What Chuck Does

Contrast and Punch = Breakthrough

Good and evil.

Love and hate.

Light and dark.

Each set of words describes the same thing; just various levels it. Each extreme does not exist without the other. In fact, each extreme is defined by the existence of its counterpart.

For example, without darkness, you can not tell where there is light (because everything would be bright). There would be no comparison. No frame of reference. Contrast is the juxtaposition of light with dark elements. The light defines the darkness and the darkness defines the light. Thus as the Zen tape (that Charlie Crews listens to in Life) says, one plus one equals one.

In photography this is critical. When the background is not important, dial down the ambient light! But the mistake I most often commit is spilling light. I’m always spilling strobelight into the background. Most of my shots on set with Zoe did not need to have all the objects in the background lit. Why? Because it makes for a confusing and messy backdrop. Only light the things that are relevant to the set!

It’s the same reason why this picture:

…is better than this picture:

While you can barely make out my face in the first picture, it’s the contrast that provides the punch. It’s the absense of light that makes the picture compelling, even though I only used 1 light. The even lighting of the second picture makes the subject flat and boring and less impressive.

Now it’s time to put this in action on tomorrow’s shoot!

“Zen tape: ‘What we learned as children that one plus one equals two we know to be false. One plus one equals one. We even have a word when you plus another equals one. That word is love.’”