TAMARA LACKEY TRANSFORMS AN OVERCAST DAY WITH THE PROFOTO B2 OFF-CAMERA FLASH SYSTEM.
AS A PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER, I place a great emphasis on expressiveness, using light to better showcase the spirit of my subjects.
Take my portrait of I’Kia, for example, whom I photographed at Eno River State Park in Durham, North Carolina. I’ve photographed I’Kia before for commercial campaigns, but for this portfolio shoot, I was aiming for more of an editorial style. Against the tall brown grass and expanse of trees, I needed a softer light to make this scene beautiful and dreamy. It was not a pretty day, however; dreary and cold, the park looked gray and flat under the overcast sky.
My studio manager, Sarah, stood in front of I’Kia with a Profoto B2 Flash and an OCF 2x3’ softbox, casting light at an angle across her face. My assistant, Cammel, stood behind I’Kia and to her left with a second B2 bare bulb. I triggered both B2 lights with my Air Remote TTL-N and shot the scene with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.
I’m always looking for ways to highlight expression by lighting the eyes and using rim or backlighting to better help my subjects stand out in their environments. I’Kia is glowing on this bleak day, and you’d never guess the weather conditions we were shooting in.
When I first started shooting, I got pretty obsessive about learning to light portraits. You can have the best scene in the best location, but if you don’t light it properly, you miss the full impact. I practiced, practiced, practiced, practiced–and I’m still practicing on every shoot.
To see the video on how Tamara captured the image and for more information on Profoto Off-Camera Flash System, visit www.profoto.com/offcameraflash.
TIPS & TRICKS
TURNING CHALLENGES INTO AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE BEAUTIFUL IMAGES.
- DIFFUSE YOUR LIGHT for a softer, more flattering light on your subjects.
- PRACTICE VARYING THE POWER of different lights from different directions. With the Air Remote, it’s significantly easier to change your lighting on the fly.
- IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING WITH blown highlights, underexpose your image and boost the light in postproduction.
- WHEN SHOOTING BRIGHT SUBJECTS, trying manually activating Active D Lighting Mode (Nikon) or Highlight Priority Mode (Canon) to preserve details in your highlights
