Commercial Photography

Playing with Light

Last week I talked about playing with constant light. Today I am going to continue talking about light and not flash. We were in Chicago and had the opportunity to work with some models and develop our skills using constant light. For me, I wanted to experiment with my 50mm 1.2 lens and using 1.2. I was also using a Kelvin setting of 3600. Kelvin is color. Using a block with a mixture of light, we sat the model down, and I wanted her head to lean towards the light. After watching her for a while, I needed more light. With that said, I brought an Icelight with me. This is a constant light made by Westcott because I was using Kelvin 3800 and counter my main light with an orange gel on it.

Icelight with a orange gel for more light to the face

Icelight with a orange gel for more light to the face

Now time for the pictures. I had my assistant and had them bring the light in as close as possible but still have it out of my picture.

The Final

The Final

I have always wanted to take pictures like these. Living in a small town, and they don’t have the constant light you see in the bigger cities. That does not mean you can’t do it, and it was just not what I wanted. I am glad I brought the Icelight with me; we found later that no flash was allowed in this area without a permit. I have used the ice light before at a wedding and for some product shoots but never for an event like this. I enjoyed the practice I had that night and the pictures that came about. Making it look natural for me is what I like.