How do you position your artificial light sources?
When shooting portraits, the quality of the images is greatly affected by a multitude of factors that surround the light. Making use of off-camera flash is a very effective way to create depth, mood, and dynamism no matter how flat and dull the actual scene may have been in order to come up with impactful images. A mistake that is often committed by less experienced photographers is failing to consider the impact of the direction of their light to the composition of their image. The well-calculated use of directional light not only gives emphasis to the subject in an environmental portrait but also enhances the visual design of the image.
In this video, portrait and wedding photographer, Jiggie Alejandrino talks about some of the most common mistakes in using off-camera flash and how to determine the proper placement for your light sources. Armed with a Sony a7R IV with a Sony Ziess 50mm f/1.4 remotely triggering a Profoto B2 with an installed Magmod Magbox modifier, this video was shot on-location at an actual wedding.
The shoot happened during a very cloudy afternoon which allowed for Alejandrino to make use of his artificial lights to emulate the sun and reshape the entire scene. This demo illustrates on-the-field decisions that photographers make regarding lighting and how to achieve what you envision in post.
