hand out in front of that softbox. Can you see the soft nature of the light?
Now, from the same distance, do it with a 7-inch reflector grid. Can you feel
the heat off the grid? Do you feel the harshness?
Quick Reaction Timing. Another method you can use to sharpen your
skills and see light is a technique I call Quick Reaction Timing, or QRT. I
often teach this technique at my glamour workshops. I introduce it to my at-
tendees to help them improve their hand–eye coordination so they learn to
recognize that fraction of time when their subject is at their finest. The exercise
was conceptualized to help eliminate shutter-finger hesitation, but in all actu-
ality, it will help you to learn to see the light we often overlook too.
The QRT concept is simple. Allocate at least one day per month for yourself
and your photography, and on that day, head to the local zoo. Get there early,
fully rested from the night before, so your mind is fresh. The animals are liveli-
est when they first wake up and it’s feeding time. Also, when the day is young,
the light constantly changes as the sun rises. Not to mention, the crowd tends
to be lightest first thing in the morning.
Your goal is to train your mind to find the funniest things those loveable
creatures are doing while you’re exercising your heart and lungs. When you
look for it, you will find great light in many forms and places. You’ll feel the
62 LIGHTING FOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
There are often many natural reflec-
tors for light. Here, with model Rika,
the reflectivity of the sand and water
allowed me to shoot with just the
natural light. The final image was
postproduced using Nik Software’s
Bleach Bypass and Viveza filters.
(CAMERA:Canon EOS 5D fitted with a
Canon 70–200mm f/2.8L IS USM
lens. SETTINGS:105mm effective focal
length,^1 / 1250 second shutter speed,
f/3.2, white balance at 6000K, ISO
100)