Back to College

I’ve been taking a Portrait Photography Class at Folsom Lake College two nights per week.  The teacher is a local portrait and wedding photographer and I’m really enjoying his teaching.  However, he does assign homework…sigh.  I didn’t think college students did homework anymore.  I guess I was wrong.

This latest assignment was a study in studio lighting.

I used one of my favorite subjects, my daughter, for this exercise.  She looks so sweet and innocent.  A lovely flower in her hands…soft lighting…innocent look on her face.

My second set of photos was a little different.

For this “shot” I had her stand in almost the same spot where she was sitting in the first shot (above).  The light is to her right at about eye level.  We used my son’s pellet gun to add a little drama.  (I “shopped” out the orange rim around the tip of the gun for a more realistic look.)  The problem is:  she doesn’t look like she means it.

My next set up was to move the light about 5 feet higher than the previous shot.  That type of lighting is not very flattering as it looks like DMV or mug shot lighting.  So, I had her look up as if she’s trying to shoot someone off a roof top.  The lighting makes her look a little more serious, but I think we still need to work on a more fierce look.

Ok…that’s more like it.  The light was moved below her giving a kind of “monster light” look.  “Monster light” names comes from the trick we all did as kids:  putting a flashlight underneath our chin and pretending to be a monster.  It casts weird shadows on upper lips, noses and eyebrows, while lighting underneath the chin.  I think she looks a little more serious here.

It was a fun assignment.  I just hope my instructor has a good sens of humor.