"Hey Rick, What's your f-stop?"

"Hey Rick! What's your f-stop?" That's the question I get asked most on my photo workshops. I reply, with a smile, "My friend. What is your creative vision, what is your goal?" Those are the important question for photographers to ask themselves.

In this blog series I will share with you my goal and camera settings for some of my favorite recent photographs, which are featured in my 37th book, Evolution of an Image.

Here goes.

Location: Croton-on-Hudson, New York
Goal: Demonstrate how to make a high-key portrait.
Thought process: Most high-key portraits have little or no shadows on the subject’s face. High-key portraits also show the subject against a white background.

My idea was to use a basic lighting system to provide shadowless lighting for a glamor photograph, and then to retouch the image with professional quality results.

Lighting Info
Westcott Spiderlights and Westcott Eyelighter.

Camera Info
Camera: Canon 5D Mark III
Lens: Canon 24-105mm IS @ 95mm
Camera settings:
• One-shot autofocus – for a sharp shot
• ISO 2000 – needed because Spiderlights are not that powerful, f/ 5.6 – so model was in focus and background was slightly out of focus, 1/400th second – so I could shoot a hand-held shot while moving around the model.

I took my high-key portrait in my home. For more in-depth tips on making portraits in your home, check out my two KelbyOne classes on transforming your home into a professional studio.

For more tips, tricks and techniques, see my current best-selling book, Creative Visualization for Photographers. Also check out my KelbyOne on-line classes.

Explore the light,
Rick