By James Bontemps
This is the first in a new series of Blog Posts that will detail how some of my photos were created. Sometimes it is all good planning and setup, and other times it is pure luck, and more often than not, it is a little of both.
In this first series, I look at the challenge of light and darkness, because that is really all photography is.
I almost always shoot in natural light. I rarely even use reflectors or shades. I like both the challenge of trying to shoot in natural light, and the more natural images that usually result from not trying to manipulate light.
I find that shooting in natural light is a lot easier outdoors compared to shooting indoors, but in this case, I was shooting California girl Amber Flowers in a huge 100+ year old barn at Cummings Farm in Durham, Ontario, just east of Toronto.
Late October in Ontario, Canada brings both a real chill in the air and the most beautiful late afternoon low sunlight that we call Golden or Magic Hour.
Amber lay completely nude on a dusty wooden chest in the old barn.
It was quite late in the afternoon and the sun was very low, allowing the sunlight to stream deep into the barn through the large sliding door.
Amber was at the very end of that sunlight, where it transitioned sharply from light to dark.
The light and shadow was perfect, and the warm glow was in stark contrast to the reality of how cold it was in the barn. Amber’s rock hard nipples were a testament to that, beautifully outlined and glowing.
For this shot, and the others from this particular part of the shoot, I was very conscious of the light and placed the chest and Amber where the transition was, and perpendicular to the sun’s rays. I moved around and up and down to get the right angle where she was half in shadow, but the sun caught both of her nipples and really lit up her beautiful pussy, so for this shot I would say the awareness, planning and setup was the main factor rather than luck. It’s not always that way, as you will see in some of my future posts.
Amber contributed greatly to the shot, by posing with her back arched and her arms crossed. It’s a small detail, but I love how the light shone through underneath her back, showing the curve of her body that would otherwise be hidden by the darkness.
Amber Flowers – October 28, 2019
A whole different feeling when shot from the other side, where it is more about the light than the shadows. Amber is well lit from top to bottom, with some of her face slightly in the shadows, and the inky darkness behind giving a perfect contrasting backdrop. There is actually a lot of barn back there, but it completely disappears in the dark.
The golden tone of the wooden chest complements the tones of Amber’s skin nicely.
In this shot, Amber lies with her arms full up, exposing her entire naked body in a confident relaxed pose.