N-Photo - The Nikon Magazine - UK (2019-12)

Out in the

midday sun

It may not always be your biggest ally,

but sometimes the sun can present

photographers with unique opportunities

irector David Lynch says

that not only is full-on

cinematic lighting not

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making, but that

having to make do and

improvise leads you in

new and potentially

creative directions. Yes,

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‘turn a problem into an

opportunity’, but don’t be

lulled into thinking that, just because

it sounds like a cliché from a self-help

manual, it isn’t worth listening to. The

quality of lighting plays such a crucial

part in photography for most (with the

exception of the contemporary art

aesthetic of deadpan-and-proud-of-it)

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few of my previous Creative Paths have

featured lighting as a main event, such as

Life in the Shadows (N-Photo 82), Create

a Look (N-Photo 79), and even The Why

of Processing (N-Photo 65).

Lighting, you could say, is its own

thing, and not obviously a creative

stimulant, but Lynch’s comment

resonates with me – in some situations.

Not, I’ll be quick to say, the old favourites

like Golden Hour and Magic Hour and

that short slot in the latter, Blue Evening

Light. These are important times of day

for anyone shooting out and about

• essential ones for a professional
  shooting commercial – but I wouldn’t
  call them a creative direction. They’re
  too well understood and appreciated for

that. It’s when I have conditions that

Ǔdon’t want that things can get

interesting, because they force me out



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I don’t know about you, but I have the

bad habit of wanting certainty, even

though all my experience tells me it’s

slothful. To drag up another cliché, be

careful for what you wish for, because

you might get it. And if what you want

ǕǓǕǕǕ

à la mode, you’ll get

that if you behave professionally, which

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more than that.

School’s out

This was indeed a commercial shoot,

although for editorial ends, if that makes

sense. We were making a photobook

about the Maldives, and were fortunate

enough that the commercial client

(hospitality business LUX* Resorts)

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Nevertheless, when you’re on

assignment, even for yourself, you have

to work, and as the clock’s ticking, you

need to work all the time. So, name

some lighting situations you should

avoid... High on the list is midday in

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photography’s standards, it tends to



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here; we had two weeks to make an

entire book, so reliable lighting times,

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I don’t know about you, but

I have the bad habit of

wanting certainty, even

though all my experience

tells me it’s slothful

Michael

Freeman

Creative Paths

Renowned photographer and prolific

author Michael Freeman presents a

month-by-month masterclass

exploring his tried-and-tested paths

to more creative photography. If you

enjoy this article and want to learn more, there

are 50 more paths to be discovered in Michael’s

book Fifty Paths to Creative Photography. For

more, see: http://www.michaelfreemanphoto.com

Ph

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This mother was on her way to pick up the

kids from school. The harsh contrast of the

Maldives’ midday sun helps make the shot.