AD 2018 Q1

IMAGING
PHOTO TECHNIQUES
THE POWER OF THE TORCH
Text and photos by Mike Bartick
In the world of fashion photography, studio
shooters use lighting in various ways to create
dramatic effects in their images. Light sources
from different vantage points can accentuate the
model’s features in distinctive ways. This not only
adds drama to the image but also creates an element of
style — a unique visual signature.
Backlighting and rim lighting are two examples of
the techniques studio photographers use to create
special visual effects with light. Working in a controlled
environment such as a photo studio is obviously much
different from shooting underwater. But with a little
practice and persistence, some studio techniques can
quite effectively transfer to underwater photography.
The opportunity to photograph an exotic subject
can engender a great deal of excitement, but even the
most coveted subjects, such as Rhinopias scorpionfish
or hairy frogfish, can appear flat or uninteresting,
especially when they are lying on sand. The biggest
challenge with these subjects is effectively highlighting
the detail that makes them so interesting in the first
place. While it is easy to appreciate the beauty of these
ornate subjects, it is quite difficult to shoot them well.
“Special lighting for special critters” has been my
consistent mantra and has motivated me to develop
my use of different lighting techniques. Backlighting,
sidelighting, rim lighting and two-point lighting (which
I like to call “the works”) have become frequently used
tools in my photographic toolbox. My mentor was a
master of rim lighting, executing it with a hand-held bulb
flash. Taking a cue from him, I carry a torch (dive light)
with me and experiment with it in different scenarios and
angles. It is not so much the power of the torch that is
important, but it is the creative license the torch will give
you once you begin to use one in your image making.
BACKLIGHTING AND SIDELIGHTING
These lighting techniques are not inherently difficult, but
making them work well requires practice. Some subjects
are better suited to backlighting than others, but do not
be afraid to experiment with diverse subjects. Some will
work; others will not. Backlighting and sidelighting work
best with an off-camera torch, which will grant you the
freedom to move around the subject and examine it from
different angles. Allow the light to sweep across the back
or side of the subject to illuminate its unique texture
and features. Try to surround it with a compelling
studio-style glow. Sometimes a simple line or distinctive
shape is enough to make the composition pop from
the background. Make a point of accentuating any such
aspect of the subject, and work it.
One pitfall with these techniques is that a foreground
shadow can sometimes obliterate critical details of your
subject. The expressive eyes of a goby, for example, may
appear as featureless black dots. Proper implementation
of strobe light in the foreground to fill the shadow is
key. Lowering the intensity of the flash can work, but
sometimes it is at the expense of contrast, leaving you
with muted tones. The challenge here is to introduce a
fill flash that is delivered with intensity and to the right
place on your subject while still allowing the backlit area
to shine through.
100 | WINTER 2018