Tag: right light

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Live Show Recap: The Right Light

Hey y’all! We had an early show again this week, sorry if you missed it, but we’ll be back at the regular time next week (Thursday 5pm EST) reviewing your spoooooky photos. If you want to see what the next show is each week, check sdp.io/live or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be informed!

This week we covered “the right light” which were photos which capture the perfect light. We got a ton of great submissions and I’ll highlight our favorites in this post.

Only one bit of news this week, Kodak announced the Ektra, a smartphone that is made for photography. Tony is switching back to iPhones! 

Ok, let’s start looking at your photos:

Over to me for some of your questions:

  • will Chelsea sing a lullaby for a fussy baby? Nope.
  • why aren’t you drinking? Because we’re adults with jobs!
  • what cool gear did we see at the expos? Nikon 70-200, Sigma 85 Art Lens, radio triggered studio lights. Chelsea did try to steal some new Olympus gear, but they were just displays.

Ok, time for a portfolio. Add more pups. Great wildlife shots and portraits! But Robert, jeez. Lay off the drama in your artist bio. Add some pricing. “I’m slowly dying inside. Hire me.”

“I want to hear from Siobhan, remember her?”

  • shooting jpeg with the new X-T2? Nah, stick with raw.
  • blindfold your friends and make them try wine

Back to photos:

  • get a fog machine to make god-rays
  • orcas are crafty as hell
  • the hillllls are alive
  • creepy bus light

Back to me for some questions:

  • y’all aren’t funny
  • Profoto ocf flash systems? Yup. But Godox is cheaper.
  • what is the best tripod for self defense? Three-legged thing if you want to damage their ego.
  • favorite location for the perfect light? Ledgelight lighthouse.

Back to photos:

Last minute questions:

Blowing through photos at the end here, lots of good ones.

Ok, that’s our show! Spooky pictures next week, Thursday 5pm EST.

 

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Beginner Photography: The Right Light

Hey folks. This weeks topic is “the right light”, which is pretty open to interpretation. What makes the perfect light is different for every subject. The perfect light for a portrait is different than the perfect light for landscapes which is different than the perfect light for a still life, etc. What I focused on was the perfect light to make a shot worth capturing. The right light can transform everyday subjects into something that captures your attention and draws the eye. Obviously, photography doesn’t exist without light and being able to manipulate light to properly expose an image. But sometimes light itself can be your focal point, be it a well-placed sun or backlighting used to create interesting shadows. I went out shooting yesterday with some ideas in mind, but some of the images below are older shots where the light just made it.

Capturing the perfect light can take planning; setting up lights for a portrait shoot or waiting for the golden hour for landscapes. The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a great resource to plan your shots around natural light. Often times, though, it’s just being in the right place at the right time and paying attention.

I took this shot almost exactly a year ago, and when looking through my photos it caught my eye. Tony is backlit and the light is perfectly illuminating the snow globe, which is reflected in Tony’s glasses.

Peep that “Stay Focused” shirt

This shot was taken at a wedding I was second-shooter for a few weeks back. The wedding dress was hung in front of a window, backlit to illuminate the shape and texture of the dress.

Note that so far, all of these are black and white shots. Black and white helps to focus your gaze, highlighting the shape and texture of your subject and making the light and shadow the focus. 

I took this of the shadows on our front porch. I’d taken shots of it before, but without the right light I could only capture the heart cut-outs and the vines, not the repetitive shadows on the ground. 

 

This I took yesterday when I went out looking. I knew that in our local park there were a few trees with yellow leaves still clinging on. I positioned the sun behind it so that the leaves would light up.

 

And this one I’ve posted before, but it is easily one of my best images. And captured with my cell phone! The light is breaking through the trees, perfectly illuminating a lone trunk and casting it’s shadow off-frame.

Those are my picks for the week, I can’t wait to see all of yours tomorrow. What are your tricks for capturing the best light?