Lighting 17 - Behind the Shutter

Strobe Is Available Light

Post author:Michael Corsentino
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:7 mins read

It always makes me smile when photographers tell me they’re “available light” shooters. The first thing I do is grab the nearest strobe, hold it over my head in a Statue of Liberty pose and ask, “Do you see this strobe? Guess what? It’s an available light.” If photography is just your hobby and available-light shooting is what you’re comfortable with, that’s perfectly fine. But if you’re aspiring to be a pro, you’re doing yourself and your clients a disservice by not learning how to use flash.

Understanding Catchlights

Post author:Michael Corsentino
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:7 mins read

Catchlights are the lights reflected in a subject’s eyes. I normally use strobes to capture them. Catchlights add life and sparkle, while their absence can result in dull, lifeless images. There are no hard and fast rules, and sometimes you may want dead and lifeless. It’s all about knowing what you want, why you want it and how to create it. But portraits are almost always better with catchlights.

Slash of Light: Creating Drama with Gobos

Post author:Michael Corsentino
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:7 mins read

Lighting geeks like me love nothing more than watching the way sunlight behaves as it streams through a narrow opening, moves across the sky or scatters into beams of light as it breaks through clouds or strikes the leaves of a tree overhead. It results in unique shapes and patterns. These magic lighting moments give me pause and remind me how powerful light and shadow can be in creating mood and atmosphere.

OCF for the Natural Light Photographer

Post author:Christine Yodsukar
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:9 mins read

Not only is off-camera flash an invaluable tool for any wedding photographer, but done right, no one will notice you used artificial light. Your photos can still be bright and beautiful. Here’s how we use this amazing tool in our own luxury wedding photography business, which has taken us all around the states photographing some of the most stunning weddings.

Unlimited Background Colors With Gels

Post author:Michael Corsentino
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:9 mins read

You can never have enough background colors to choose from in the studio. The background color that performs perfectly for one outfit, complexion, hair color, makeup style or concept will likely fall flat for another. You can invest in an endless assortment of colored rolls of seamless paper, but at anywhere from $50 to $100 each, this rainbow requires a pot of gold. This month, I show you how to create virtually any color you want without the cost or clutter of seamless paper.

Product Photography Lighting Basics

Post author:Michael Corsentino
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:10 mins read

We’re all exposed to product photography every single day of our lives, so there will always be a strong demand for it. This month, I take a look at some of the basic concepts of product photography and how to approach lighting and other technical details. Adding product photography to your services can be extremely profitable. But these tips are helpful whether you want to start doing it professionally or just sell some stuff on eBay.

Reception Lighting 201

Post author:Michael Anthony
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:14 mins read

It’s understandable why the majority of lighting questions I get from photographers have to do with receptions. Reception lighting is the bane of existence for many wedding photographers. You are shooting fast-moving subjects in low, unbalanced color light without the ability to control or adjust the subjects for better posing. For most receptions, you can follow a few simple formulas to ensure that lighting is consistent and beautiful. Here are our setups.

Rethinking OCF: Off-Camera Fill

Post author:David Beckham
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:8 mins read

I use off-camera flash for 90 percent of the seniors I photograph outside. In this article, I look at off-camera flash from a different perspective. Think fill flash, or off-camera fill. I’ll cover 11 OCF setups. First, let’s look at the lighting I use.

The Least Expensive, Most Versatile Lighting Modifier

Post author:Michael Corsentino
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:10 mins read

When the question “What’s the one lighting modifier I should buy?” comes up, my answer is always the same: a convertible umbrella. With many models available for close to or under $100, this humble tool is arguably one of the least expensive lighting modifiers you’re likely to come across—and, without question, one of the most versatile.

Transitioning from Natural Light to Studio Light

Post author:Vanessa Joy
Post category:Lighting Shutter Magazine
Reading time:8 mins read

There are many parallels between natural and studio lighting and photography. Most people who teach studio photography and lighting don’t teach it from a natural-light perspective. When I tried to learn it all those years ago, it became even more confusing than when I started. The old saying “Light is light is light” applies here. In this article, I break down studio lighting in a way that’s easy to understand, from the perspective of a natural-light shooter who painstakingly learned how to light in a studio.