Lighting isn't just about following tried and true recipes to get standard shots; it's about experimenting to create something unique. This great video shows how experimentation can lead to shots you never anticipated.
Coming to you from Daniel Norton, this video follows him as he experiments with adding flare to shots in his studio. The thing I love about Norton's videos is that he combines his deep knowledge with a pragmatic approach that gives you a very realistic look at how he's actually thinking on set. This helps you to see his thought process as he evaluates what's working and what's not and as he follows his instincts to shots that he might not have planned beforehand. As you can see in the video above, he starts out by playing with creating lens flare by setting up two Profoto A1s with gels behind the model. Because of the flare (which causes a loss of contrast) and the fact that the light is bouncing around his entire studio before it hits the model's face, it creates an extremely soft and flattering look. What's important to notice, however, is how Norton notes the smallest details and leverages them creatively. When the A1s don't recycle fast enough and he gets an underexposed shot, instead of immediately tossing it, he admires the darker exposure and explores it a bit, getting more images out of the set. Check out the video above for his full process.
Like Bob Ross said "Just happy little accidents."
I like how he is allowing us to see every shot he does not just the good ones. It let's us see the process it takes to get the shot and letting us know that it isn't hard to get a good shot as long as you know there is a process getting to it.