Light Is Everything In Photography
No matter what you’re photographing — light is the most important thing you need to master. Light.
When I was just a boy, I trained with a portrait photographer in his studio. I used a Hasselblad 501 camera. He trained me to set the light up the same way each time, use the same aperture, etc.
All I was supposed to do was elicit good expressions.
Later, when I learned light on my own, I understood why he did what he did. It was a high volume studio doing maybe 30 portraits a day. There was no time to experiment.
50 years later I’ve done plenty of experimenting and everything I learned about light over those five decades applies to every photo I make, regardless of subject.
So naturally, when I started this new toy/action figure photography kick, I just went with what I already know about portrait lighting. And yes it all applies.
I’ve studied with the best. Dean Collins, Clay Blackmore, Monte Zucker, Tony Corbell, Bobbi Lane, Bambi Cantrell, Matthew Jordan Smith. These are people you may or may not know (but should) and I’ve actually worked with them, spent time with them, shared a stage with them at conventions and I’ve learned from them all. There are others who I haven’t spent as much time with but know and studied their work and learned from them too. I won’t bore you with the full list. It’s very long.
But I will tell you a little more about one of those experiences.
I sat in Clay Blackmore’s studio (years ago, while Monte was still alive) and watched him teach the Zucker way of lighting a portrait. It was methodical. It had structure. There was a reason for every decision. From Clay (and others) I learned about Rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, clamshell lighting, broad light, short light, rim light, soft light, hard light, split lighting etc. etc. etc.
I learned how to make light, manipulate light, diffuse light, direct light.
I learned about color, direction and intensity of light.
I learned about key lights and fill lights and how to use a handheld light meter.
I learned about accent lighting, ambient lighting, task lighting and decorative lighting.
I learned about light falloff.
I learned so much I cannot put all I learned in this one simple article. But I think you’re starting to get the point that in photography, light is a big frickin deal.
Most photographers working today have little formal training in lighting. They think it’s old fashioned. I feel sorry for them. It’s not old fashioned. It’s a grounding that has served me for 50 years no matter my photographic subject and I am so very grateful for it — for all of it.
What I learned from this esteemed group is simple.
1. Light is light
2. Light is everything
3. Light makes or breaks a photograph
4. A poor subject in great light always trumps a great subject in poor light
5. Chase the light
6. Learn all you can about light and then learn some more
7. Lighting is how you create drama, tension, romance, joy and much more in your photos
8. Life’s essence is light
9. Light illuminates, shadows define (Don’t get me started on shadows because I could do a whole article on shadows!)
It all sounds trite. But if you’ve ever seen someone such as (and I could pick any name off my list here but I’ll go with Tony because I’ve seen his presentation the most) Tony Corbell work with just one light. . . well it can be mesmerizing.
The man can make two dozen completely different portraits with the same subject, background and props using JUST — ONE — LIGHT!
I was very, very, very lucky to have these people in my orbit. From each of them I picked up something that mattered. Many/most of them have no idea how much I learned from them. Many/most of them have no idea how much I admire them. Many/most have no idea how much they helped me. So I have spent the last 30 years trying to pay that back by sharing as much of what they taught me as I can possibly remember.
I am applying (have applied) what I learned from the greats to every kind of photography I have ever done. And that is a long list — motor sports, family portraits, weddings, headshots, commercial, nature, wildlife, birds, product photography and now — something as simple, and mundane as toy photography.
And here’s the real cool part. It works. It all works. All the same stuff I learned from these masters and mistresses of light can be applied to my action figure photography.
So sometimes, when I grab one of my action figures, I try to pretend it’s a real “being.” And I go about lighting the image the way I would if I were working in my studio with any or all of the greats who have helped me standing nearby, giving me guidance and inspiration.
I took such an approach with this Batman image. I am using a Genaray Powerbank 96A Pocket LED to provide some slight ambient lighting. I am also using a ULANZI LED Video Light Waterproof IP68 Camera Lighting Kit Mini Cube. Between them, these two lights cost less than $150. You don’t need expensive gear to make great light. You just need to know how to use the gear you have to make it look great.
I used a snoot on the Ulanzi to get the beam of light on Batman’s face and that is where the power lies in this photo.
Like it or not, I hope you can learn from it.
CONCLSUION
The portrait I made of Batman was based on my memory of all the great Batman comics I read as a kid. Batman was always coming out of the shadows to save the day. I tried to bring some of that same character using the lights (and scrims) that I needed to tell that story here in this image.
Hopefully you can take something from my thoughts on the power of light and use it to tell YOUR story using YOUR camera. I am rooting for you.
Remember, toys are joy.
