pretty intense catchlights in her eyes. Some light was reflected off the truck
fender and chrome, providing a bit of fill.
Tammy, a country singer, wanted to pose with the old cars for the liner
notes on her upcoming CD (below, left). An early 1950s Chevy Bel Air gave
her just the feeling she wanted. We had hoped to create the feeling of the
sun’s last rays, but the day we chose was pretty cloudy. Therefore, the flash
was placed to her left and slightly behind her to simulate the effect. My as-
sistant held a large 3x6-foot reflector to bounce some of the flash back to her
shadow side. While not perfect, it worked for the CD. She also ordered a
large print to hang in her home.
Lakes, Rivers, and Oceans.Some of you may live near oceans with beau-
tiful beaches. In my area, we have numerous lakes and rivers. Jennifer (below,
right) posed for this sexy and compelling portrait on one of the Eau Claire
River’s many sandbars. Shot at around sunset, the golden hues beautify her
skin and permeate the background. Jennifer’s facial angle is basic; her body
and face were turned toward the main light, a strobe balanced to match the
sunlight. Reflections off the water provided the fill light.
While a lot of photographers avoid bright sunshine at midday, we took
Jess, who is a lifeguard and competitive swimmer, to another of the river’s
LEFT—We wanted a late-day look for Tammy’s
portrait, but the day of the session was quite
cloudy. As a result, we had to simulate the look
with flash. RIGHT—Jennifer is posed in a funky
C pose, necessitated by the sloping bank of the
river.