Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Myth of Lighting Equipment

Or, more aptly, the myth of spending a fortune on lighting equipment...

Do you have a a window? Does it let light in? Do you have a tripod (this is one piece of equipment that is absolutely essential)? Something neutral colored to use as a background?

Well, then, hold onto your socks, Bunky, you are all set to make really good "studio" photographs.

The idea that great photography mostly comes from highly equipped studios (you know the type - $40k worth of strobes, four or five nervous assistants, and one smug sob at the head of it all) is a palpable falsehood, and a lie, even.

If your desire is to over light and over style whisky or perfume bottles, make women look like plastic, or generally aid and abet those who would mulct and addle the public, you do need all this stuff. But then your interest ain't in art.

Put a single flower in a vase and make a beautiful photo using window light and a tripod. Make a portrait using window light, keep it as simple as you can, and concentrate on the image, not on the equipment.

Intent, tools and technique - all combine to make the image strong.

See what you want, then take the picture.

Happy Holidays...

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