Paige Hassen: JRN

On Wednesday, September 7th, I was able to attend my JRN 420 class for the first time. In the three-hour period, I was able to do an in-class assignment using Godox Strobes, and learning how to bounce the flash off of light surfaces in order to light up a subject and change the appearance of the background and contrast in a photo.

This was my first time ever using strobes on a camera. I have loved photography for a long time, but I never realized just how much the lighting adds to a photo. In this assignment, I noticed that lighting is not just about making the subject appear better, but about the whole making of the picture. What I mean by this is the background, the subject, the contrast in colors, etc. I am looking forward to exploring more with strobe lights.

Another thing I learned during this assignment was what positive impact filling the frame has on pictures. Prior to the assignment, I knew that filling the frame was important, but I have never used that method with lighting. Now using lighting with the technique, I was intrigued by how much it added to the photo. In my eyes, referencing the first picture I posted, filling the frame added character, importance, and focus.

I noticed it was important for me to learn how to use the strobe properly. Something I struggled with at first was having the subject see or be directly lit with flash; I wasn’t sure where to tilt the strobe to yet. But throughout the assignment, I was better able to see where the best place to tilt the strobe to was, so that I could get even better lighting on the subject.

My favorite part about this assignment was seeing firsthand how much the lighting of a shot can add to a photo. The slightest tilt of the head can add shadows that contrast the face of a subject beautifully. I also enjoyed learning about adding to or taking away from the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO in order to make the background of a bounce-photography shot pop out and appear differently. You can see an example of this in the second picture I posted.

I am looking forward to exploring more with bounce-light photography in the future!