nice lighting surprise

VayCayMom · June 3, 2009

I was shooting a young friend of mine, she would only let me shoot her face, no arms even ! I wanted to copy something I had seen in an orange grove, but we could not find a suitable one. We settled for a sparse patch of grapefruit trees. She was under one tree with an open lot and sun behind me, in the mid AM. I was delighted how her face lit up, almost like there was an uplight.
In other photos you can actually see me, my shadow and the empty lot behind me reflected in her eyes!!
I'll be on the lookout for other spots that offer this type of shade and lighting.

KellyC · June 3, 2009

Very nice picture.
Kelly

MarkR · June 4, 2009

Very nice light!

Is it all natural lighting or did you have a fill/ reflector?

dogwood · June 4, 2009

MarkR wrote:

Very nice light! Is it all natural lighting or did you have a fill/ reflector?

Nice job. I was wondering the same thing about the reflector-- looks like you are using one but your description sounds like you weren't. Was the ground bright? Something is reflecting that light back onto her face!

WingsOfLovePhoto · June 5, 2009

Very nice!

VayCayMom · June 5, 2009

Discovery!!

dogwood wrote:

Nice job. I was wondering the same thing about the reflector-- looks like you are using one but your description sounds like you weren't. Was the ground bright? Something is reflecting that light back onto her face!

AHA, I learn something everyday on this forum, thanks to all of you!!

I just realized the secret to my success in these photos is due to the DIRT LOT we were in. Not the trees, or time of day or whatever. The dirt lot was square and and had trees along the outer edge, the middle being all a pale tan dirt, baked by Arizona sun!! We took the pictures along the outer edges under trees.

I first noticed on my screen that her pupils in some shots had a weird cross like image, closer inspection showed a reflection of me and my shadow in some that made odd " catchlights" over part of her pupils. Some of these were taken from opposite directions but all show a reflection of the pale dirt lot. You know I would have tried this technique in other areas and would not have thought about the importance of the ground color. Now I REALLY know the secret!!

check out her eyes in each photo...these are sooc

1 she is basically facing same way as original, here I noticed the odd cross in her pupils, actually a reflection of me, my shadow, the dirt lot, the trees across the lot and blue sky.

2 Now across the lot, light somewhat behind overhead , and still the lot , me and my shadow are reflected but not nearly as much, and not the uplighting look.

3 now at one side of the lot with the sun a tiny bit overhead to her right, you can see the color of the dirt in the background and part of the lot is reflected in her eyes so brightly it makes a slash of pale tan across her eyes.

photogmomma · June 5, 2009

Beautiful! The last shot has a bit too much sun on the hair, but otherwise gorgeous.

A GREAT book on lighting is Natural Lighting by Douglas Alan (Allen?) Box. I'm probably butchering the name. Anyway, the photos are only okay, but the techniques are perfect. You found one of the sweet spots and there are tons more in that book!

Great job finding that light!

VayCayMom · June 5, 2009

photogmomma wrote:

Beautiful! The last shot has a bit too much sun on the hair, but otherwise gorgeous.

A GREAT book on lighting is Natural Lighting by Douglas Alan (Allen?) Box. I'm probably butchering the name. Anyway, the photos are only okay, but the techniques are perfect. You found one of the sweet spots and there are tons more in that book!

Great job finding that light!

Thanks, I'll look for that book!