I think I just learned an important lesson...

[Dan Quan]

This is lit with the 2 horizontal fluorescent lights hanging in the background and nothing else. I saw the light and we started shooting, if I'd have added anything I'd have messed it up. I think this is the beginning of a new photographic journey for me, to just see the light as simply as it is and shoot that. I'm not sure what else but this feels important somehow, and I wanted to share it.

This post is ONLY about light and the feeling it evokes!

 

[snapguy]

look

The first thing I learned about photography was "look at the light."

 

[cliveh]

see below.

 

[StoneNYC]

I'm not sure I follow, what lesson did you learn?

 

[Terry Breedlove]

I'm not sure I follow, what lesson did you learn?

Clearly he says the lesson he learned is "to just see the light as simply as it is and shoot that".

 

[StoneNYC]

Clearly he says the lesson he learned is "to just see the light as simply as it is and shoot that".

As poetic as that might sound, that doesn't really translate to my either highly evolved or highly devolved brain while also looking at the image... I don't get why it's good to shoot the light...

 

[pentaxuser]

I may be in a minority of one but I have to confess that had it been me I might have taken a while to concentrate on the light.

pentaxuser

 

[Dan Quan]

As poetic as that might sound, that doesn't really translate to my either highly evolved or highly devolved brain while also looking at the image... I don't get why it's good to shoot the light...

Out of expedience and necessity I have developed habits in my photography, some are really helpful and the helpfulness of some need to be reevaluated. There are typically 2 ways I make an image; 1 is to gather as much information as possible about the subject and location and use and viewership and pre-visualize a basic starting point, and 2 is to make rapid evaluations of the same basic information when I arrive at the location, then set up the lighting and start shooting. Unfortunately this actually boils down to ONE approach which is either slowed down or sped up and usually overpowers the subtlety and ambiance unique to the location. The upside is the approach is expeditious and usually works well enough and I literally mean it works to mediocritize or homogenize my photos as to be acceptable to most but not particularly meaningful or exciting to anyone including me.

For me this set of photos was different. This set of photos has, for me, qualities of light and line which evoke in me an excitement almost completely lacking in my all of my previous work. Now I am just talking about myself and how I feel about this set, I have no idea how it's being received in the larger community. But for me this set and the experience of seeing the beauty of the light as it existed without any input or thought or manipulation or effort from me and shooting the simple beauty it revealed has mentally and emotionally brought me back to a very personal root love of basic photography seen in the old masters of light. Please don't misunderstand, I am not comparing this to masterful work. But I am saying that I want to see light better, I want to be more sensitive to existing light and this set has triggered within me a visceral reaction which shows that is possible.

This set works for me on a very basic level. I came. I saw. I shot. It was quite literally effortless and I really really liked it. So from here I will be changing my approach to shooting when possible to allow for more priority and sensitivity to the existing light and ambience and only add what is absolutely and unequivocally necessary. Unfortunately old habits are hard to break, but not impossible.

 

[Dan Quan]

I may be in a minority of one but I have to confess that had it been me I might have taken a while to concentrate on the light.

pentaxuser

and I would sincerely encourage you do that if thats where your heart leads you.
I don't expect my shoes to fit everyone, but i do find it very satisfying when i find a pair that fit me particularly well.

 

[erikg]

It's pretty exciting to discover that you are seeing things in a new way and that things that seemingly were hidden from you are now obvious. Looks to me like the light was more to the model's left than behind her but no matter. Best of luck with your work.

 

[Dan Quan]

It is very exciting, even if the model and I are the only 2 on the planet that really like this set. I've been thinking about this and frequently when I shoot a portrait or model one of the first things I do is set up some lights and then do a test. From now on I want to shoot some tests and see more clearly whats happening with the ambiance. Thank Fuji for instant film!