All language subtitles for 12. Continuous Light

So we know about on-camera flash, we

know about off-camera flash, basically we're just

giving a burst of light and adding it

to that fraction of a second where you're

taking that photograph.

With continuous light it actually, I would say,

is a lot easier.

And why is it easier?

Because basically you can see what you're doing.

The very lights that are illuminating me right

now are three continuous lights in front and

one right behind.

And if you don't like what you're looking

at, you simply change the direction of the

light, you change the intensity, you change the

angle, you change the perspective.

You can see what you're doing is what

I'm trying to say.

So whether it's using a continuous fluorescent, whether

it's using LED, whether it's using a tungsten

light, doesn't really matter what it is.

A continuous light means that once you turn

it on, it's continuously on and the value

of that exposure or that light source, the

intensity of that light is exactly what it

is, unless you dim it up and dim

it down, if it in fact has that

feature.

Now in the following examples, I'm showing you

a couple of shots done with the ice

light.

For those of you who don't know, I

invented the ice light.

It's a cylindrical light source and very, very

proud of it.

It was invented many, many years ago and

it has become a staple in one's tool

bag.

And it looks like a glorified lightsaber.

If you're a Star Wars fan, it's a

cylindrical light source.

And why is it a cool light source

to have?

Because basically, one, it's just cool.

Two, it is a longer cylindrical light source,

almost giving you two qualities of light.

When you hold it horizontal to the subject,

it's a bigger light source.

It's like walking into a bedroom and opening

up the blinds.

Bigger, softer.

When you hold it vertical to the subject,

it's like walking into a bedroom and then

closing that blind as a sliver of light.

Therefore, it's a bit more contrasty.

And of course, you can put barn doors

on it.

You can have some fun.

But it doesn't matter what light source you

use.

Continuous lighting is a great way to practice

your lighting.

Because like I said, if you didn't learn

anything about light from me, and all I

said to you was simply place this light

where the bride's skin looks her best.

Well, that will be pretty obvious.

You just look for that.

You don't have to know the terminology.

You just say, all right, well, her skin

looks better here.

If I said, I want you to bring

out some texture and depth and dimension, what

would you do?

And then you're like, oh, wait a second.

If I put it on the side, I'll

get that and so on.

In this case, I had, this is a

couple of lights going on here.

I've got a light on the top left

with barn doors.

And basically, we've got that little sliver of

light breaking the monotony of that darker background.

We've also got a sliver of light.

I can't remember if I had that same

light that was illuminating the groom here.

But then on the other side, we've got

some barn doors and we've got some light

filtering through, tickling the groom's neck and then

actually on the bride here as well.

But that's what it looked like with my

own two eyes.

I could see what I was doing.

There was no guesswork.

With flash, certainly when it comes to experience,

you sort of get to know what the

light's going to do and the tools that

we have these days make life so much

easier.

But continuous light is just that little bit

easier because you can see.

In this case, we have one light from

behind him.

So that's giving us that little edge light

there, that little highlight on his jaw on

the back of the neck.

And then we've got one light on the

side here with barn doors.

So we're cutting away light from this side

and then we've got a little sliver of

light there as well.

So you can see what you're doing.

Simple, simple, simple, simple.

This one as well, we've got a light

on the top left that's giving us that

little edge light.

I make sure that that light is not

touching her here at all.

Then we've got the light over here with

barn doors that's basically fading away when it

comes to her forehead and then just illuminating

her there as well.

Now, if you're wondering what the smoke is,

that's basically smoke in a can or atmosphere

aerosol.

It's basically you shake it, you spray it

and it just looks like sort of dust

and fog, what you would see like at

a concert for example.

This is a really cool example.

This is an ice light from the top

and the back.

We've got one at the back basically really,

really low.

It's just off frame.

It's giving us that little tickle of light

on his back and on her hip there

as well.

And then we've got the light on top

of them with barn doors giving us that

beautiful quality of light on them.

And the pose is beautiful because they fit

like a puzzle.

They're face to face but obviously in an

opposite way but it just gives us that

beautiful harmonious look and feel.

But ultimately guys, when we talk about continuous

light, it doesn't mean we have to have

a Westcott badge on it or an ice

light sticker on it or a pro photo

sticker on it for us to have to

use it as a light source.

So many of us just feel that it

has to be a photographic light for us

to use it.

Well, that's not the case.

And quite simply what I want to implore

to you right now is if it illuminates,

use it.

If it illuminates, use it.

In this case, in this next example, we've

got a skylight in a garage.

Now the light source now becomes that particular

skylight and it's funny because this little arrow

showing the cars where basically go is telling

the photographer, basically me in this example, is

get your couple to stand here because that's

going to be a beautiful quality of light.

So I tilt the face, chin up, I

have that beautiful light filtering down and we

get this quality of light.

So if it illuminates, use it.

Now I was more alluding to I guess

a man-made light source.

So now yes, technically an on-camera flash,

an off-camera flash, a reflector, all these

things are man-made per se.

But when I'm talking about man-made light

sources, I'm talking about your non-photographic existing

light sources in your environment.

And that's what I'm encouraging you to do

is that to become obsessed with light.

If it illuminates, you can use it.

I don't care if it's the light on

your iPhone.

I don't care if it is anything.

It could be something like this.

This was basically, I'm walking around the streets

of Chicago.

I see underneath this handrail of this staircase,

there's a beautiful glow of light.

Now that light gives me an idea of

actually how to pose this particular girl.

So if you can see me on the

top left, I'm photographing down.

And what do we say?

We turn the body away from the light

and the face back in.

And we're creating that short side.

We're bending her knee over.

She looks amazing.

And then of course, we can add her

man into the picture as well.

I love the fact that the main glow

is on her and it sort of dwindles

away by the time it gets to him.

And we've got that very subtle reflection on

the handrail there as well.

So again, if it illuminates, use it.

Now, how many times have you walked past

a street sign like that and said to

yourself, well, you know, you just don't even

look at the street sign as a light

source.

You just totally ignore it.

If there was a Profoto sticker or a

Westcott sticker or any kind of lighting company

sticker on this particular, again, I call it

a light source.

You might just call it a street sign.

You would use it as a light source.

Well, I always do.

So in this case, it's a beautiful big

softbox.

It's big.

It's broad.

It's got a gorgeous quality of light.

I turn their face into the light.

We illuminate them just beautifully.

And again, gorgeous catch lights in the eyes.

Life is good.

So if it illuminates, use it.

What about this?

Here we have a subway entrance in Chicago.

I've got the fluorescent light above them.

And then I ended up using like this.

Now, the expression here is not quite grabbing

me, but what intrigued me was the abstract

nature of the reflection.

So I ended up getting a better expression

and cutting into that stainless steel reflection and

made it look really abstract, which is what

I really, really loved.

So remember, any light source will do.

And as I've explained to you in the

reflector segment, if you see a silver stainless

steel sculpture in your environment, well, that's no

different than someone literally standing there with a

reflector as you happen to be walking by.

And you're like, well, oh, thank you for

holding the reflector for me.

And then you stand there and use it

as a reflector.

Well, don't be so literal about it.

This is a silver reflector.

So you know that if basically this girl

stands right in front and you come on

the other side, we're going to get two

light sources as in one light source, the

sun hitting the back of her.

It hits the silver reflector, in this case,

a stainless steel sculpture and goes back on

her face.

And now we get this gorgeous quality of

light on her face, beautiful catch lights.

And it looks like it was done in

a studio.

So guys, I want you after this segment,

now that you've seen this, no matter where

you go, whether you're in the subway, whether

you're just driving around, you're at a 7

-Eleven, you're at a movie theater, I want

you to look at anything that illuminates as

a possible light source.

Why?

You might say, well, why don't I just

bring my reflector and my on-camera flash

and off-camera flash and use those accordingly?

Well, you can.

But what happens is that if you use

the same tools, all of your work's going

to look the same.

But if I use existing lights in my

environment above and beyond the tools that are

predictably good and work well, then my photographs

will look different.

It could be a little sconce on the

wall to illuminate the ground so people can

see where they're walking.

You could get the bride lying on the

ground, turning her face and chin up and

get that beautiful tickle of light in that

wall and all of a sudden we have

this magical photograph.

But you wouldn't have thought to put a

light on the wall and get the bride

to sit on the ground or whatever.

So basically, lighting, it's circumstantial.

We walk into an environment and we see

what's around and we can use it.

All you have to do, remember, one of

the golden rules in lighting, I guess as

a common denominator is, okay, there's the light

source right here.

It's just right here.

And let's say your subject is turned away

from it.

Simply turn the face until the eye that

was furthest away from the camera is completely

lit.

As soon as that happens, you've got that

complete eye socket in light and now we

get that beautiful highlight.

We're shooting on the shadow side of the

face.

We've actually in fact created the shadow side

and it absolutely looks beautiful.

That's what we have to do guys, is

don't overthink it.

Just have some fun with it.

Use what's existing.

Life will be easier and certainly don't forgo

the tools that make our life easier like

the on the off-camera flashes and reflectors.

You should be well-versed in everything.

So enjoy and don't forget to practice a

lot.