In a Different Light: Photography Challenge II

I found out the hard way during this week's photography assignment that lighting can both make and break your photograph. Shooting pictures in natural, artificial and diffuse lighting each came with their own challenges. I felt like I had plenty of opportunities to make a great picture at the Dallas Arboretum on Friday. Their was plenty of sunshine and scenery, but what I struggled with was staying out of the shadows. My model also had her own ideas on how to pose.

Kristy Ordonez, a senior communications major at the University of Oklahoma, poses at the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas, Texas on Friday,[ Aug. 30, 2013. 

The next day I had her pose next to a window in my apartment. I found it difficult to make the shadows and highlights fall on the right parts of the face. After experimenting with the blinds, the final product leaves some shadows on her left cheek, but highlights her eyes and steady gaze.

Kristy Ordonez looks out the window onto the streets of Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. 

The next night I explored the downtown area of Fort Worth where I thought I would be able to find plenty of opportunities for artificial light photos. This challenge proved to be the most difficult without using flash or automatic focus. After adjusting my ISO and shutter speed I was able to take some visible shots, the struggle was putting them in focus. I tried several times to capture the lit carriages on the streets, but in the end got a spontaneous photo of a couple watching a live band. 

A couple watches a live band play in downtown Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013.