The Coolness of Lighting

soccerjoe5 · 05-28-2009, 03:25 AM

I used to be an "available light" kinda guy.

A nice story from Joe McNally (one of my favorite photographers ever):

"When I was in school, I wanted to be W. Eugene Smith. He was a legendary staffer at Life, a consummate photojournalist, and an architect of the photo essay. He was also kinda crazy.

That was obvious when he came to lecture at Syracuse University and put a glass of milk and a glass of vodka on the lectern. Both were gone at the end of the talk. He was taking questions and I was in the front row, hanging on every word.

"Mr. Smith, is the only good light available light?" came the question.

He leaned into the microphone. "Yes," he baritoned, and paused.

A shudder ran through all of us. That was it! No more flash! God's light or nothing!

But then he leaned back into the mic, "By that, I mean, any &*%%@$ light that's available."

Point taken."

Here are some of my favorites where I used lights, big or small it don't matter:

tonyjayice · 05-28-2009, 04:24 AM

those are some truly amazing frames there!
very nice play with light and shadows!
Thumbs up..!
*goes into buying lights and whatnot* ^^

-Anton

soccerjoe5 · 05-28-2009, 04:47 AM

Thank you Anton

Deni · 05-28-2009, 05:11 AM

Love all the shots Diego.

BIG Thanks for sharing them with us.

Venturi · 05-28-2009, 05:52 AM

That's my favorite passage from The Moment It Clicks.

Peter Zack · 05-28-2009, 06:07 AM

This is an excellent series. Very well done. I like them all but the one that jumped out at me was the second swimmer (in the water). It looks as if it was taken late at night in the ocean. Supurb!

The girls basketball team is excellent as well. The light is perfectly balanced against the door light and eaven from player to player.

I'm curious why you wouldn't enter one of your shots in something like the weekly challenge. You certainly have the work. It's fun.

soccerjoe5 · 05-28-2009, 06:17 AM

Originally posted by Deni

Love all the shots Diego.

BIG Thanks for sharing them with us.

You're welcome

Originally posted by Venturi

That's my favorite passage from The Moment It Clicks.

I love his stories

Originally posted by Peter Zack

This is an excellent series. Very well done. I like them all but the one that jumped out at me was the second swimmer (in the water). It looks as if it was taken late at night in the ocean. Supurb!

The girls basketball team is excellent as well. The light is perfectly balanced against the door light and eaven from player to player.

I'm curious why you wouldn't enter one of your shots in something like the weekly challenge. You certainly have the work. It's fun.

Thanks Peter! That specific swimming shot was a real challenge

The womens team is actually a volleyball team

I should do that, I keep telling myself to join more contests. Thanks for the reminder/invitation

Maffer · 05-28-2009, 06:28 AM

That's excellent stuff right there. Have already seen most of the photos but few new ones as well. I think Mc Donalds should hire you to shoot their line of burgers because that one you have here looks better than the common burger shots you see at the walls in an average Mc Donalds restaurant.

and · 05-28-2009, 07:57 AM

You do amazing work like I have commented before.

Regarding flash I think there is a trend in how one develops and I have gone through that myself
1. you start taking pictures and use flash when needed, but you just use the pop up flash on auto, pictures look bad
2. you become an available light only guy because your auto flash shots look so bad
3. (I guess not everyone gets here) you discover how to really use flash and learn that flash is your best friends, now you think your (proper) flash shots look a lot better than your available light shots.

because I think, in very general terms and especially indoors:
bad flash shots < available light shots < properly lighted shots
(with all the usual reservations of exceptions)

soccerjoe5 · 05-28-2009, 08:07 AM

I just believe in available light.

"By that, I mean, any &*%%@$ light that's available."

philbaum · 05-28-2009, 10:59 AM

Originally posted by soccerjoe5

I just believe in available light.

"By that, I mean, any &*%%@$ light that's available."

Diego,
Love that quote and your images are, of course, GREAT.

It would be hard to pick a favorite, but i find that volleyball team awesome, and i think more difficult. Nice touch with the floor lighting and the year posters at the top. Extremely well planned and executed.

mithrandir · 05-28-2009, 11:21 AM

LIGHT! You can do so many things with it. And you certainly did, Diego. Thanks for the inspiration.

flyer · 05-28-2009, 05:12 PM

Those pictures are quite a few notches above average. Superb. And I agree 100% with your comment about available light.

soccerjoe5 · 05-29-2009, 11:35 AM

Originally posted by mithrandir

LIGHT! You can do so many things with it. And you certainly did, Diego. Thanks for the inspiration.

Originally posted by flyer

Those pictures are quite a few notches above average. Superb. And I agree 100% with your comment about available light.

Thank you guys

alohadave · 05-30-2009, 06:03 PM

Originally posted by and

You do amazing work like I have commented before.

Regarding flash I think there is a trend in how one develops and I have gone through that myself
1. you start taking pictures and use flash when needed, but you just use the pop up flash on auto, pictures look bad
2. you become an available light only guy because your auto flash shots look so bad
3. (I guess not everyone gets here) you discover how to really use flash and learn that flash is your best friends, now you think your (proper) flash shots look a lot better than your available light shots.

because I think, in very general terms and especially indoors:
bad flash shots < available light shots < properly lighted shots
(with all the usual reservations of exceptions)

That sounds about right as far as my progression. Strobist.com com has completely changed how I look at light.

I have several friends who are always saying how they hate using flash, or hate pictures with flash, but they haven't gotten past available light.

05-28-2009, 03:25 AM	#1
soccerjoe5 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,343	The Coolness of Lighting I used to be an "available light" kinda guy. A nice story from Joe McNally (one of my favorite photographers ever): "When I was in school, I wanted to be W. Eugene Smith. He was a legendary staffer at Life, a consummate photojournalist, and an architect of the photo essay. He was also kinda crazy. That was obvious when he came to lecture at Syracuse University and put a glass of milk and a glass of vodka on the lectern. Both were gone at the end of the talk. He was taking questions and I was in the front row, hanging on every word. "Mr. Smith, is the only good light available light?" came the question. He leaned into the microphone. "Yes," he baritoned, and paused. A shudder ran through all of us. That was it! No more flash! God's light or nothing! But then he leaned back into the mic, "By that, I mean, any &*%%@$ light that's available." Point taken." Here are some of my favorites where I used lights, big or small it don't matter:

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05-28-2009, 04:24 AM	#2
tonyjayice Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Photos: Albums Posts: 151	those are some truly amazing frames there! very nice play with light and shadows! Thumbs up..! goes into buying lights and whatnot ^^ -Anton

05-28-2009, 04:47 AM	#3
soccerjoe5 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,343 Original Poster	Thank you Anton

05-28-2009, 05:11 AM	#4
Deni Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tirana, Albania, South Europe, Planet Earth Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 621	Love all the shots Diego. BIG Thanks for sharing them with us.

05-28-2009, 05:52 AM	#5
Venturi Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Tulsa, OK Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,636	That's my favorite passage from The Moment It Clicks.

05-28-2009, 06:07 AM	#6
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	This is an excellent series. Very well done. I like them all but the one that jumped out at me was the second swimmer (in the water). It looks as if it was taken late at night in the ocean. Supurb! The girls basketball team is excellent as well. The light is perfectly balanced against the door light and eaven from player to player. I'm curious why you wouldn't enter one of your shots in something like the weekly challenge. You certainly have the work. It's fun.

05-28-2009, 06:17 AM	#7
soccerjoe5 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,343 Original Poster	Originally posted by Deni Love all the shots Diego. BIG Thanks for sharing them with us. You're welcome Originally posted by Venturi That's my favorite passage from The Moment It Clicks. I love his stories Originally posted by Peter Zack This is an excellent series. Very well done. I like them all but the one that jumped out at me was the second swimmer (in the water). It looks as if it was taken late at night in the ocean. Supurb! The girls basketball team is excellent as well. The light is perfectly balanced against the door light and eaven from player to player. I'm curious why you wouldn't enter one of your shots in something like the weekly challenge. You certainly have the work. It's fun. Thanks Peter! That specific swimming shot was a real challenge The womens team is actually a volleyball team I should do that, I keep telling myself to join more contests. Thanks for the reminder/invitation

05-28-2009, 06:28 AM	#8
Maffer Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Finland Photos: Gallery Posts: 308	That's excellent stuff right there. Have already seen most of the photos but few new ones as well. I think Mc Donalds should hire you to shoot their line of burgers because that one you have here looks better than the common burger shots you see at the walls in an average Mc Donalds restaurant.

05-28-2009, 07:57 AM	#9
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	You do amazing work like I have commented before. Regarding flash I think there is a trend in how one develops and I have gone through that myself 1. you start taking pictures and use flash when needed, but you just use the pop up flash on auto, pictures look bad 2. you become an available light only guy because your auto flash shots look so bad 3. (I guess not everyone gets here) you discover how to really use flash and learn that flash is your best friends, now you think your (proper) flash shots look a lot better than your available light shots. because I think, in very general terms and especially indoors: bad flash shots < available light shots < properly lighted shots (with all the usual reservations of exceptions)

05-28-2009, 08:07 AM	#10
soccerjoe5 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,343 Original Poster	I just believe in available light. "By that, I mean, any &*%%@$ light that's available."

05-28-2009, 10:59 AM	#11
philbaum Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Port Townsend, Washington State, USA Posts: 3,659	Originally posted by soccerjoe5 I just believe in available light. "By that, I mean, any &*%%@$ light that's available." Diego, Love that quote and your images are, of course, GREAT. It would be hard to pick a favorite, but i find that volleyball team awesome, and i think more difficult. Nice touch with the floor lighting and the year posters at the top. Extremely well planned and executed.

05-28-2009, 11:21 AM	#12
mithrandir Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,895	LIGHT! You can do so many things with it. And you certainly did, Diego. Thanks for the inspiration.

05-28-2009, 05:12 PM	#13
flyer Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ste-Anne des Plaines, Qc., Canada Posts: 2,013	Those pictures are quite a few notches above average. Superb. And I agree 100% with your comment about available light.

05-29-2009, 11:35 AM	#14
soccerjoe5 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,343 Original Poster	Originally posted by mithrandir LIGHT! You can do so many things with it. And you certainly did, Diego. Thanks for the inspiration. Originally posted by flyer Those pictures are quite a few notches above average. Superb. And I agree 100% with your comment about available light. Thank you guys

05-30-2009, 06:03 PM	#15
alohadave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Quincy, MA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,024	Originally posted by and You do amazing work like I have commented before. Regarding flash I think there is a trend in how one develops and I have gone through that myself 1. you start taking pictures and use flash when needed, but you just use the pop up flash on auto, pictures look bad 2. you become an available light only guy because your auto flash shots look so bad 3. (I guess not everyone gets here) you discover how to really use flash and learn that flash is your best friends, now you think your (proper) flash shots look a lot better than your available light shots. because I think, in very general terms and especially indoors: bad flash shots < available light shots < properly lighted shots (with all the usual reservations of exceptions) That sounds about right as far as my progression. Strobist.com com has completely changed how I look at light. I have several friends who are always saying how they hate using flash, or hate pictures with flash, but they haven't gotten past available light.