32th power, keep my fingers crossed that Hadia would be dancing in the general area.
