Lighting

Glass is an intriguing subject for studio photographers because of its many visual qualities. It can be both highly transparent and highly reflective. It also can be photographed to reveal striking shape, color, and texture. In this instance, it was the repeated circular motif of the clear glassware that inspired the talented Kenji Aoki of Tokyo and New York.

The text for an advertisement promoting a new housing development asked, “What would life be like if everything was the same?” Lincoln Barbour, a Portland, OR-based commercial shooter, took on the creative challenge of answering that question visually in a series of images that included this shot of an all-Souzaphone high-school band.

The wonderful thing about really close close-up photography is that it lets you examine a world of fascinating detail that surrounds us 24/7—detail of which we’re largely unaware. Boston-based photographer Bruce Peterson was reminded of this while doing, of all things, yard work.

When New york portrait and fashion photographer Carol Weinberg revamped her website, she wanted to create some new work to show off her skills. This stunner is the result.She started her shoot with standard portrait lighting. The main light was high and to one side, and she placed white fill cards on the floor around the seated model to open up the shadows. But, as often happens with routine setups, the lighting wasn’t working. Model Anna’s amazing hair needed more color, texture, presence, and life.