thing, I’ve become more patient as a photographer,
not forcing images, not “spraying and praying,” as
I’ve learned to make every shot count.
I’ve also learned that there are rules of physics
that apply to photography—rules that I often took
for granted as I acted like a photojournalist fighting
for position and fighting the situation to make the
light right when all I had to do was make a simple
adjustment. I’ve learned to move a few inches and
perhaps even walk around my subject in order to
take advantage of the “angle of incidence is equal
to the angle of reflection” rule, either by using it to
my advantage or breaking the rule for a more ad-
vantageous illumination of my subject.
I’ve learned to appreciate great quality lighting
just like great quality lenses—lenses that are fast and
can capture the light other lenses fail to see. I’ve
learned the importance of mastering one light and
learning what it actually does before adding any
more lights into the scene. I’ve learned to use my
modeling lights for their true purpose and even how
to trick my camera through creative white balance techniques.
When I wake up with light filtering through my bedroom window, I thank
my God that I can still wake up and can still see the light. Light allows me toFACING PAGE—This editorial nude photo of Mel is from a work-
ing book theme titled “One Light, One Chair.” Here, we use
one monolight fitted with a 7-inch metal reflector that houses
a 10-degree grid. (CAMERA:Canon EOS 5D fitted with a Canon
85mm f/1.2L USM lens. SETTINGS:85mm effective focal length,(^1) / 200 second shutter speed, f/4.5, white balance at 6000K, ISO
125)
For this dramatic image of model
Rika, Tom Suhler used three Nikon
Speedlights covered with Rosco blue
and magenta gels. The main light
illuminating her face was a battery-
powered Hensel Porty Premium with
a portable studio flash head. This
was fitted with barn doors, a 7-inch
metal reflector, and a 10-degree
grid. Two speedlights with magenta
gels were placed inside the left of
the room facing the brick wall; one
was placed to the right of the room
with a blue gel, facing the same wall.
(CAMERA:Nikon D3 fitted with Nikon
70–200mm f/2.8 lens. SETTINGS:
130mm effective focal length,^1 / 250
second shutter speed, f/9, white
balance 5880K, ISO 1600).