Tag: natural light

Blog Posts

In The Mist Of Things

I have mentioned before what the challenges are when shooting outdoors.  I usually plan my shoots according to the weather, especially if I am hoping to create a certain mood.  Although none of us can predict the weather to the T, at least we have some indication of what it is going to look like….. unless you live in Cape Town. Last night I had a shoot which I planned for a while now.  Various factors led us to postpone, especially previous weather conditions. The mood board which I had send to the model for approval had a summer breach scene and we were hoping for a nice sunset. Have I mentioned before that I love shooting while the sun sets?  Anyway, the whole day looked perfect.  The sun was shining, no wind, just a slight offshore wind and I was convinced that today was going to be the day.  As I was driving to the beach later in the afternoon, a message came from the make-up artists.  “I am setting up but it looks like it’s going to rain.” Although I knew that my sunset shoot was not going to happen, I was actually glad.  It wasn’t going to […]

Blog Posts

Let There Be Light

I was following a post recently on facebook where a photographer were ranting about “unprofessional photographers” who do not even have “proper lighting equipment”. He actually called them by name, “natural light photographers”.  As a rule I don’t respond on facebook when someone gives an opinion, but knowing how much effort, time and planning goes into “natural light photography”, here is my opinion. I call myself a “natural light photographer” and there is more than one reason why I prefer to shoot outside with natural light.  Probably the first and foremost reason is because I want to be outside.  Shooting in a studio for me is like working in an office. Secondly I sometimes smile when I see the amount of equipment some togs carry down to the beach in order to shoot a model. A whole entourage of people carrying stuff, holding reflectors and speed lights and whatever gadget you can find to look more “professional’.  I don’t like carrying stuff, so the most advanced lighting technology you will find with me is probably a flash. I don’t even carry an extra battery with me.  Unless I want to create a special look or mood, you will not find […]