"Working With The Lines"

"Working With The Lines"
©David A. Ziser

This image was also made as part of the KPPA a shoot this past Sunday. As you know, I'm a big fan of lines, shape, and form. I had originally started to set up the shot right outside the hotel lounge. As I surveyed the location, I was even more taken by the very strong lines leading up to the ceiling skylight. I immediately thought a low vantage point would be the best place to capture the long lines reaching to the skylight. What resulted was this very non-traditional bridal portrait. Still, I thought it still had quite a contemporary feel. Here was the challenge though. Look at the ceiling area at the top of the scene and also the side of the sofa. Had I used my traditional shoot thru umbrella methods such as my favorite shoot through umbrella method, the entire space - ceiling and sofa - would have been illuminated. To me, that would have been a major distraction in the composition. How do I eliminate the lighting on the surrounding areas? I needed a smaller "cone of light" to illuminate the bride, a light that would not flood the rest of the scene.
By using my magic Z-Ray light, I was able to control the light without having any spill hitting the ceiling or the sofa. Now the viewers' eye goes directly to my subject's face. And the strong line from the skylight also leads the viewer's eye right down to my subject. So, a little bit of thinking was necessary to bring this image together but I think we got a really nice result. Camera specs; Canon 40D fitted with 10–22mm wide angle lens, F5.6 at 1/125 second, ISO 800.

Enjoy! – David