The light creates a small butterfly shaped shadow under the nose. The flash is positioned to the front and sligthtly raised to the subject. This type of lighting is mainly used for beauty and Hollywood type shots as it is very flattering and small wrinkles are not visible.
The flash is still towards the front but moved 25 degrees to the side, also slightly positioned raised to the subject. This is the popular type of lighting used for headshots of authors or actors.
The light is more towards the side but higher up to cast a shadow that joins the nose and cheek shadow, creating a triangle under the eye. This type of lighting is very dramatic.
The light is positioned to the side of the subject, perhaps moved just a fraction forward to prevent the shadow of the eyelashes across the nose.
Initially I felt very unsure about these topics, but after having given it some thought I think it will be ok. I am particularly excited about shooting cabbage and eggs in the studio. I was inspired by Edward Weston’s photography. I decided to give it a go using a flash gun and a ND filter. Here are my results:
And a few of Edward Weston’s images shot in 1931:
I have a few ideas of how to photograph eggs using interesting shadows. Here are a few shots I found on the internet.
I am still thinking of what to do with cake as a topic.
Some shots in colour…
Additional shots taken on the day.
Rietvlei Nature Reserve has a long history that stretches from the great depression in 1929. Manual labourers were paid 4 shilling a month to build the dam and soil was carted away by mule carts. The reserve was opened to the public in 1948.
The 3 800 ha of endangered Bankenveld grassland includes open plains and undulating hills. The extensive vlei areas and tributary streams support the scenic splendour of the azure blue Rietvlei Dam.
The reserve is home to around 2000 head of game, including blesbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, Burchell’s zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, springbuck, mountain reedbuck, steenbuck, buffalo and grey duiker. You will also find leopard cheetah, lions, white rhino and various nocturnal animals, such as brown hyena, black-backed jackal, ant-bear, aardwolf, porcupine, springhare and bush pig.
I was once again fortunate enough to visit this reserve, just a few miles from my family home in Pretoria, South Africa. Here are a few of my photographs.
The reserve also has spectacular birdlife.
I first photographed these trees a year ago during a visit to South Africa. I was delighted when I returned a year later to find them still standing. Now equipped with more than a mobile phone I relished the opportunity to photograph these gorgeous shapes with the idea of converting them into black and whites. I was delighted that there were clouds in the sky, which always brings drama to my monochrome shots.
Michelle Garrett Blog 