"Suzette Says" - Learning to See the Light

"Practice doesn't make perfect!" What if you're practicing it wrong? Only perfect practice makes perfect."
Roberto Valenzuela

Intro by Skip Cohen

That's one of my most favorite contemporary quotes, thanks to good buddy Roberto Valenzuela. In every workshop, Roberto talks about the importance of practicing and getting to know your equipment and the lighting in every situation.

Joe Buissink, in a recent episode of "Why?" talked about how he's trained his mind's eye to visualize the best image, paying close attention to composition and lighting.  He's regularly looking at everyday scenes and anticipating how he might compose the best shot.

While "Suzette Says" is most often going to be about helping you create better slideshows, your final presentation is only going to be as good as the images you use to tell the story. So, I wanted to step away this week from slideshow creation tips and focus purely on a great tip Suzette's sharing on learning to see the light.

Although Suzette posted this on her video channel just a few days ago, I want to expand her suggestions. The most successful portrait and wedding artists ALWAYS check out their location before the sitting or event. Most wedding photographers will visit the venues for both the ceremony and the reception. They're always looking for the best light and backdrops to capture compelling images.

What I love about this two-minute video is the way Suzette looks at her environment, as if she was in a studio. In reality, she is in a "studio" - it's just a little larger than most! She's looking to get as much control as possible in the quality of light.

Dean Collins used to say the only difference between his studio lights and the sun was the recycle time! Well, Suzette has learned to pay attention to the environment, especially that "giant softbox" above her.

Putting her points about finding the light to practical use, both images in today's post were captured after she recorded the video below. Working with her clients, she knew exactly the look she wanted in every photograph and took full advantage of the natural light to create beautiful portraits.

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As you think about your ProShow presentations, think about the quality of the photographs and video you're using to tell the story. Photodex can help you give them more impact with the very best software, but you have to start with the right ingredients.  You've got a responsibility to always give your clients the very best.

Create slideshows that leave your clients speechless, starting with stunning images and pulling them together with the very best in slideshows with ProShow 8. To learn more just click on the thumbnail to the right.

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Images copyright Suzette Allen. All rights reserved.