Nathan Doverspike in front of his Villain Vape Shop Mural.
Although it may be one of the most challenging aspects of photography, I love to shoot on location. I always feel hint of uncertainty on my way to a shoot, even if it’s a location that I’m familiar with, I never know what I’m going to walk into. Here, I photographed Nathan Doverspike, a local artist and personal friend. He had just finished a mural for a local business in Lawrenceville. I had a preconceived shot in my mind of what I wanted so I brought the gear that I knew I would need. Keeping the camera bag lightweight is preferred, so I use speedlites to light my shot. Speedlites are convenient because of their portability. In my case, I use Nikon gear. The Creative Lighting System (CLS) allows me to operate in TTL and communicate with the flashes directly from the camera.
A look at me setting up the softbox
A practice shot of the scene before I brought Nathan in to model
By the time Nathan completed his mural, it was late in the evening. The sun was just at the right angle to case this amazing light through the old storefront glass windows. I used a 24x24 inch Lastolite softbox; it was punchy enough to blend in with the sunlight cast on the brick wall. A good tip I would give is to direct your flash on the same path as the available light. The eye will have a harder time discerning one from the other and the scene will look more natural.
Keep it light!