April 2010

Rochester Photographer Andris Silins is holding class…  Today’s lesson is photography and light.

According to the great Wikipedia, the word photograph finds it origins from the Greek words “phos” (light) and “graphe” (representation by means of lines) and when combining the two words it translates to “drawing with light.”  Photography is all about capturing light and using light to create images.  About now you might be asking yourself, “what does this mean to me and why should I care about light?”  If your photographer doesn’t know how to use light to an advantage or utilize additional lighting sources then the photographs for your wedding, event, family, etc might not be as good as they should be. 

When looking for photographers in the Rochester and Monroe County area you have to know what you want.  In regards to lighting and photography we’ll break it into three different categories to help you better understand your options:

Available light photography:  the photographer uses no artificial or added light from a flash.  Advantages to the photographer are no need to worry about flashes or additional auxiliary lights but just taking the photographs.  The only downside (if you call it that) to available light photography is when it’s dark or there are lots of harsh shadows the photos will look dark and have harsh shadows.  With available light photography the dark shadows that could have been filled in with a fill flash stay dark shadows.  Some people love the available light look but others could be a little disappointed in the end results.  There are some good available light photographers out there.  Make sure you take a good look at some examples to see what you could get and make sure you like the look.

On camera flash photography: the photographer uses a flash attached directly to the camera.  The flash can be used to brighten dark areas or harsh shadows.  The on camera flash can be turned and angled to bounce the light off of a nearby wall or ceiling which can give the effect of large, soft and diffused light source upon your subjects.  Soft, diffused light generally makes for pleasing photographs with less harsh and contrasty shadows.  The photographers that are good with an on camera flash can really bring the subject out in the final images.  On camera flash photography is what most event and wedding photographers utilize because it is a simple way to improve photographs.

Off camera/remote flash photography:  the photographer uses one or more remote flashes to light the subject and or surroundings.  This is an advanced method and allows for great photographs and endless possibilities.  Look through any magazine and you will see photographs of nicely lit models in the advertisements.  These models were all photographed using anywhere from 2-5 remote lights.  Off camera lighting for events and weddings is about the closest you can get without actually being in a photography studio.  Multiple off camera lights that are on light stands around the room allow a photographer to control the direction and intensity of lights to make photographs pop.  The only downside is that multiple: light stands, flashes, radio transmitters, batteries, etc are all needed to produce these outstanding photos.  This additional lighting equipment comes with added expenses and needed experience but is worth it for the clients.  Rochester Photographer Andris Silins uses remote off camera lighting while at the same time utilizing on camera flash lighting for the best results.