Today, Holly and I went over some details for one of her upcoming shoots, which is based on Film Noir. We discussed some of the plans that she has for shots, including the lighting needed to do so. Because of the dramatic nature of Film Noir photography, there are specific lights that need to be used in addition to normal external flash. One example of this is called the snoot. The snoot creates a concentrated circle of light on the subject, and Holly will be using it to light the subjects’ faces. Holly will also put a grid on the external flash so that the light does not spill over into places that she doesn’t want it to. The basis of Film Noir photography is contrasts and shadows, so the dramatic lighting will aid in achieving the style that Holly is aiming for.
When Holly buys lighting materials she has to buy from the same brand for every product, especially because they are remotely connected. Unfortunately, this can add up monetarily. Even if there are other brands that have products for a cheaper price, she has to continue buying from the same brand, or else the products won’t work. The only way around this would be to buy a completely new lighting set up from a different brand. Not only could there be cheaper prices from a different brand, the products themselves are expensive in general. For example, a grid that gets attached to a light that Holly already has costs over $200. Its purpose is to stop light from spilling into places that it is not wanted.
We also worked on editing for one of Holly’s recent senior shoots. She showed me how she uses various tools to fix lighting and coloring in her photos. She often uses the gradient and brush tools to brighten places that she wants to brighten, and she uses the color specific hue, saturation, and vibrance tools to alter the way that the colors look in the photo.
Alaina's Photography Intensive 