Adding to your Toolbox

In the beginning of my career, I called proudly and so naively called myself a “Natural Light Photographer”. This meant, that I had all of my sessions either early in the morning, or late afternoon. And it worked for a new months. Until I started photographing weddings. 

OYE. 

Ain’t no place for a “Natural Light Photographer” in weddings. Are you kidding me? What happens when the sun goes down during your 10 hour day coverage? You either push that ISO until you’re literally making a blizzard out of your clients moments, or you pony on up, and learn your lighting. 

I may have tried for 5 minutes with the former, (snow storming the heck out of a first dance), but I got my shit together and learned how to light with a flash or two for a wedding. 

Old habits die hard. 

When I got this studio space, it was flooded with beautiful, natural light. Perhaps, too much light and I had to close windows down, manipulate it a bit, because shooting Boudoir, I always want that dark moody look, especially as 99% of my work is in black and white. 

So right back to all natural light it was for me.

But there was something staring at me in the corner of my studio – a mass of equipment I bought years ago and didn’t use. I’ll spare you the geeky equipment details, but just know, I had a ton of awesome tools that never saw the light of day, and I had no idea how to use them.

What I did know, was that I wanted to expand my toolbox. I looooove nothing more than natural light, but I’m a photographer first, not a natural light photographer, and if the tools are there, I want to learn them. Also because I’m hella stubborn, and when I want something, I don’t stop until I get it, or understand it. 

I had a mentoring session with the incredible Tina Leu Fotos, and we talked about the photos she creates with one light. Something about the way she explained it to me, FINALLLLLY clicked. After YouTube videos, diagrams, Lighting PDF,s, you name it, I didn’t get it. But I understood her, and I didn’t waste time. 

I wish I had someone in with me that I could have played more (holy heck the light is heavy and hard to move), but that’s ok. I made what I had work – me. 

And I’m really happy!

Of course there’s a TON of practice I need to do, so much more to learn, but for now, I love what I got, and you bet I’m going to be offering this to all of my clients from here on out. 

Get uncomfortable, do what you think is impossible. The only person stopping you is you. So stop it.

Aniya, xo