http://lighting.bensasso.com/back-lighting daily 0.75 2015-12-30 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55905390e4b0a675d66f5ae2/1435521942858/ BACK LIGHTING   5D III + 35L With the sun just peaking over the cliff in the background, the camera meter was telling me to expose this so dark that I wouldn't have been able to bring back proper skin tones in post. Instead of listening to the camera and exposing for the sky, I metered for the skin and exposed correctly for what matters to me, Preston and Alexi. Go home camera, you're drunk. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55905677e4b04a7d1413ca1f/1435522694594/ BACK LIGHTING   5D III + 50L Bo and Becca are pretty freaking incredible. We shot their engagement session in Florida where the sun shines so strong, you'll think you're melting (and you might be). I chose to use this frame as an example because the flare in the bottom left corner is the exact reason that cameras can have trouble shooting back lit. Those little artifacts are caused by the light shining into your lens and bouncing around on the internal glass. That same light shines on your sensor and makes it go haywire which is why you may find your lens hunting back and forth for focus. In this frame I hid it right behind her head while I focused before bringing it back in for the shot. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559051eee4b04a7d1413b573/1435521530833/1-33+exp.jpg BACK LIGHTING   5D II + 35L Your camera will lie to you. Don't worry, it's not trying to be sneaky. It just doesn't know any better. When the sun is coming right into your lens, your camera's meter will tell you to lower the exposure a ton so the sky is what is exposed correctly. In my images, the people are what matter so I ignore the camera and expose for their skin instead. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559056e3e4b0e41e7b9efb87/1435522804725/ BACK LIGHTING   5D II + 35L This shoot started way too early in the morning and towards the end of it we had the fiery light of the sun bouncing off of the water behind her and heading straight onto my sensor. While I loved the look, I wasn't a huge fan what it was doing to my autofocus. To help my camera out, I'd aimed it down a bit so the water (and the light it was reflecting) wasn't in the frame, focused, recomposed, and shot. Bingo! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559058a4e4b04a7d1413d3b1/1435523253154/ BACK LIGHTING   5D II + 85L The sun here was hidden just barely by the mountain behind her which left a bit of soft light coming from behind her to make her pop from the darker background. To emphasize the haziness in the image I shot through a few leaves which I held up right against the side of my lens. Since I shoot with a shallower DOF, those leaves left a soft blur coming across the image. Straight out of the camera I was left with a pretty flat image so I had to bring up the contrast and down the blacks in post to bring back the richness that I wanted. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55905864e4b048c9e1f3e9be/1435523179292/ BACK LIGHTING   5D III + 50L Shooting back lit can leave you with images that are a lot more washed out than you might be used to but no need to worry, you can always bring the richness back! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55904c76e4b01cfd84ed10fb/1435520129623/ BACK LIGHTING   5D III + 35L When I set up this shoot I wanted to play with the balance between the softness of the lace and the harder look of the model. Using a hazy back light with the sun just outside of the frame allowed me to mimic that sentiment by having the a softer haze come across the image while still having the sun place a hard rim light on her to define her silhouette. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55904cf2e4b0b62583b57f2e/1435520258775/ BACK LIGHTING   5D II + 35L To create a bit of energy and movement into the frame (which matches and emphasizes the mood from my couple), I shoot with the sun just peaking over the lens hood into the frame. That introduced the streaks of light you can see coming in from the top left corner of the image. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55904bfee4b0f331256f3a3a/1435520012650/2+Retouched+Revised.jpg BACK LIGHTING   5D III + 50L In this image of Brianna I wanted to bring out a soft golden glow so I shot her when the sun was just barely peaking over the mountains behind her. When the sun is just about to pass below the horizon you are left with a soft wash of light that can bring out a more peaceful tone in your images than you might see if the sun is higher in the sky and putting direct light onto the back of your subject. More from this shoot here! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55904cb5e4b0b62583b57e38/1435520199780/ BACK LIGHTING   5D II + 85L II Holy lens flare! Longer lenses and direct light coming into the lens tends to create a much more dramatic haze that takes over the image. When the sunlight bounces around on the glass in your lens it also creates the random light and color washes you see here. Shooting like this will take a bit of practice to tune it how you like but once you get it, it is a blast to play with. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55905800e4b0b62583b5b303/1435523087791/-821+exp.jpg BACK LIGHTING https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55904903e4b01c6273ed42db/1435519241187/-13+exp.jpg BACK LIGHTING https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55904d85e4b05b489b790ee9/1435520397221/1-78+exp.jpg BACK LIGHTING https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55905751e4b0866b944f5455/1435522901985/-1-6.jpg BACK LIGHTING https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55905a27e4b0c84f9ac1eedc/1435523631224/1-10.jpg BACK LIGHTING http://lighting.bensasso.com/outdoor daily 0.75 2018-03-05 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559627f5e4b059a64f89e06d/1435903990317/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L Summer. Texas. On a ranch. Nothing about that sounds like it's going to be easy with light despite how killer the wedding was. Adding portraits in harsh light didn't help the equation much but placing the two of them n the shade saved us from the heat andgave me the soft light that I love! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5596261fe4b059fd6c5e8e1d/1435903537570/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L I grew up playing in the Florida sun and LOVING it. Things took a dark turn when I started to shooting in it. The portrait above was shot at noon in the middle of summer with the sun blazing down. With mossy oak trees all over the property I put them in the shade and came out with some of my favorite bridal party portraits in a long time. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55962959e4b0e7f9efadb103/1435904362046/13436876655_b297a9d4a4_o.jpg OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L Sun, meet tree cover. Bye sun, nice try. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5596309ae4b0d2540b659120/1435906226911/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 50L If you haven't shot in the snow before, sorry. It rocks. The snow on the trees and ground becomes a reflector bringing light back into your shadows and leaving your with a gorgeous flattering light. In these conditions, understanding the light coming from the ground and trees is just as important as understanding the light from the sky. If you have a snowy tree close to your left but just open air to your right, you will have strong reflected light coming in from one side and a shadow on the other. In this shot, I had reflected light on either side and the sun diffused through the clouds behind me. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5596305be4b05c1278329405/1435906161720/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 50L During this shoot in Malibu I'm assuming that wearing this coat that's clearly more at home in the PNW attracted those overcast skies that typically stick around up there too. I was planning on shooting pretty heavily backlit but to avoid any dark, muddy skin tones (that typically show up in the shadows when it's overcast) I had Madison face the direction of the light and I had her tilt her head up a bit so it hit her at a more flattering angle. Shooting her in front of a darker backgroundalso helped her pop out of the frame in a scene where the light was all pretty flat. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55963253e4b06639d23cc23f/1435906710776/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L During the Manchik's shoot at Rialto Beach in Washington, we got that typical PNW overcast light which meant I had to put a bit more thought into where the actual light was coming from. If you find yourself having trouble even with the blurred-hand tip, check out an app called Sun Seeker which will tell you exactly where the sun is in the sky. You can also use it for location scouting because it will show you where the sun will be at any time of any day in the future. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55962f87e4b04990388dd31a/1435905950708/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L One of the joys of overcast light is that it is much more forgiving in any direction than hard light would be. During Katie and David's engagement session, we were hit with classic Florida rain clouds for a portion of the shoot which gave me light soft enough to shoot from above without covering them with harsh sunlight. I've shot like this in the shade on sunny days as well but harsh sun coming through a tree will leave a green tint on anything below it. Not the best for skin tones! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55962ee3e4b04ab9f75bf1bc/1435905789681/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L There is no point in complaining about a snowstorm. It creates gorgeous soft light (if you know how to use it), and a mood that you just don't get every day. I was so jazzed when the sky opened up for this shoot at Garden of the Gods in Colorado but since it was so overcast, I had to use the old squint-at-your-hand trick a ton to make sure I was shooting in the best light. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5a9dcd008165f5d977a9f1cc/1520291086559/12EXP.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5a9dcca824a69426259bde39/1520290990872/1-2EXP.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d58b16725e25ffc9a0d723/1490389823029/ OUTDOOR 5D IV + 35L (ISO 32,000, 1.4, 1/13th) Crank up the ISO, Lower your Aperture, and Change your Shutter Speed to taste depending on how much blur you want! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55961eb1e4b0b0193b918625/1435901645666/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L Cave light comes in all shapes and sizes. Anywhere you can find a spot where your subject will be brighter than the background will do. In this frame, I placed Danny right towards the tips of the branches and in front of the darker center of the tree. The light falling on him was cut down by the branches as it got closer to the trunk. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55961e60e4b04425d9365af6/1435901555052/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L Awnings are perfect for cave light. At this spot (which was SO freaking rad) there was an open porch with an awning that I placed Melissa towards the front of. With awnings or even tree cover, the strongest soft light will fall right at the front of it and it will become darker the further under it you get. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55961d71e4b03ef0821442df/1435901338108/ OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55961b6ae4b0e6e634c040db/1435900803674/-1-7.jpg OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L When I need to cut down the harsh light on the background of an image I either wait for the sun to drop lower or shoot in front of a set that has a bit more shade. In some cases when the sun is a bit higher, I can use trees to cut the harsh light a bit. When the sun comes through the leaves, it spreads it out and dims it down. Hello, gorgeous, soft backgrounds. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559635e9e4b02c1d74787dc7/1435907579043/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 50L Hazy golden light when the sun is above the horizon turns into soft warm light when it drops below it. For about two minutes right after the sun is at the horizon, the light will be warm and flattering to the skin before it becomes way cooler in color. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d586ffc534a536b8877e28/1490388761128/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 50L Color balance plays a huge role in the aesthetics of an image. One of the most pleasing color combinations (according to me, and backed up by actual scientific studies) is blue and yellow. Twilight gives you that perfect blue light so try mixing it with some warmer light to bring out that blue/yellow combo! Fire light, headlights, etc. The trick is to get that light set up and ready to go in advance. Since the twilight only lasts for a little bit, you might miss it if you don't prepare. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5701aaef27d4bdaccf37315b/1459727265108/ OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d585daf5e231abb43e9bf0/1490388487409/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L Wait long enough and you'll get to the point where you either have to crank your ISO WAY up (nothing wrong with that) or bring your shutter speed way down. This scene above was pretty close to just flat out night time. There wasn't much light left so I brought my shutter speed way down (1/30th ish) and embraced the blur. When shooting slow like that I like to keep something moving in the scene (the wind blowing the dress in this one) and shoot a few more frames than usual to make sure I capture the right moment! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5701ac4b4d088e7781065ff2/1459727504858/ OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d587d22994ca9ba721b166/1490388958314/ OUTDOOR 5D IV + 50L One of my favorite things about twilight is the differences it opens up for editing. If you know my work at all, you know that I love warm, poppy images. What you might not know is that cooler, flatter edits make me giddy too. Twilight is the perfect light for that flatter, cooler look. Editing this type of light with a lower contrast, more muted colors, and a cooler WB will give you a softer, moodier look to compliment your other edits. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55963729e4b0e9796cc4a593/1435907915941/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 50L Twilight isn't only gorgeous for the softer front light, but it's also perfect for those shots where you have a ton of background. Since the sun is dropped below the horizon, the light everywhere is soft, and pleasing instead of harsh and distracting. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559637d1e4b0d2540b659fe2/1435908077030/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L Morning has it's twilight too. This frame was shot just before the sun broke the horizon in the morning and I shot it side/front lit to draw a bit more mood into the image. Soft light like this tends to bring out the awesome part of skin texture. Not the bumps, not the pores, but the freckles and color that makes us, us. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d58cfa414fb59196e54caf/1490390287685/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L Cutting down on the harsh light in the background sometimes means waiting for the sun to drop lower before you take the shots that show a lot of it. I typically shoot images like this (where it shows a ton of distance) towards the end of a shoot so I don't have to worry about the hard light hitting anywhere off in the distance that I can't control. Once the sun drops to a certain point, the background goes from harsh to soft and it opens up way more opportunities for shooting. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559615b4e4b069786e8895be/1435899365385/ OUTDOOR 5D III + 35L This soft flattering light that fell on Cory and Bethany would have been pretty close to worthless for me if it wasn't falling everywhere else. That doesn't mean that every frame with harsh light in the background is worthless, but I've never been a fan of it for my own style. In this shot I killed the harsh light by hiding it behind the massive boulder behind them. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d5902ef5e231abb43f2fb0/1490391119395/ OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d58f2be58c627d57e0807e/1490390835095/ OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d58bf4579fb308145cfc5d/1490390065073/12.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59111db29d62600e028ce/1490391393533/22EXP.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5a9dcd9a24a69426259c1ff7/1520291249887/24EXP.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5596162de4b0386248cde02b/1435899445593/1-149.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559618fae4b02838d127a8be/1435900160439/Henna_Ben_Sasso.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55961cabe4b0050728cd6fe3/1435901104925/1-9.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55962337e4b014bac5de2c44/1435902781897/1-78+exp.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55962e74e4b05c1278328ed9/1435905656008/014-Exp.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55963487e4b0edd30aa645ca/1435907213598/9+copy.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559638d6e4b0af241ecdd126/1435908316040/1.jpg OUTDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55963a07e4b0386248ce39fb/1435908622729/--13.jpg OUTDOOR http://lighting.bensasso.com/indoor daily 0.75 2015-07-02 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55943a66e4b018e59d279151/1435777670676/ INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55943b7ee4b0fa882881494d/1435777943725/ INDOOR   5D III + 35L This is one of those times where I knew I could get killer light if I moved the bride and hairstylist just a bit. They were all set up in the spot where I needed her, but she was facing away from the light leaving her face in shadow. Asking them to turn around and face the other way was a tiny little change for them but a huge change in the final image. Now, with her facing the window that had indirect light coming in, her skin glows and matches that huge smile on her face! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55943a2ae4b01459fba9f671/1435777598467/ INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559425e9e4b01bae50a16a7e/1435772409836/ INDOOR   Contax 645 + 80mm + Kodak Portra 400 Window light on her right, reflector on her left. BOOM. Soft, even, gorgeous light with no harsh shadows to weigh it down. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5594202ae4b0b1dd61c8a0ee/1435770930569/007.jpg INDOOR   5D III + 35L With pretty strong window light coming in to the right of the frame, I had a diffuser over the window to help soften and spread it. Since the room I was shooting in was white, that light bounced around inside also to fill in any harsh shadows. White rooms are my happy place. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55941e8ce4b0e276e045ea54/1435770526953/ INDOOR   5D III + 50L Sometimes it's only all natural light, sometimes it's a diffuser or reflector, and sometimes it's both. Whenever I want that clean eve, almost non-directional light, I'll use both. I'll diffuse the window light coming in to one side and use a reflector on the other side to bounce light back into the shadow side. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5595b514e4b0e6e634be955a/1435874600260/ INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55937e4ce4b0c333912b0d00/1435729501187/ INDOOR   5D III + 50L If I didn't have a reflector behind me bouncing in some window light, that glint in Frankie's eyes wouldn't be there and her look wouldn't have that little bit of pop that I love.   https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55937e81e4b0b251af5a38a6/1435729651457/ INDOOR   5D III + 50L Anything bright and white can create a catch light. When I shoot outdoors, sometimes I'll even just wear a white shirt or use the sky behind me. In this frame, I used the window behind me to my right to give a bit of pop in Dre's eyes! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5595afede4b0b0384006b0cb/1435873280714/ INDOOR   5D III + 50L I lit this image with the window just to his upper left which gave him a directional back light. Back light is killer for helping your subject pop out of the background because when you expose for their skin (which is in shadow) it tends to make the background brighter than they are. That separation between the bright background and darker subject (in comparison) helps them stand out in the frame! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5595afa3e4b04990388bdc64/1435873215362/ INDOOR   5D III + 50L I love this frame because you can literally see the light wrapping around her. You can follow the light coming in from the open window behind her and wrapping around the sides of her face as it fades into the front of her which is in shadow. In addition to giving that soft glowing feel, it also slims her down because the sides of her face fade more into the background. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55937bf3e4b0a8b55464ed9e/1435728893058/ INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55937bd8e4b0a8b55464ed4c/1435728867079/ INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55956ddde4b07b7dda477059/1435856366706/ INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55956ea4e4b0e6e634bce3a2/1435856578395/ INDOOR   5D III + 35L With dark red wood everywhere in the room above, I was already left with a tough time dealing with skin tones since the light was bouncing red light into her skin. To cut out any more problems, I turned out all of the internal lights and had back lit, facing a neutral colored wall. That means the light that came in from behind her (now the only light source) reflected that neutral color of the wall into her skin. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5595690fe4b00d130d4f03ac/1435855136758/ INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5595d058e4b0eb5f837a54c6/1435881583993/6572438565_691583fc7e_o.jpg INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55933dc3e4b0bd01233b3f4a/1435712977071/-20+exp.jpg INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559379f2e4b0d71f69d70ba5/1435728377460/-1-4+exp.jpg INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55937d21e4b016944c15c104/1435729192294/093.jpg INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55941a59e4b00251f82ded16/1435769439468/065.jpg INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55942aade4b0e276e0463618/1435773624424/18446784731_7bbc43fd2c_o.jpg INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55955d61e4b0dd60320f518d/1435852138512/-7-Exp.jpg INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5595adb4e4b0d1b573e71065/1435872700394/1-29+exp.jpg INDOOR https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5595cdf3e4b0af241ecc6544/1435880952461/6716117271_83a2e2615f_o.jpg INDOOR http://lighting.bensasso.com/tips-tricks-1 daily 0.75 2018-03-28 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55906d20e4b0c84f9ac24719/1435528496061/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55906d92e4b093588c625f68/1435528606989/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55bc2ff7e4b03c710decbda0/1438396427169/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55bc2fbbe4b01afc98111005/1438396369423/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55bc3498e4b067fc8a7a5281/1438397613517/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55bc30b6e4b088b3844dbd07/1438396615564/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55e9ee31e4b0dd6c36e02207/1441394311178/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55e9ecf2e4b0fa9d2628251c/1441393981676/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d5961e1e5b6cc3c4eb736b/1490392615452/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5abc23e703ce649f5bd5499a/1522279812488/2018-03-27_0011.png TIPS + TRICKS 5D IV +50L Here's a Before & After so you can see about how much I underexpose for shots like this. Every situation is different, but this is pretty typical when I'm after a gritty shot! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55e9ec63e4b0f0ebf585b343/1441393870996/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d5960403596e5dedc9b916/1490392598434/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59cd7db29d62600e0bc74/1490394362117/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59ba4579fb308145dcabb/1490394042708/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59b59ebbd1aac62ee170b/1490393996330/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59bd659cc68feaa3e2134/1490394133965/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59c24f7e0ab027aff336f/1490394199839/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59d1a1e5b6cc3c4ebc884/1490394413545/64+copyEXP.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59ca02994ca9ba722c7bb/1490394295701/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559610cae4b0e6e634c01dc6/1435898076768/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55961002e4b0e9796cc43733/1435897887355/ TIPS + TRICKS   5D III + 50L I actually discovered this trick (I didn’t invent it, people have been doing it for ages) a while back when I was shooting near a tree and a branch fell in front of my lens. I loved it but wanted to find a way to add blur and light but not color. Translucent plastic and glass was my answer!   https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55961205e4b05c1278322d7f/1435898398375/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55961130e4b0e6e634c01ef7/1435898188876/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559611c6e4b0d82ab98fcda3/1435898333716/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55960e1ee4b067d7a2f3b797/1435897375743/5422b11cf52e9de087f6c97bc94397e6.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55960e78e4b04990388d6fa1/1435897486755/ TIPS + TRICKS   Contax 645 + 80 + Kodak Portra 400 This is one of my favorite frames from my shoot with Laura on the Malibu Coast. I typically hold my little piece of plastic or glass in the shade (making sure that no hard light is hitting it) which gives me a nice soft blur but since I was shooting film and I knew that film holds color better in the highlights than digital does, I held my glass piece right in the sun and it brought in that rad orange blur coming in on the right side of the frame. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559612c5e4b0b0384008515d/1435898589156/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55960f49e4b02c1d74781797/1435897696237/ TIPS + TRICKS   5D III + 50L No glass, no problem. I've shot through leaves, flowers, pieces of paper, plastic cups, etc. Sometimes it's easier to use what's around you instead of carrying glass around in your fanny pack (no, I don't use a fanny pack). https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55960ed2e4b0d2540b65339d/1435897583130/ TIPS + TRICKS   5D III + 35L In the left of this frame there was a decent amount of clutter (all cool wooden clutter, but still clutter) which is why I held the glass piece over that side of the lens to help blur it out and to create a softer, dreamy feel in the image. During this shoot I also used these little pieces to blur out certain parts of her body so the images were less revealing and more about the mood. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55bc2bebe4b0b7e056745344/1438395388354/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5593398ce4b0957625075f72/1435711906617/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559339fce4b0174e20c48642/1435712031397/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5701ae7a04426228e6c5be55/1459728050791/ TIPS + TRICKS   5D III + 50L For this shot I had placed them in the shade facing out (see the "Cave Light" tip) and I was standing outside of the shade in the sun. I picked up a handful of dirt and threw it up and at my lens, making sure the sun hit it. The sun on the dirt turned into those gorgeous light hits that you see sparkled all over the frame turning something intimate into something intimate and festive. Yay, experiments! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55bc26cde4b096b1debf1bc1/1438394084495/ TIPS + TRICKS 5D III + 50L To light these shots I had an Octobank softbox to her right and a reflector to her right. That left me with directional light without a rough, harsh look. I also had a bit of ambient light in the room so while the shutter was open after the strobe popped, the ambient light created a glowing trail when she moved! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55907241e4b0f331256fea6a/1435529819704/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d5939be3df283d54b6b0eb/1490391974477/ TIPS + TRICKS 5D III + 35L Hard light is ripe for separation. The harsh contrast between light and dark in scenes like this give you perfect opportunities to create images that your subject pops out of. In the frame above, I placed Alex in the light, in front of a dark background. Simple but a huge benefit to the frame. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559072dfe4b0b23e50b1ec95/1435529965137/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5590720ae4b00c1a566ebcda/1435529750641/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55907317e4b01c6273ee0638/1435530031368/ TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/559325d6e4b0b50ad5b1bf11/1435706859833/ TIPS + TRICKS 5D III + 35L To make the most of that gorgeous back light coming in the window behind her, I had a ziploc bag full of baby powder that I cut a hole in the corner of and I puffed out into the light before each shot! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d5948d440243314db1b866/1490392233870/ TIPS + TRICKS 5D III + 24L Spray fog! This stuff is the best. The real trick with making it (and baby powder, etc) is to put it in a steak of light that's in between you and a dark background. In the image above, there is fog all over the background but where it really pops is in front of the darker background. When the light hits it, it glows, but it won't pop if that glowing light is in front of something just as bright. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d59d93d482e99539fd89d1/1490394541573/2EXP.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58d5a4b820099e23c0d0a70b/1490396376222/57EXP.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55906a73e4b0fc259f0d7d1e/1435527801501/-48+exp.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55906ca8e4b0f331256fd12b/1435528375258/003.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55907161e4b0295d2477b253/1435529574904/2+exp.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5593253de4b023ccc85c2c1d/1435706691378/-86+exp.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55933657e4b08369d022174d/1435711077488/-1-23.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5596228be4b04ab9f75bd485/1435902609685/-1-373.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55ac569ce4b0824df5e714de/1437357728360/1-10.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55bc2b33e4b033c7f7a0450e/1438395192570/-1-58.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55bc2cdde4b07e0f753fb7e9/1438395619889/-13+exp.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55e9ea67e4b08cb15c5ba812/1441393264457/016EXP.jpg TIPS + TRICKS https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/5701ae2604426228e6c5bc44/1459727947774/048-2EXP.jpg TIPS + TRICKS http://lighting.bensasso.com/sign-up daily 1.0 2016-04-04 http://lighting.bensasso.com/more-education daily 0.75 2017-03-28 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/58da9b7bb3db2b38d466fba0/1490721661776/ MORE EDUCATION! http://lighting.bensasso.com/welcome daily 0.75 2015-07-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55903618e4b0f4f1890ee331/t/55a5c57ee4b0e7324c246141/1436927360365/ WELCOME