I started series of photo techniques when shooting for prints (that apply to any photography if you want a special shot and not likes on a different photo every day). I was asked about when I was going to do the next one. I quit because most people were bored. But a few people who said they learned something asked for me to continue. Before I do, I wanted to explain something. I am not an expert. I never studied photography (although I taught an advanced photography course {Developing Your Eye I-IV} at a community college - where they let anyone teach if you have more time than brains and do not need money. I am self taught. I have never become really good at anything and have no degrees although some professors at Notre Dame let me audit courses that interests me. I discuss technical subjects and think I understand them. But in general, I tend more towards practical knowledge. My proteges call my professor, but it is just them honoring me and nothing to it.
When I wanted to become a better photographer, I went to see examples of good pictures. In this case art museums since there were not any photography museums I knew of then. Although today I would love to get back to the Getty and spend days studying the photos there. For awhile I painted. In the 90s I switched from paint to digital painting. It was so much easier than shaving my cats every time they got paint in their hair. A car on my keyboard blocking my monitor is so much better than a cat on my palette blocking the easel. Painter only ran on Mac and was slow. Fauve came out with a wonderful program called Matisse that did things Painter did not. And it had no eraser just like my my brush and canvas. I was not a very good painter and there are so many painting of almost everything. Similar to photography today. So, I painted music. Ravel was easy and people who listened to Ravel would surprise me by knowing it was Ravel and even which work as they heard the painting by looking at it. AC-DC was also easy and some people would hear the song when the saw it. I never was able to paint a Santana song I would hear. Before the internet, I had a small (8 public lines) BBS and through FIDO and the backbone communicated world wide with an AT and some XT modem servers multitasking in DOS before Windows. As I got to know people, I would paint their spirits. I would never tell who, I just put the paintings out there. And they would quickly find theirs.
The reason I write all this is because that is what I do with my serious photography. Which you will never see, because all screens look different. Iphone looks different than Androids (which look different than each other) which look different than sRGB monitors which look different than 50" TVs (especially HDR 10+). So the only serious things I do are for HDR 10+ TV screens. I cannot find a way to visually communicate when I do not know what the other person is seeing. It is my weakness. This is why I write about photographing for print.
There are many wonderful photos of events, places, people, etc. I love them. I see things I will never see with my own eye. There are plenty of tutorials on how to take these photos. There are even tutorials that take you through developing to get the same look as the person did. I do not want to do that. There are many people who got very successful imitating others. In the art world, they are known as forgers. Just as when I discussed a different way to use zoom, I explained it so you could enhance you shot for the look you wanted at that time and place. Putting yourself and your feelings into the photo is what makes it special. I take 5 to 30 shots of something to get the right look. If someone looks at that and then goes out and takes a photo on their cellphone of the same thing, then my photo did not say anything to them.
And so I get to the subject. The writing will be shorter than this introduction.
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Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro is the strong contrast between light and dark. Vermeer is a good example of using light. (The Milkmaid is all light with the subject itself somewhat obscured from the light). Of course da Vinci is the classic example of using light. If you are really interested in the use of light, look at some of his drawings first rather than the paintings. Adding color to it somewhat obscures the lighting. Although both work together in a good photo. In photography Weegee is probably the best example of Chiaroscuro.
Now here is where I am supposed to tell you how to get the right light for each photo. It is not going to happen. I mentioned some examples in drawings (and paintings above). I feel if something has stood the test of 400 or 500 years, it says more than I can. The first step to using light is understanding it. The examples I mentioned above are all online. And you may find more of your own. Look at one. First feel the mood. Is it peaceful and serene? Is it vibrant and alive? Is it in your face look at this? Is it in the pensive and moody? It is sad? Or may joyful? All of this is controlled by the light. Many paintings are of a woman. And yet with same subject, all these paintings have a different mood. Since you can see and usually download versions of these works sort them. Put the ones with the same mood together. Then look at them and study them to see what is similar with the others. As you do this, you will learn how to use the light to add that mood to your photos. There is probably a place or scene near you that gives you a certain feeling. You have probably photographed it before. To start with using light to make the photo yours, study the examples of that mood. Learn that lighting. Then go out and apply that to your subject. You may have to go at the right time. I am saving the providing lighting to the next part of this. When you view the shoot before you are taking it, view it in B&W at least once to study the light. Then take it in color as color can affect the mood. Or maybe you will see the B&W as what you want. In the processing you may have to tune the light. I believe if you are making your photo that you want to show this world and proudly say I did this, you should process it. After everything else is done to get it, why let a programmer who may have never taken a photo decide what it should look like. You have more emotion to put in the photo than that program ever will.
As you looked at the examples of light and saw the many of women, you probably saw one that reminded you of someone. Although the woman was different, the spirit of the painting was the same. Remember I mentioned I painted people's spirits. I would like to discuss photographing their spirits. In this case they will be in the photo as opposed to what I did. But not always. I have a photo of my grandmother which is of her kitchen and it is a better portrait than any photo with her in it. To take a portrait of someone you know find the mood you want in the light examples. Then light the person the same way to bring out that part of their personality. This is not professional portraiture. There are rules and techniques for that which professional's use with everyone. This is personal portraiture where you want the spirit of the person to come through the photo. When you know what light brings out the emotion and feeling you want, now apply it. I should stop there and leave you wondering WTH?
You will need 1 off camera flash (more can be better). Do you want to capture a soft loving woman who treasures cooking for her family to come together? Try putting the flash outside the window to give that glow on her in the kitchen. And then diffuse it. Many things can be used as a diffuser. I like white tulle which is inexpensive and can be layered, shaped and used any place until soft boxes, umbrellas, etc. It is also used to put over the lens to add that magic soft focus with glow of the classic glamor shots. (BTW, use black tulle with men.) Add layers or remove as needed. Now add reflectors to direct light to her face and room as needed to create the mood. Reflectors are inexpensive and come in different colors which bring out different moods. You can also use materials at hand. Christmas paper, boxes, cardboard and cooler covers all work if you want just one photo. Aluminum foil or a shiny reflector are good when the area you want to light is not in a direct path of the light source. You place the shiny reflector in direct line (as near as possible) to the light source and aim it at the reflector that will provide the light you need. This is where a second flash can help if you will use it enough to justify purchasing it. I do recommend a reflector set (or multiple ones of different sizes. They are around $20 to $30 (USD). A reflector stand is around $25 (USD). This topic is about light. Reflectors let you move light. While I discussed portraits, they can be used anywhere. When you cannot park a white van to light under a tree, they come in 60 inch sizes (largest round one that I am aware of - square 40"X60"). This is to me much preferred to boosting shadows (and noise) in post. And also gives soft shadows and shaping that boosting shadows cannot do. Although you can in post light a photo anyway you want to, it takes time and you have no idea what it will look like when you are taking the shot. The stand beats waiting for someone to hold it. If taking flower shots for a botanical garden (something I do for them) use your camera bag as weight as these things like to fly in the wind. And if your kids cannot get a kite to take off, tie a string to a 42" reflector and try to take photo of them on a sunny windy spring day. They will fly that thing for hours.
For a young person taking on the world and winning, you would of course you hard light, deeper shadows and sharp dividing lines. And they can both be of the same person showing different moods and saying different things.
As always, this is not meant for everyone nor every photo. But for those few who want to make something special sometimes, I hope this adds some tools or ideas to your arsenal.
If this is useful and you would like me to write more, please let me know. If you wish I would keep this drivel off of here, please let me know that. I know that only a select few will be interested. For those who read this far, I thank you for your time and consideration.