The Power of Light
In my lighting workshops I often talk about how learning and understanding how to use off-camera flash and studio strobes - "introduced lighting" - can actually help us create images that seem more natural, despite the fact that it's not "natural light".
The image on the left was one shot naturally - that's to say, without any other light than what was there in the scene. As the sunrise was brighter than my subject in order to expose so that he wasn't in shadow (a silhouette), I had to over-expose the sky. This washes out the rich, warm colour of the sky and gives me an image that's pretty flat and boring.
But using lights - as seen on the right - I'm able to keep my background exposure where I want it (rich and warm) and fill in the shadows with some off-camera flash, which also helps the colours of his immaculate regalia to pop. The image on the right, "A Warrior's Soul", went on to become probably the most popular image that I ever shot. But if I had remained afraid of introduced lighting (which was the case for years) I would have been stuck with the image on the left, which isn't at all, to me, memorable.
For more hints, discussions, and information on my workshops, consider joining my "Dave Brosha Workshops" page on FB, located at /groups/551292791585308/
For those interested in upping their portrait game in 2027, @waynesimpsonphoto are pleased to be bringing our workshops to the following locations next year (each year we choose different places across Canada). Email me at [email protected] if you want to get the registration link tomorrow!
Calgary (January 16/17, 2027, B+W Portraits)
Kamloops, BC (June 2/4, 2027, CHARACTER)
Halifax, Nova Scotia (June 28-30, 2027, CHARACTER)
Elora, Ontario (August 16-18, 2027, CHARACTER)
Four portraits from Planet Earth.
1. Alice Ayalik. Kugluktuk, Nunavut.
2. Tom Smitheringale, Egypt.
3. Nadia Smith, Prince Edward Island
4. Lexy Parks, Kelowna, BC.
Today, one from the archives.
Littlebear Sanchez is an from the Apache Nation in Texas who found himself in the bone-crushing cold of Yellowknife to explore the world, visit friends, and ultimately, in my studio one afternoon for a photoshoot. #portraiture
Portraits from Hebron in the northern tip of Labrador. Hebron was a community that was disbanded in 1959 and its many Inuit families - without consultation - were force-relocated into different communities.
Our group overnighted at Hebron; the caretakers of the area allowed us to sleep in the church building that was abandoned in 1959, but had been painstakingly restored over the past decade by many of the Inuit families that were evicted from this area over 60 years ago. We were honoured to sleep in this erie and important building, but didn't realize - that night - the significance of our stay.
The next morning, Levi (photo #2) - he was moved from Hebron when he was pretty much a baby but has since spent summer after summer back at Hebron working countless hours on the restoration - sat our group down.
He was emotional, and we soon found out why.
He said that he was emotional because our group, with our stay in the church, represented the first group to stay overnight in that building in over 60 years. They had been working for years to get the building up to a place where this could happen...and it finally happened.
He said he was honoured, and so happy to see us there...but the honour was all ours.
The photo of Levi is in front of some of the brick work that he personally had been painstakingly restoring in the church.
Studio work with the Talented Mr. Colton Curtis (@coltonccurtis ), channeling some old-school vibes.
Big thanks to Sharon Keller (@sharon.at.bounce ) for her help styling this series!
I found pure joy on a terraced hillside in northern Vietnam. I spend a lot of time in my portraiture using lights and creating mood, but sometimes just a pure smile in the magic of evening light is the only "light" you need. #vietnam
Beautiful chaos at the night market. I took this shot and then these gents invited me to have a shot of strong rice wine with them.....so I kind of had to, right? I choked it back, they laughed, and it was really just sort of a special moment. #vietnam
