Portrait of a Cowboy

From the Best of Mark Toal

I recently visited Old Tucson Studios in sunny Arizona for a photo shoot. Where I live in the Pacific northwest I’m more used to working under cloudy light that acts more like a giant softbox. I’d forgotten what it was like to shoot in bright sun, not to mention what it’s like to shoot during the middle of the day. During my visit, we were shooting in a dark room using just window light, which made the shadows that were too harsh for the image that I was looking for. (Especially if you didn’t have a reflector—Joe)

When the shoot ended I asked one of the models if he would come over to the open doorway. I had him stand on the threshold of the doorway looking out toward the sun and shot this image. The difference between the bright light outside and the dark room behind the subject makes for a beautiful dark background. Because he was in the shadow of the doorway there are no harsh shadows, but you still get beautiful catch-lights in the eyes. The camera used was a Panasonic Lumix G7 along with the Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 Asph lens.

Joe is the author of the “Available Light Glamour Photography.” that’s available from Amazon. The money we make from affiliate marketing through Amazon costs you nothing but helps keeps us online, so thank you for your continued support!