shots—complete with lens flare and controlled “mistakes.” The client’s di-
rectionswere,“We’llwalkthestreetuntilwefindsomethinginteresting,then
you’ll shoot.” This shot was fortuitous—we simply happened upon the stack
of cones, giving the opportunity for a relaxed, playful photo that suited the
image of the company.
Throughout the shoot, the challenge was to use natural light, open shade,
cloud cover, and bright sunlight without any auxiliary light source. To ac-
complishthis,thepositioningofthemodelswasconstantlymonitoredtotake
advantage of natural reflectors, since no fill lights were used. I used shade
whenever possible (as in the cover shot seen here). In the bright sunlight, I
directedthemodelstolookawayfromthesunlight,sotheproductwasevenly
litbutthemodels’faceswerenothitwithheavyshadows.(Note:Asessionlike
this gives you a good opportunity to shoot additional photographs that the
client can use in their promotional materials.)Tungsten Lighting.
There are two types of tungsten lights commonly used in photography. The
first are regular household (incandescent) lightbulbs. The color temperature
of these lights is around 3200K, making them considerably warmer than day-
light. To achieve a normal white balance when using them, you’ll need to
switchtotungsten-balancedfilm,addbluecolor-balancingfiltrationoveryour
lens, or adjust the white-balance setting on your digital camera.
When using household tungsten lighting as your only light source, be
aware that the intensity of the light is not normally bright enough to allow
you to shoot at a fast shutter speed. This is contrary to what your eyes will be
telling you, because these lights seem so bright and are very hot. Because the
light intensity is deceptively low, it is very difficult to stop motion in the sub-
ject. You can however boost the ISO—if you don’t mind the grainy effect.
One advantage of shooting with tungsten light is that, unlike flash, it is a
continuous source. This makes it easier to predict exactly what the lighting
will look like on the subject—you can actually see the light on the subject
thatwillbeusedtomaketheexposure.Asaresult,manyphotographersenjoy
using tungsten-halogen light sources that are designed specifically for pho-
tography. These typically emit a whiter light than conventional tungsten
(incandescent) lights. Photographic bulbs are also more intense than house-
hold tungsten bulbs—and they generate less heat, making them more com-
fortable for your model and increasing the lifespan of each bulb. A popular
example is the Westcott Spiderlite, a system that accommodates five daylight-
balanced lights (tungsten, fluorescent, or flash tubes) in one light head.
Practical Example: Slow Shutter Speed, High ISO.In image4-12, I
boosted the ISO setting on my camera to 1600 and allowed colored cello-
phane to be blown across the image. The exposure was^1 / 30 second. I love the
TYPES OF LIGHT SOURCES 634-11.The Westcott Spiderlite is supplied
with both daylight-balanced fluorescent
and tungsten tubes.
4-12(facingpage).Tungsten light can
be low in intensity, meaning longer
shutter speeds and higher ISO settings
may be needed—but you can use these
facts to your creative advantage.