For the longest time, I have been saying that I don't like using strobes or flashes. It was in a recent workshop that I attended where I realized, that it was not ambient lighting that I preferred. I preferred photographs with a great play of lights and shades. A photograph that would seem like it was taken from a movie would catch my attention more than just a simple sharp and well-exposed photograph. As the term I have adopted a few months before would connote "chiaroscuros".
Chiaroscuro according to wikipedia is an art that is characterized by strong contrasts by light and dark. In photography it is often associated with Rembrandt lighting, which I think only covers just a minute part of chiaroscuro in photography. One could say that I favor dark, moody photographs, I'd probably say I favor photographs with emotion. Be it happy, sad, "emo" or any other mood that could be conveyed. And photographs with a film/movie like quality are the ones that seem fit the "bill".
I have seen Parc Cruz's and Ku Manahan's posters for their workshop and it was the "cinematica"-like photographs that caught my attention. I followed their work ever since I've been in flickr and facebook, and I was glad that finally I was able to attend one of their workshops. I remember one of my "aha" moments when Mr. Manahan admittedly said that if he were asked the settings of his photos, he wouldn't know the settings. And it was when he said that he usually adjust his settings according to what "feels right" was when I silently rejoiced. I have been interested in strobes and lighting and all, but I am always taken aback when people start to talk about numbers and settings and all, of what should be or shouldn't be done. For the 3 months that I have been experimenting on strobes, all I know is whether I need to adjust my camera settings or my flash settings. And I go from there.
The workshop was a one day workshop that consisted of a crash course in strobes/lighting, a photoshoot session and a an overload of photoshop techniques afterwards. If you are one who is just beginning to explore the realm of photography, I'd suggest attending their other workshops first before this one. As for me, I would be waiting for their other lectures on ambient lights and the like. No photoshop for now. I know I have a penchant for editing. I know I could spend my whole day sitting in a chair layering, masking and blending away to get the look that I want. BUT for now, I'd like to sharpen my skills in strobes and lighting. And I'm so glad to find workshops that I could attend so that I could learn more.
Here are one of my outputs. I'd be posting more when I get some time of from my clinics. The photoshopped version against the lightroom edited version.
