[Clayton J. Beck III]

My SOG friends,

As for lighting a subject, you must first understand what it is from the subject you're trying to bring out. If you're interested in the solidity and the form of the object, Rembrandt type lighting is probably very good. If you're more interested in color or expression or any of a number of other things that we try to bring out of our subjects, other lightings make more sense.

A flat lighting, that which comes from behind the painter, such as with Nicolai Fechin or Holbein, emphasizes an overall color design. Other times available light, such as we see in "snapshot" photography, gives a life and spontaneity to the subject that is gotten no other way.

Here are some examples of my thoughts about lighting. The first two express the smooth skinned youth and beauty of my models. The third expresses the spontaneity and overall expression of the model and the final expresses the large and interesting form of the model.

All are accomplished with a main direction of light in varying degrees.

Clayton