Sunlight Separation

Sunlight Separation

Sometimes the location itself gives you exactly what you need. You just have to recognize it.

In Sunlight Separation, I break down how I used a small pocket of direct sunlight to create separation between my subject and a darker urban background. The sunlight wasn't lighting the entire scene, and I didn't need it to. I saw where it was falling, recognized what it could do for the image, and built the photograph around it.

A large part of this class focuses on location breakdown. Using pullback images, I show you exactly what I was looking at, what caught my attention, where I placed my subject, and why I chose this particular angle. I also show the position of my lighting and explain how the flash worked with the existing sunlight rather than competing with it.

The result is an image where the subject feels clearly separated from the environment, even though she is surrounded by darker tones and architectural elements.

From there, I take you through the complete edit, starting with the RAW file and finishing with the final polished image.

In this class, you will learn:

• How to recognize small pockets of sunlight that can be used creatively within an ordinary location
• How to use sunlight as a natural separation light around your subject
• How to break down a busy location and identify the strongest area for your photograph
• How subject placement and camera position can completely change the way a location photographs
• How I positioned my flash to work with the existing sunlight and create a natural-looking result
• How light, background tone, and composition work together to create stronger subject separation
• How I take the image from the original RAW file to the final polished edit

Runtime - 19 minutes

Software used - ACR/Photoshop, Evoto

Video available in the VP Box