As many of you are aware, I prefer working with natural light over artificial light. In an attempt to venture outside of my comfort zone, I decided to participate in the Gen NEXT contest held by broncolor. Only a tiny amount of the images in my portfolio were created with artificial light, but I submitted these to the contest. Somehow, I was named one of the few lucky winners. Quickly, however, my elation turned to fear; Would I be able to create content for broncolor each month? Would I be able to force myself to work with equipment that I had shunned for years?
Beginning in 2017 I’ve begun to work a bit more on my portfolio of fashion editorials. For editorial work, artificial light has distinct advantages. First, while snapping a few portrait images can take only a few minutes, crafting a complete editorial is a much longer process, requiring the photographer to contend with the varying angles and intensities of the sun’s light as it moves across the sky.
Personally I love exploring the endless possibilities created by the sun’s rays, but what if the photographer has limited time and many sets of clothing to shoot? Or what about when we are forced inside by winter weather? In these cases, the steady, reliable shine of artificial light is the clear winner. And lastly, many fashion editorials are shot under the artificial light and color backdrop of the indoor studio. If I want to start working more in the fashion industry I will have to master this space.
What is the culmination of all these thoughts about the pros and cons of artificial light? Allow me to introduce my first adventure in artificial lighting with broncolor; my newest story – “Rock Denim.”
Even before broncolor I had it in mind to shoot a denim story. Denim is a trend and I already had the mood board prepared. So I chose a male and a female model and got in contact with my favorite stylist, Bogna Stepa. I showed her the mood board and explained my ideas about the use of a special filter, placed in front of the lens to divide the image in three. Bogna was pumped about the filter, and also excited to see how I would work with the lights…Well, I’ve decided to stick with my “only one source of light” tradition, and for the first test, I chose to go with one big 150cm Octabox, placed on my right side above the models.
