Shooting in harsh light
I think we can all agree that in these crazy times we are living in, sometimes pivoting is the best or even the only way to get through it. We’ve seen restaurants pivot to offering curbside pickup when they had to close their dining rooms. Employees of many companies working from home instead of reporting to their offices. But pivoting from pet photography to wedding photography??
Have no fear, I have no intention of making that switch. But I did recently photograph a wedding couple for a photography workshop with my local PPA (Professional Photographers of America) guild. If this may seem like a stretch, I can assure you, I learned some really cool things that I think will benefit my clients - the pet owners that is!
The focus of this workshop was shooting in harsh sunlight conditions and our model was a lovely couple who had gotten married a couple of years ago. They were a delight to work with and I imagine for them, dressing up in their wedding attire brought back many wonderful memories of their special day.
We met at a local photography studio and then headed outdoors near downtown Sarasota to find some less than optimal lighting conditions. While many photographers, myself included, try to schedule our sessions for early morning or the last hours of the day when the light is golden, this is not always possible. So sometimes you have to make the most of the situation and that includes working in bright harsh sunlight.
Our instructor, award winning International wedding photographer, Matthew Sowa, showed us how to make the most of the situation to create dramatic and emotional images. In these less than ideal circumstances, had I been shooting on my own, I likely would have gotten frustrated. But Matthew showed us how to incorporate shadows, high contrast and various other elements in our images.
I learned how to see light differently than I ever had before. Backdrops I would have dismissed as poor, or elements like shadows, that I would have deemed as a nuisance ended up becoming a huge component in the images we created. In some of these cases, simply changing the settings on my camera made for some interesting and melodramatic portraits.
I found when I was editing my images, converting them to black and white only furthered enhanced the drama captured. This was definitely different than my usual style, but I found that I really liked how they turned out.
The more I do photography, I find myself drawn to images that reveal more than just a beautiful portrait. I love drama, seeing a story, and feeling an emotion when I look at photos. This is more of what I want to create when I am photographing - whether that’s a pet, a pet and the people who love them, or a couple so very much in love.
Up until now I would have avoided shooting in these types of lighting conditions, but now that I’ve seen the light (ha! see what I did there???), I intend to incorporate bad light into my work. What I once dreaded and feared, I now think will be really fun. Now all I need are a few models!
Interested? If you live in the Sarasota area and would love to be photographed with your dog, shoot me an email at info@trinabauerphotography.com.