If you know anything about me, then you know I’m an ordained minister when it comes to Black and White images. I preach that black and white is over done and should only be applied to SPECIFIC images. More so to images that were shot with black and white in mind, i.e. more contrast than anything. The reason is because I hear lots of photographers that shoot an image wrong and can’t get the colors to look right, so they turn it black and white and call it “art” Yeah, no, it doesn’t work that way.

Black and white images tells a story. It’s reserved for images that makes you take a second look, that draws you in. Not for images that are half assed and wants to be “cool”

Meet Gabby. She was a friend on facebook that contacted me when I posted that I was working with a new MUA that needed test faces. The first shoot we had, she was super shy and reserved.  She was a cutie that had something not so deep down. I walked her to her car and she said she had fun and wanted to shoot with just us two (there was another model there and two more on the way). I set up a shoot for the next weekend and she showed up EARLY! Wow, right? We shot and she came out of her shell and was awesome. The third shoot, she wanted to do something more expressive, so I suggested some art nudes. I explained that I saw a lot of shadows and contrast on the ball chair.

The lighting was simple, beauty dish up high pointing down. I wanted bright highlights and dark shadows. The power of one light should never be underestimated, although it always is. Included is the diagram photo.