Lemon - Light, Shadow & Skin Tone: The Complete Guide to Shooting Black & White Glamour Photography Digitally and on Film

Light, Shadow & Skin Tone: The Complete Guide To Shooting Black & White Glamour Photography Both Digitally And On Film

Bill Lemon

Copyright 2013 Bill Lemon

18 U.S.C. 2257 Statement

In compliance with the Federal Labeling and Record-Keeping Law (also known as 18 U.S.C. 2257), all models shown in this book were 18 years of age or older during the time of photography. All content and images are in full compliance with the requirements of 18 U.S.C. 2257 and associated regulations.

The Adobe Photoshop name and logo is a trademark and property of Adobe Systems Inc. The Nik Silver Efex Pro name and logo is a trademark and property of Nik Software, Inc. The Dfine name and logo is a registered trademark and property of Nik Software, Inc. The Viveza name and logo is a registered trademark and property of Nik Software, Inc. The Color Efex Pro name and logo is a registered trademark and property of Nik Software, Inc. The Sharpener Pro name and logo is a trademark and property of Nik Software, Inc. The Facebook name and logo is a registered trademark and property of Facebook, Inc The Sekonic name and logo is a registered trademark of Sekonic Corporation, Japan.

Acknowledgments

If it came down to it, I could write a book by itself thanking all the people who have helped me achieve what I have over the years. To start with, my two daughters and my five grand kids: Logan, Sean, Andersen, Kayla, and little Patrick.

To name some of my closest friends who have been there to help me when I needed them: Spencer, Arthur, Erik, Dutch, Lyn, and Ernie. Also, thank you to my attorney, Dale Reicheneder, for his consultation on past and present publications.

And a big thank you goes out to all the photographers who have taken my workshops over the years. Ive met some wonderful people through the workshops, people who come back year after year and take more than one workshop a year. Hopefully Im doing something right!

And to all the models Ive photographed over the years; with all your hard work and patience, you have helped me create some wonderful images. Youll see some of these in this book.

Again, thanks to all of you.

Bill

Foreword

Bill Lemon has done it again: He has created his fifth book on photography that celebrates the female form. Bill has the ability to see his subjects and bring out their best. He sees models finer points, and combines this with his ability to use light to create spectacular images. Ive known this photographer for about 15 years, and his talent and eye amaze me.

Many years ago, my father told me to look for people in life who have achieved success and who understand perfection. He told me to mimic those people. Mimicking a lighting style or great pose is, to me, the highest form of flattery. You cannot copyright a pose or lighting style, so learn from the best and Bill Lemon is one of them.

In order to employ his lighting and posing techniques, women are the architecture for his art. His tool is his camera. The images in this book illustrate a photographer who loves perhaps adores women. They are his obsession and passion in life. Viewing the images of women in this book awakens our senses to beauty and form, as Bill has the ability to project class, beauty, and art in his photography. He understands the finer points of posing and creates a documentary of true beauty in his books.

You will learn from a photography genius in Bill Lemons latest book.

Art Ketchum, Art Ketchum Studios

Author of Painting the Body Beautiful: A Showcase of Expert Body Painting

Introduction

I am known for my distinctive type of glamour photography, which is typically of female models in unique settings. I specialize in capturing the beauty of nature along with the beauty of the female form. To do this, I often utilize natural light both in the studio and outdoors.

In this book, you will read about my photography philosophy and see my methods through visual examples. You will learn what elements make a successful black and white photo, and see ways to effectively convert digital color images to black and white.

Who Should Read This Book

This book is for photographers who have an understanding of photography and photographic terms. Of course, anyone can simply enjoy the images. However, in order to learn to emulate my style, you need to already know how to use a camera, light meter, and supplemental lighting.

How To Use This Book

I believe in teaching through example you know the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. This book is a collection of my images, some shot on film and some shot digitally. Each image has a description about what makes the image work or what makes it unique. I include technical specifications for each image to use as a starting point for you to recreate a similar type of image. I also point out the strengths and weaknesses of the photo, or ways the photo could have been changed or improved.

Before reviewing the images, I strongly suggest you read the following section. All photographers work in different ways. Here are my primary methods of shooting, as well as general tips for models, lighting, and software.

Bill Lemons Photography Methods

Shooting By F-Stop

A good glamour photograph is more than just a beautiful model. It is a combination of lighting and composition. When setting up a glamour photo session, I begin by surveying the entire location, either in studio or outdoors. I determine how I want to showcase the model. Will she be interacting with elements, such as outdoors under a waterfall? If so, the background needs to be clear. Do I want the focus to be on the model and make the background elements more a blurred pattern? Every situation is different, especially outdoors. I tend to concentrate more on F-stops than shutters speeds. Shutter speeds will always vary, based on the type and amount of light. The F-stop determines the type of image that will result, because it regulates the distance from focus point A to Z.

Most of my photos have an F-stop value from 5.6 to 8.0. This creates a pleasing composition where the background has definition. Regulating the F-stop can change the depth of field.

Using a Light Meter

I always use a separate, hand-held light meter. A good light meter can be as important as, if not more than, your camera. This provides an accurate reading that you can use to set the histogram within your camera. I personally like the line of Sekonic light meters. Many fit in the palm of your hand, measure all different types of lighting, and can process and provide results for incandescent and strobe lighting. What a light meter ultimately allows you to do is get an accurate, precise camera setting that will make post production easier.

Do not rely on the image in the LCD screen of your digital camera. It isnt accurate. If you do not have a light meter, or want to double-check your light, the histogram can be useful. The histogram graph will show you how the light is distributed in your picture. There should not be large spikes on either the left or right side of the histogram, as then your image will be either under- or over-exposed.