29/05/2026
𫢠I did something for this shoot which I donât normally do.
I didnât set up any lighting.
No external lighting. No reflectors. No modifiers. Just one camera, and all natural light, the way youâd experience it if you were there in person.
Am I lazy for not lighting this shoot?
1/7
Majority of my early work was natural light too, but that was because I didnât know how to use anything else đ
Despite knowing how to get a proper exposure on my images, I was never satisfied with how my work looked. I couldnât describe it, they were missing that extra âpopâ or wow factor.
I finally got over myself and learned how to use strobes and external lighting. Maybe that would help.
I could now shoot in places that didnât have much natural light at all, but my work wasnât really getting much better, and I couldnât figure out why.
2/7
That was the worst part. How can I fix something I couldnât articulate?
I would look at photographers I admired, and their work was always so much better. Was it because they shot at cooler places? A fancier camera? More expensive lenses?
My bank account had its own opinions.
3/7
One day, I was listening to a screenwriter talk about the one key ingredient that underlies all of her work:
Drama.
On a script, drama could be defined as something that occurs when a character is prevented from achieving their desired goal. But how do we show that drama off the page, on camera?
4/7
Visually, drama is manifested through things like the contrast between light and dark. Or how things are placed within the frame and in relation to each other. It could be how and what colors are used, or it could even be things that are hidden from the frame.
Then it occurred to me. It wasnât about lighting or equipment, or even where I was capturing my shots.
My work was flat and uninteresting, and it was because there was no drama. No contrast, no atmosphere, no context, no story...no soul.
5/7
I showed up to this shoot with all my usual lighting equipment. Strobes, triggers, soft boxes and modifiers.
But, as soon as I walked in and saw the space, I knew I wouldnât be needing it.
It wasnât because the natural light was so much prettier, but becau
