Make Light Real

Neil November 12th, 2008

his post is in the Thinking Big series combined with a couple other techniques:

• Thinking Big: outside the music hall
• Lighting a HUGE space – for anything that may happen
• + Light Control: turn the sky from white to blue
• + Balancing the Sun with flash – Crosslighting

Equals how to cross light a mountain!

One of the repetitive questions I get from people are – why such a big flash – and why take it all over with you? I suppose it would be like asking someone who works online the whole time why they use a broadband internet connection (http://www.o2.co.uk/broadband/mobile/), for them the answer is pretty obvious. And it is for me too, it just makes so many more options available.

Quite frankly – this is EXACTLY why!

In my lighting case that I loaded onto the plane in Rochester New York was:

• 1 Alien Bee 800 Monoblock flash unit
• 1 Paul C. Buff Vagabond portable power unit and power cord
• 1 Black Impact Air Cusioned light stand height 230cm (model #SLS-LS8A)
• 1 Pocketwizard reciever
• Paul C Buff 11 inch parabolic reflector

Here’s one of the resulting peak moment shots that I try to reach for in my wedding photojournalism. The lighting case was loaded in the helicopter’s coffin gear carrier for the trip up the mountain and across the island. But a large mono-light wasn’t all I had in my arsenal…

Of course I want to cover the whole event with variety as well as style so get past the jump and let’s talk details…This wedding took place in rural New Zealand, about 10 k from the end of the road, and the tallest mountain peak in the photos is Aoraki – Mt. Cook – the highest peak in New Zealand. The peak is where Sir Edmund Hillary trained to reach the top of Everest, and is one of the most unique ecological systems in the world. My clients live and work at the Glentanner station which hosts the Helicopter Line’s tours on the east side of the Mountain. The lake you see in the photos is Lake Pukaki it’s unique green tint is generated from the runnoff from the Tasman glacier which feed’s it.

When I talk about lighting, I talk about finding your motivation – that applies both technically (the motivation of the light) as well as psychologically. I had complete control over the location, angle and direction of the ceremony as I had earned the clients trust. It would have been easy for me to turn my back on the sun, and work overlooking the Pukaki valley, like this shot of the bride and groom after the ceremony.

But I knew that my clients watched the phases of the mountain every day from where they own their restaurant.

So I wanted to include the peak that demands attention in the ceremony photos – that’s why I brought the gear.

Helicopters are loud! But to really get a sense for the depth and scale of the valley – you can’t have it blown out to white while you adjust your exposure for the groom’s face!

With the Alien Bee firing at about 1/2 full power, I was able to get a nice amount of contrast out of the shaded side of the bride and groom.

So if you’re wondering where I placed the light – it’s actually JUST outside the frame of this fisheye image. Extened to full height on the lightstand – it’s probably only 15 meters from the bride and groom (this is an exaggerated perspective) with the 11inch reflector pushing the cone of illumination toward the center. You can see the false sunshine on the back of the neck of the woman to the left closest in the frame.

With the highlight points of the ceremony taken care of I was able to shoot the group and family shots quickly – and with the same dramatic background. The we moved to some portraits.

Here I used the sun as rim light, and keyed the exposure from the strobe – darkening sky to the dramatic blue hue!

I then moved my position capitalizing on a different part of the environment as the strobe provides the side illumination to brighten them against the backlit clouds. The tonal control afforded by LAB color space and my ONE ACTION workflow gives me the power to lighten the areas of weaker illumination and hold the detailed contrast in the bright clouds. The secret sauce included in the ONE ACTION workflow tools allows me to custom taylor this balance in one step.

Again I’m ‘bending‘ the sunlight onto my subjects without changing the light in the environment, so that you might assume that the sun was coming from camera left when in reality its positioned directly above the couple.

One of my favorite shots from the day, again with the fisheye – but the interesting characteristic of this photo is the counter intuitive gear that was used to make it. On camera flash. The trick when using limited tools is to use them selectively. I changed the settings on the Canon 550ex shoe flash to zoom (narrow) the beam emitted to the 70mm setting. I then changed my camera’s exposure compensation to -1EV – and my flash exposure compensation to +1EV.

With these settings I have ask the camera to underexpose the ambient light (darkening the image + sky) and have ask the flash to output more light (brightening whatever it is aimed at). So by narrrowing the pool of light emitted I aimed it off axis to the right slightly and hit my subjects while raising my arm and walking through the clumps of rugged grases. So yea, I actually shot this without looking because I trust how my gear works.

I also used the mini soft box I keep in my bag for a few shots on Lake Wanaka’s gravel shores.

Photoflex XTC softbox on Canon 550ex flash – 2-3 meters from subjects held by walking assistant.

Notes on natural light…

I don’t want to give the impression that a whole shoot by me is dominated by ‘lighting tricks’ or driven purely by lighting concepts.

In this image I used the High Dynamic Range functions of the ONE ACTION to bring out the tender embrace of the bride’s father walking her to the ceremony. Keeping your awareness in a place that allows you to capture whatever is about to occur, is a skill that will inform your artificial lighting even more.

If a spontaneous spin is in order, then you’re not going to setup a flash in time.

Allowing a visual infatuation with texture doesn’t start in photoshop – it starts as you absorb each environment you get to photograph.

Having a sense for light and dark, doesn’t start when I apply a vignette overlay in photoshop – even though this image uses one to help accentuate it’s design.

And instructing the Helicopter pilot to wait until the very last moment of setting sun is hitting the top of Mt. Cook shows how I use my sense for the natural light that goes beyond recognizing – but into planning for your my own success. I instructed the pilot to land at 5000ft elevation amongst gathering clouds, and since the couple had chosen the most experienced pilot the company had to offer – as well as sweetened him up with free coffee a few times – we were able to make this relatively dangerous landing and photo session possible.

The only reason we were able to make this picture is because of Nigel’s experience, daring and willingness. He told us that on his warning we would have to be back in the chopper within 1 minute, because if a cloud covers us – we can’t take off – because the pilot flys visually. The helicopter is perched on loose stones, and Nigel got out and propped us up with extra stones before he would let us get out. The helicopter is idling with the blades spinning so we can make a quick takeoff. On the port side of the bird, there’s probably only two meters to the edge of the cliff from the rotor tips. So Nigel has made a pretty difficult landing at my request, so that I can capture this scene. Again my thanks go out to him.

From this angle, you can see the clouds at our elevation across the valley.

Oh boy wouldn’t I have loved to had the time to get to the Tasman Peak & Ben Ohau Mountain Range side of the valley to land the couple on the west facing ridges – but that will have to wait until next time. From that side I could get more of the turquoise hues of the glacially fed Lake Pukaki also. So if you’re reading this an considering a destination wedding in the mountain ranges of New Zealand – please pick this adventurous photographer! I really need another try at examining this beautiful landscape.

Related Lighting Tutorials:

• Thinking Big: outside the music hall
• Lighting a HUGE space – for anything that may happen
• Light Control: turn the sky from white to blue
• Balancing the Sun with flash – Crosslighting

• Creativity , Exposure , Gear , How To: , Motivation , Photographic Flash , Photography Lighting , Tutorials
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