How did the masters use light? Painters, I mean. I had not really thought about it. I mean, I knew folks like Monet (I think it was him…I cannot quite remember) actually moved house to a new village just because the light there was better. Still it is easy to think, “Hey, it’s paint, they can make whatever light they want!”
Well, I just read a great (mock) Rembrandt interview over at the Strobist. That is right, Rembrandt, in the not-so-flesh, is going on record to help us understand how he controls light to achieve his desired results. Warning: the Strobist is all about off-camera flash photography, so if that is not your thing, it might be too photo-techy. Of course, if photography and lighting ARE your thing, you might hurt yourself laughing! A work of genius! Laugh and learn.That Strobist entry really made me think more about how much photographers have to learn from the masters of painted art. So many lessons about lighting and composition are there for the gleaning. It is too easy to look at a painting, take it in on the surface, and never think about the details: the light, the colors, much less how those lessons could be applied to or accomplished in photography.
So, here’s to visual inspiration! It’s not just from movies, Flickr, or commercials. Let us pay attention to the established masters of visual art.
