Studio Lighting Course - Session 4

Tonight was the final session of my (Chris) studio lighting course with my camera club. This week we tried shooting low key images, shots with lots of darkness and/or hard shadows. It was quite a challenge and put to good use the science and techniques we've learnt in the previous three sessions. It is amazing how, once the lights and exposure are set up correctly, you can make a well lit village room almost disappear into the darkness!

As we've had in the previous three sessions, we benefitted from a range of models to photograph including some dressed in 1950s style outfit, a very pregnant lady who made a great profile shot with her "bump" and a ballerina. It's the final of these that is the subject of tonight's blip.

The course is finished now, I've learnt so much but there is still so much to learn. Unlike landscape or architecture (my staple subjects) where lighting is what is there on the day, in the studio setup you have control over nearly everything. There is so much opportunity for variation, almost too much for those new to this. I'm very used to playing with the camera but found finding one good setting and instead moving lights and modifiers was order of the day.

Just need some willing models to practice on now!