Lighting

     I am very much a natural light person. I tend to use the sun a lot more than I would use anything else. Every detail I put into a scene has a purpose, therefore, I don't tend to light key objects, nor do I put emphasis on one subject more than the other. In my second post, I put things that inspire me visually as a cinematographer. And one of the things that inspired me was Jack Radcliffe's photographers of his daughter throughout her life. The emotion of each picture was so beautiful and the fact that he could transcend their father-daughter relationship and catch something so intimate and emotional truly inspired me. But not only does he do this, he uses natural lighting, conveying the fact that these photographs are from his real life.

     In this photo, Radcliffe perfectly frames her face in the shadow of the roof of the car. It such a dark picture, her face looking truly sad as she embraces the first real adult task of driving. The shadow conveys that she is in the dark while the light around her surrounds her. Using natural light may be the hardest type of light one can harness. However, following this photo, if you can use it properly, you can not only make your meaning completely clear, but you can have a natural shot.

     I actually took this photo in my hometown of New Orleans. You can find this statue across the street from the Convention Center, which is located in the Warehouse District. When I took this picture, I literally just pulled my camera out of the bag, shot it, and walked away, not realizing that I had actually captured probably the best picture of lighting I will ever achieve (lighting is not my strength). The actual statue in complete darkness shows the time that it actually represents, Hurricane Katrina. However, the sun shines through, adding the beautiful golden haze that is right behind the statue. This could be the perfect example of what Hurricane Katrina was like: a dark, crazy time with the golden haze of the sun right behind it. I love this photo, because not only was it completely spontaneous. It also harness the beauty of natural light, something that I strive for when lighting a scene. And I did it without even thinking about it.

     Natural lighting is my bread and butter. I want things to look as natural as possible. I like colors to be understated and bland. With natural lighting, I can achieve the type of look I want with some work.