OneLight

[JSB]

I watched the OneLight workshop DVD about a month ago. And it changed the way I think about studio lighting. And my work has taken about 5 steps up the ladder, which would have taken me a long time to do by myself.

If you can get hold of a copy, OneLight workshop by Zack Arias, then get it and watch it.

Thought I'd share it...

[Kenny]

Hiya John

the other week I went to the Truman Gallery in Brick Lane and watched Rankin do the esquire shoot as we stood about five feet away from him.He was using Phase one backs and medium format cams but he used only one light on the shoots and his shots were just fantastic.Granted he was using very expensive Bowens gemini gear and directed his assistant to hold the light where he wanted but it was one light only. Likewise,after he finished the shoot he started doing the Rankinized shoot where people paid £50 for a photo taken by him and those too were done with one light. We watched the shoot for a while and me and Snorks stood and watched and chatted about how easy Rankin made it look. Many of the images werent remarkable but some were outstanding.

Bessy regs

Kenny

[lostmysnorkel]

We watched the shoot for a while and me and Snorks stood and watched and chatted about how easy Rankin made it look. Many of the images werent remarkable but some were outstanding.

Bessy regs

Kenny

Yeah, but there were a few outstanding ones while we stood and watched! I wouldn't mind producing that many in a month! - and to be fair, at least one of the models didn't seem too bothered.

[Garry_Edwards]

One light should always be the starting point, because there is only one sun.
But it is only a starting point, other lights are added as and if necessary, to mitigate the effects of the first light, add depth, light a background, create rim lighting, light the hair, create backlighting etc etc.

Personally I'm always a bit wary of people who teach/use/advocate only one approach to anything

[JSB]

His aproach is only 1 light on the subject, not background too.

[Garry_Edwards]

His aproach is only 1 light on the subject, not background too.
With respect, that's not the point.
The point is that we should always use the number of lights on the subject that produces the effect we want, whether that's one or 20 - you might find a carpenter using a hammer and nails for one job, but you wouldn't find him teaching carpentry using JUST a hammer and nails...
That's why I'm personally a bit cautious about the people who teach single-tool techniques. I sometimes wonder whether they're everything they appear to be especially when they also produce tutorials on techniques (e.g. on how to produce a white background) which include terrible examples of subjects with totally destroyed fine detail, shot using the methods they advocate.

[lostmysnorkel]

There's an image in the McNally book shot using something like 47 lights.

Horses for courses and the right tools for the job.

[JSB]

Sorry to grind your gears there. I was just saying though, a lot can be acheived with just one light, and for me the workshop gave me a lot to think about and a new way at looking at lighting, using 1 light or not. Just take a look at the change in my style over the course of the last month or so and you can see that. This thread was to introduce the more beginer members to the principle of one light and the workshop dvd in hopes that I can pass something on, or else I would have pu it in the Pro's only section and it might have not been useful.

[brian smith]

With respect, that's not the point.
The point is that we should always use the number of lights on the subject that produces the effect we want, whether that's one or 20 - you might find a carpenter using a hammer and nails for one job, but you wouldn't find him teaching carpentry using JUST a hammer and nails...
That's why I'm personally a bit cautious about the people who teach single-tool techniques. I sometimes wonder whether they're everything they appear to be especially when they also produce tutorials on techniques (e.g. on how to produce a white background) which include terrible examples of subjects with totally destroyed fine detail, shot using the methods they advocate.
With great respect, i have a friend (yes i do have one) who is a top fashion photographer and he only ever uses one light, granted its a bloody big orange thinggy up in the sky.
Brian.:)