Ron Shoots

When I was shooting in the rental studio last week, the access was through a skylit hallway. I knew I needed to do a shot in that location when the moment presented itself. One of the models had a simple white dress, and thus the moment. Sometimes its just a simple thing like the right wardrobe that will trigger an idea, sometimes a prop, or even a conversation. Like most shooters, or any visually aware person, I become totally cognizant of the environment. This is really what I enjoy about stock- being able to improvise and challenge myself at any given time.

Here’s the first shot in the hallway- uuugh! Wasn’t quite working. The model was directly under the skylight and clouds had just obscured the sun. With this dull light, the hallway became way too busy. Not the effect I wanted.

The next step was to back up a few steps, let the skylight fall behind the model, and keep her body in an area shadowed from the skylight. I changed the camera exposure from “center-average” to “spot-metering” and after a couple of quick test shots I was a happy camper! Here are a few of the images:

This shot was accomplished with nothing more than the right exposure. There were no reflectors or any extra light beyond the available light. When spot-metering, especially with a white garment, it’s best to meter on the model’s face. I typically will pop up the exposure by 1/2 of a stop to keep the effect on the light and airy side.