One light, a north window,

Why I keep returning to a single source of light, and what it teaches me about restraint. It started, as most of these notes do, with a frame I almost deleted.

Starting with less

Every shoot begins by taking things away: one light instead of three, one lens instead of a bag full. The fewer decisions the equipment makes for me, the more attention I can give to the person in front of the camera.

It sounds romantic, but it is mostly practical. A smaller set moves faster, the model relaxes sooner, and the light has room to do what it wants.

Waiting for the second frame

The pose is never the picture. The picture is the half-second after, when the shoulders drop and the hands forget they are being watched. I keep shooting long after everyone thinks we are done.

That is the whole method, really: patience, a north window, and the willingness to let a good frame arrive in its own time.