Archive for September, 2010
Controlled Soft Light With Chimera Softbox
Tips + Tricks 
0
Fri 09.17.2010
As an artist, I’ve long had an affinity for soft, velvety light full of rich tonal gradations. Two main components determine the degree of softness of a light to subject:
- The size of the source.
- The distance from the source to the subject.
A Chimera softbox increases the source size of a concentrated, artificial light source such a strobe head. It offers a controlled, diffused light that provides visual radiance and a balanced gradient of all 256 nuances of gray. Softer lighting produces flattering luminosity and subtle wrapping of light around your subjects.
Not convinced? There is a host of reasons to include Chimera’s in your gear bag. For instance, harsh lighting leaves distinct marks on imperfect skin, whereas soft lighting minimizes unevenness.
Positioning a grid accessory on a softbox allows you to ensure that the subject, and not the background or other extraneous objects, is lit. Directional, soft light achieves a slimming effect, as graded shadow and highlights optically shave off excess.
In short, softboxes afford photographers maximal control over a shoot, and Chimera’s lightweight, portable, and durable equipment is an industry-standard product that has been an essential component in my gear bag for years.
I slept in the back of a U-Haul van, lest I be forced to brave the nighttime, 40-degree temperatures sans shelter. I sported industrial goggles for days, lest the 70 mile-per-hour sandstorms fling dust into my eyes. I wore state-of-the-art Bose headphones to muffle the ceaseless drone of all-night-long, eclectic, house-electronic music. I looked on with excitement and wonder as tens of thousands of Burning Man pilgrims to the Black Rock Desert gathered around my art-collective encampment, transfixed by my metal-prints exhibition.
Burners travel around the 400-square-mile Playa by bike, as masses of week-long culture-seeking campers comprise a human hive. Pilgrims don all manner of extreme garb, or else no clothing at all–perhaps aside from from bright-blue body paint or an intricate, hand-crafted hat. Their extreme self-expression is the evident manifestation of the Black Rock Desert’s environmental extremism–searing sun by day, near-freezing temperatures by night, dust storms that rip through the encampment, and a jejune, cracked-earth landscape.
Burning Man served as the backdrop for the world premiere of my metal-prints exhibition, featuring eight 30″x45″-inch, dye-saturated aluminum sheets of metal. The two, below videos provide discussion of the desert-resistant art, which Bay Photo generously sponsored, and also problem-solving challenges of installing an exhibition in this environment. Next week, I will release the second component of this three-part Burning Man series, in which I reveal footage from the wild, dynamic event itself. Get ready for more goodies!
Enjoy, and I look forward to hearing your feedback! Did anybody else go to Burning Man? What did you see that inspired *you?
Good morning, friends! I’m back, after a rollicking and inspiring week on The Playa, where I premiered a metal-print solo exhibition at Burning Man–America’s most creatively-radical arts and culture festival, which attracted 50,000+ visitors. Wow. I cannot overstate just how moving others’ responses to the exhibition were. I’ll provide a comprehensive recap of my time at Black Rock Desert in a few days. Until then, I have great news to share!
For the third year in a row, I have been selected as a judge for the International Aperture Awards. Photographers from countries as diverse as Malaysia, Australia, and South Africa comprise the panel, and I am honored to participate alongside them. Better Photography Magazine publisher Peter Eastway will preside over the judging, and it will be a pleasure to learn from his expertise.Have a beautiful week, and I look forward to catching up with you all. Love, Catherine
Lighting Journey: No Limits!
Tips + Tricks 0
Mon 09.06.2010
The use of artificial lighting allows for more flexibility as a photographer. Although natural lighting is undeniably beautiful, it ultimately limits your control over the background. For instance, when I’m shooting indoors, a subject might have alighted upon the perfect position in the room for the window light to beautifully illumine the cheekbone and clavicle. A perfect shot, right? Not so fast. At the same time, that subject could very well be standing in front of a door bearing a garish ‘Exit’ sign overhead! A prime example of optimal natural light, but a less than ideal background.By employing artificial light when on a shoot, I can expose directional light onto a subject–no matter where she or he might be in the room. This allows me to pick the best location for the quality of composition, while consistently maintaining optimal quality of light. You, too, can have optimal lighting and an optimal background, without being constrained by location or time of day. Please send me a link to any images you would like to share where you were able to achieve gorgeous lighting and a fantastic background due to artificial light.
