On Assignment

Welcome to On Assignment, where you can build on your Lighting 101 skills by learning exactly how real-world assignments were lit.

The object will be to explain the process of making the photos as clearly as possible. But if you have worked your way through the Lighting 101 section, you should be able to reverse engineer the light on most photos just by looking at them.

Try to test yourself, then read the copy for specifics.

Wind Tunnel
Abstract Concrete
Archeologists
Cicada
Star Gazer
Real Estate Developer
Blind Snoot Portrait
Conference Room Quickie
Computer Server Guy
Lighting Prep Basketball
Taming Harsh Sunlight
Big Gym, Little Lights
Light the Little Stuff
Thinking Outside of The Box
Designing a Backdrop
Lighting for Detail
Guy on a Boat
Dealing with TV's and CRT's
Simple Wall/Snoot Portrait
Make the Ambient Work For You
Use a Second Light to Create Tension
Womens Lacrosse Cover
Dealing With Difficult People
Lacrosse Cover, v2.0
Free Custom Backdrops: Using Flash into a Sunset
Ant Upton: Soccer Preview Shot
Robert McNary: Shoot Your Kid
Developing an Idea, Part 1: Compact Fluorescent Bulb
Developing an Idea, Part 2: Compact Fluorescent Bulb
5-Minute Test Shot
Shiny, Pretty Things
Pool Portrait
Strobe on a Rope
Tupperware and Trash Bags, Pt. 1 of 3
Tupperware and Trash Bags, Pt. 2 of 3
Tupperware and Trash Bags, Pt. 3 of 3
Soup Up Your $10 DIY Macro Studio
How To Light A Comet
Test Driving the DIY Softbox Grid Spot
Medical Illustrator
Fourth and Long? Punt With a Plant
Shade is Your Friend
Sometimes it's Not the Photo, it's the Process
John Dohrn: Lord of the Flies
Zebra Fish and Zygotes
David X. Tejada: Kicking Butt with Small Flashes
Stainless Steel and Cookies
How to Photograph Christmas Lights
Hit for Average
Always Look for a Detail
Book Club Illustration
Lighting a Large Interior
Found Backdrops, Pt. 1
Macaroni and Cheese
Speedlighting a College Gym
Special Q&A: Speedlighting a Gym
Flavored Vodkas
Light the Details
Spring Arts Guide
Munchies
Hero Fan
Spring Desserts
Group Shot: 2 Speedlights, 34 People
Steve at Google
Michael in Paris
Eke in Paris
Steve at Google
Nest Egg
Peter Yang: Admiral William Fallon
Golf Feature
Controlling Daylight, Pt. 1
Controlling Daylight, Pt. 1
Night Chopper, Pt. 1
Night Chopper, Pt. 2