Over the past several days, I’ve received numerous complements and questions about my wrestling photos that were published Saturday, Jan. 9. Most questions stem from the dramatic lighting. Prior to contrary belief, I don’t light every assignment I shoot. In fact, I’ve been trying to tone down my lighting and travel without any. This was one of those cases. I didn’t supply my own light for the wrestling match, it was already there, complements of Lake Stevens High School.
After JV finishes up and the warm-ups are done, all the lights in the gym go off, save one down light that is suspended about 10 feet above the mat. Yes, it’s very dark and yes; you waste a lot of frames. But the reward is extremely directional light that highlights the athletes and little else. The background goes to blackness and your eye becomes locked on the two wrestlers on the mat. The rim light gets nice as well.
For most of the matches, you have to wait and be patient about seeing faces. When they look up, fire away. And since most of the background is eliminated, body language becomes emphasized.
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