Hey Guys I'm moving this page over to Patreon for more flexibility and a more community driven page! If you're interested in joining here is the link: https://www.patreon.com/c/LukeWatsonPhotography203 I also created a new website sharing all of my work and courses at different rates and one time access which you can find here: https://lukewatsonco.com Hope to see you all over on the new page so we can create amazing work together!

Most flat lighting isn't accidental. It comes from lighting to avoid shadow. From filling everything "just in case." From being scared of contrast. Flat light feels safe. Shape feels intentional. The question isn't can you add fill it's why you're adding it. Where do you catch yourself playing it safe?

For this shoot, the light stays exactly where it is. You're not allowed to raise it. You're not allowed to rotate it. You're not allowed to "just tweak it." If the image isn't working, solve it another way: Move the subject. Change their angle. Adjust distance. Rotate the body, not the stand. Most photographers move the light because it feels productive. In reality, it's avoidance. What would you change first if the light was locked?

Shutter: ambient.Aperture: brightness.Distance: softness.Power: intensity. When your image is wrong, you don't need five adjustments. You need the right one. Most photographers spiral because they change everything hoping something sticks. That's guesswork, not control. Identify what's broken. Fix that variable. Nothing else. The setting you reach for last is the one you don't understand yet. So which one is it and when are you going to stop avoiding it?

Check it out in the classroom!