Light Reading: Picture Perfect Lighting by Roberto Valenzuela

Picture Perfect Lighting by Roberto Valenzuela

Rocky Nook | 340 pp. | $49.95

Fresh off the heels of Picture Perfect Practice and Picture Perfect Posing (lessons from which can be found in this CreativeLive video tutorial), Roberto Valenzuela’s new lighting book deals with “the DNA of our craft,” which the author reminds us in the book’s introduction remains an unconscionably misunderstood creative tool in the age of pixels and algorithms. “More and more photographers,” Valenzuela writes, “consider Photoshop to be their tool of choice to bring the ‘wow factor’ to their images, when in fact, that has always been the job of light.” Picture Perfect Lighting enthusiastically guides you through the process of correcting this misapprehension, with Valenzuela ‘s signature shorthand catchphrases doing most of the heavy lifting.

Valenzuela used what he terms “helper light” for this wedding image. It required a strobe unit positioned opposite the camera and with a wide-angle reflector to backlight the cherry blossoms and add immense sparkle. Here, Valenzuela writes, is a prime example of one modest artificial light source brought on scene “to help when the circumstantial/natural light is not adequate on its own.” All photos © Roberto Valenzuela

As always, Valenzuela’s presentation revolves around his excellent sample images and his custom vocabulary. He knows that specialized buzzwords are effective tools for getting your head around lighting strategies that will work for you. The “Lighting Benchmark Test” for example, is a useful tour of every potential natural lighting condition you’ll face. It segues very neatly into a sort of Power Point breakdown that gives you criteria to assess when “helper light” is required, and how to add reflectors and/or artificial sources to the mix without sacrificing the natural quality of your image.

Then there is Valenzuela’s notion of “circumstantial light,” a sort of holistic idea that deals with every lighting situation as the sum of many influences—those that are pre-existing and those you create yourself. “Circumstantial light is a way of thinking,” writes Valenzuela. “Depending on the circumstances, how we locate and shape light will always change from one place to another. How the light interacts with the objects near your subject and how it affects your photograph are the core concerns of circumstantial light.”

Edgy and flattering” were Valenzuela’s vision for this portrait, and the model’s full lips were the feature that told the story. Neither available light nor a conventional beauty dish would have given him the result he was after. He positioned a strobe with a modifier camera left for the main source illumination and used a small reflector with a hard throw to brighten the shadow side of the girl’s mouth and create this provocative result.

Valenzuela further dissects the topic with what he calls “circumstantial light elements” (CLE for short). Beyond color direction and intensity—the conventional triumvirate of light characteristics—he asks you to consider elements like CLE-4: Light Modifiers. “What,” he asks, “are the texture, shape, color and size of the objects that are in close proximity to your subject?” These are all factors that will affect the behavior of the light falling on your subject. CLE-10: Lighting Reference Point prods us to consider the direction of a light source to a subject—actual or implied. This is less a necessity in creating a lighting schema than it is an exercise for keeping your circumstantial light-sensing antennae finely tuned. “After all, “ Valenzuela reminds us, “photography is an art form, and light is its core. If you want to be a better photographer, then you have to be much more proficient at reading light than the average person.” (See the full list of CLE’s below.)

Roberto Valenzuela’s 10 Top Circumstantial Light Eelements (CLE)

(Excerpted with permission from Roberto Valenzuelas’s Posing Perfect Lighting, pages 51 and 52)

Because light is constantly being emitted and absorbed, and locations are continuously changing, I needed to devise a process to simplify matters. Light is constant. It will behave in the same way whether you are photographing at Buckingham Palace or in a back alley in west Los Angeles. As light travels, bounces off surfaces, and interacts with close objects, there will be areas that have truly magical light—the kind of light that makes people glow! On location, I pay particularly close attention to these 10 top elements of circumstantial light, and ask myself the following questions about them. (Please note that for future reference, I will refer to these elements as CLE-1, CLE-2, CLE- 3, etc. “CLE” stands for Circumstantial Light Element. The number following the abbreviation simply corresponds to the order number of the element.)

CLE-1: SOURCE AND DIRECTION OF LIGHT
What is the source and direction of the main light? During the day, it will most likely be the sun, and at night it could be any form of artificial light. Although the source may be obvious, knowing the direction of the main light is not. On a cloudy day, the direction of
light could be hard to determine, but even on cloudy days the sun is somewhere and you must take note of its position. Inside a room, the main light could come from one of the windows, which could be lit by direct sunlight or only fill light. It depends on the position
of the sun relative to the window. Knowing the source of the main light and the direction it comes from will help you determine various characteristics of the fill light in the area. It will also help you determine the root of the light source (for example, the sun) versus the actual main light source you’ll use (for example, a large white wall).

CLE-2: FLAT SURFACES
Is there a relatively flat object being illuminated directly by the main light source, as determined by CLE-1, in close proximity to the subject? It could be building walls, a delivery truck, a row of bushes, or any other flat surface. This is important because large,
flat, light-colored objects make fantastic reflectors that produce flattering light. These “wall”-type objects also change the direction of the sunlight from vertical to horizontal. Depending on the surface properties of the flat object, you could determine the quality,
quantity, and color of the reflected light.

CLE-3: BACKGROUNDS
Do you see backgrounds that are clean and free of distracting objects, have similar color elements (such as browns or greens), or that contain a pattern? Note that it’s a bonus if the background contains even luminosity levels within the photographic frame, since it
will keep most of the attention on your subject. This helps, but it is not necessary.

CLE-4: CIRCUMSTANTIAL LIGHT MODIFIERS
What are the texture, color, shape, material, and size properties of the objects that are in close proximity to your subject? These are objects such as walls, curtains, sheers, bed sheets, doors, plants, trees, paintings, automobiles, etc.

CLE-5: GROUND CHARACTERISTICS
What is the color, material, and texture of the ground your subject is standing on?

CLE-6: SHADOWS ON THE GROUND AND WALLS
Describe the shadows on the ground and on the walls. Can you find the shadow line on the ground? The shadow line is where a piece of open shade meets the ground lit by direct sunlight. What is the direction of the shadows? How dark are the shadows, and are the
shadow edges hard or soft? If shadows are soft with a soft edge, can you figure out where the fill light is coming from?

CLE-7: POCKETS OF CLEAN LIGHT AMONG SHADOWS
If there were scattered shadows or a clear pattern of shadows on the wall or floor, can you find any pockets of clean light? These pockets of clean light among scattered shadows, shadow patterns, or shadow shapes can be used as a graphic or framing element to
increase visual interest.

CLE-8: OPEN STRUCTURES OUTDOORS
Are there areas where there is any type of ceiling that casts open shade, or a ceiling with three walls leaving one side open to the outside, such as an outdoor garage? Knowing this will help you see opportunities when the light changes direction from a vertical path
(up and down) to a horizontal path (side to side).

CLE-9: INTENSITY OF LIGHT DIFFERENCES
Are there areas where the intensity of light could create a separation between the background and the subject? Does this separation complement the subject or does it distract the viewer from the subject?

CLE-10: LIGHTING REFERENCE POINT
Where or what is the lighting reference point from which you are basing your subject’s lighting? Does the lighting on your subject complement the reference point light or contradict it?

What is the reason for creating this list? For starters, the point of doing these visual and mental exercises in your surroundings is to increase your sensitivity to what the light is telling you in any environment and under any circumstances you may find yourself
in. After all, photography is an art form, and light is its core. If you want to be a better photographer, then you have to be much more proficient at reading light than the average person.