Simple Light

Model: Sarah Hardy

Of all the photography workshops I have the pleasure to run, our Natural Light People Photography Workshop is my favourite.As much as I love to create light,  I think I prefer working with the light I am given. Perhaps it is for this reason that I in the process of writing an e-Book on the subject. More on that in weeks to come. 

Available light is a challenge for the imagination and the eye. It provides the photographer with the challenge of spontaneous creativity, forcing his or her mind to see light and create from it. Studio lighting has the advantage of being completely created and tweaked. Available light provides the photographer with much fewer options.

It is also beautiful for its single-light simplicity. This portrait of young model, Sarah Hardy, bears that out. One window was all we used to demonstrate the beauty of available light at our workshop on Saturday. That simple light combined with the vision of an 85mm 1.8 Nikkor is enough to create a beautiful portrait. 

For me it is a reminder - a reminder not keep it simple. One light is often enough for beautiful portraits. Actually, often it is simply perfect.