Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Jay Maisel are but a few truly great practitioners of “Existing Light Photography” and there is no argument that they and others have produced multiple thousands of amazingly inspirational images. But the difference in taking photos and making photos lies in the control or creation of light within the image. Relying on found or existing light many times does not offer either the technical qualities or artistic expression that an advanced photographer requires
George Hurrell of 1930s-1940s Hollywood fame worked entirely in incandescent light and was the absolute master of celebrity portraiture,taking hours and often days to achieve the exact lighting he desired. Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton became masters of advertising/fashion photography by their innovation in controlling light within their images.
My point is, so much can be added to the creation of an image with the mastery of artificial lighting instruments. Be they constant incandescent or florescent light sources or the newest versatile strobe systems, it is the subtle and reproducible qualities of controlled source lighting that create the drama of the majority of today’s commercial photographs. As the collective eye and mind of modern society continue to evolve and become ever more sophisticated, the quality of light in each image, especially each still image, becomes ever more important.
Whether you’re looking at the absolute control of a Hurrell publicity photo or the mixed existing/artificial lighting of a Herb Ritts shot it is the mastery of the added light which transforms the image from a snapshot to a masterwork. And attaining proficiency isn’t really as difficult as it seems.
Once proficient with the tools, the development of your own personal style and aesthetic isn’t far behind. And it is within that personal style and aesthetic that the difference between technically proficient images and the creation of art lays!
I am presenting a hands-on lighting seminar on April 30 in Grand Rapids. If you're interested in attending, contact me or visit www.willfields.com/seminars/ for details.
