OK, I’m just having some fun with the title for this month’s article. I’m going to share some somewhat random thoughts with you this time around, but I will start with my take on the light meter issue—this is NOT a critique of anyone’s approach or work flow—rather it is an attempt to show how valuable the light meter is in MY work flow.

Most of us are at least familiar with the concept of Boudoir Photography, in which a client, usually female, hires a photographer to produce glamorous, sexy and, most importantly, private images for her Significant Other.  This trend has been around for a long time but has exploded in popularity since digital became a driving force in photography, and for a couple of reasons.

Exposure control is certainly the starting point when you want to create professional images, but it is equally certain that it is not the end point. This is especially true when you have a combination of lights that create the base exposure. We have looked at lighting ratios before, but how can understanding the interplay help you to be more creative while staying with a desired exposure?

The photo of Ben is significant to me because it was taken with a combination of camera and flash equipment that's within the reach of every photographers. The camera used in this instance is the new Canon SX10 IS. While everyone seems to be gaga over the Canon G10 I think the camera of the moment is the SX10 and here's why: The 20x lens is sharp and wildly fun to play with. What does 20x mean in the real world? Well, here's two examples we shot yesterday.

I have often stated that from a technical perspective, I could easily teach someone everything I know about lighting in fifteen minutes.   Well, maybe I am over exaggerating a bit; it might actually take more like thirty.  The sooner we can come to the realization that lighting is so much more than f/stops, ratios and lighting diagrams, the sooner we can move into creating beautiful images.  When I teach lighting, it would be a grave disservice to only present a technical nuts-and-bolts perspective, and neglect a much greater issue, the art of creating.

So I want to talk to you this month about a very easy way to get a unique ultra high contrast, high key beauty image with low-key equipment and effort. There are a few factors that make high key setups daunting.

I never really know what I am going to do one a shoot until all the components are in place. I like to keep my options open—even on days when I know what the lighting will be in advance. I always enjoy the debates over what differentiates a portrait from a glamour shot from a fashion image. A portrait for me is an image that tells a story about the subject in some way.

Since I wrote my PPR column on Photography as Catharsis I’ve received a number of emails asking me how I lit the set.  The point of that article was not to highlight the lighting but rather the concept of the shot, so I didn’t include a lighting diagram.

Marshall and I arrived at a beautiful East Oahu beach called “BabyMaks” or “Little Makapuu” at 10:15 in the morning to meet our even morebeautiful model. You may remember Flora from an earlier article. She’sgreat fun to work with and the photographs of her are stunning…and shefired Marshall once this time!

I sometimes forget some of the many tricks I’ve played with over the years, and it’s only when I stumble upon the accessory, packed neatly into a drawer or stored in a box, that the light goes on.  This happened recently when I found a roll of Rosco Cinefoil

Contrast can either be your best friend or your worst enemy as an architectural photographer.  Nothing screams amateur more than uncontrolled contrast.  On the other hand, deliberate and controlled contrast is the signature of a master photographer.

We’ve got a lot of ground to cover so let’s get right down to it.  The first thing I would like to talk about is the Leica M8 digital rangefinder camera and the new collection of Summarit lenses.