Using found lighting

080405-VU0S9449, originally uploaded by Stephen Faust.

This is a great example of using found light, rather than trying to recreate it. We were in the Caribbean and the sun was high and bright, as typical mid day along the equator. I placed the model under a roof of a fishing shack, and used the wall as a prop for her to lean on. The sun was high in the sky in front, but she was shaded from it by the roof overhead.

There are a couple of reasons this lighting scenario worked so well, and we will break it down as an example. The bright sun created a north light type of effect when the model was under the roof. Since she was shaded and out of the direct sun, she was illuminated by the indirect light from the sky, hence the north light.

The white sand on the beach in the foreground also acted as a reflector and threw light up from the groun d and basically filled the lower shadow area with light. This filled in the dark shadows that would have resulted from the model leaning against the wall with only a north light.

Since she was also leaning against a white wall, it acted as yet another reflector taking in the north light, reflected light from the sand, and bounced that into the shadow areas behind the model. Even directly behind her lower back area on the wall, there is a slight shadow, but the wall texture and details are presented because of the bounce and reflected light it is receiving. Had she been wearing a white cotton sun dress, even those shadows would almost disappear because of the added reflective power it would add.

The result is a very nice combination of light that is natural, low in contrast compared to being in direct sunlight, but with directionality and ‘character’. It also has a softness to help smooth out her skin tones and texture.

~ by sfaust on April 7, 2008.