"We don't need no stinkin' studio!"

There was a need for pictures of two pastors to update the staff page of my church's website, so I volunteered to do them. Nothing fancy, just a simple "headshot" was all that was needed.

I asked the two men to meet me in a classroom immediately after the morning worship service. I wanted to keep it fast and simple since we all wanted to get home and eat! Not wanting to be bothered with any complicated studio lighting, I opted for the simple and classic window lighting. The old master painters like Rembrandt used this method centuries before electric lighting was available. Most people seem to think they did OK with it.

Rembrandt's Girl At A Window

I placed a chair close to a window that was not getting direct sun light. A blank wall behind the chair served as a background. I placed a silvered reflector on a chair opposite the window to reflect some light back onto the shadow side of the face. A piece of white poster board would have done the same job. It took about two minutes to set up my "studio", and here are the results. Thanks for the lighting tip, Mr. Rembrandt! (Click on photos to enlarge.)

 Caleb Payne

David Williams