Jon and I started Brooks together nearly three years ago, and I made my initial attempt at this portrait during our first few weeks of school. The image ended up having some issues with the lighting and general image quality, so I considered it a near-miss. Naturally, I’ve wanted to reshoot it ever since, and I finally got my chance a few weeks ago when I received an environmental portrait assignment.
Jon has an amazing personal history deeply rooted in LA’s graffiti culture, and it offered me a chance to really have some fun with the lighting. Graffiti is subversive by its very nature, so I gelled one of the strobes red, the other blue, and spot-lit the wall with a 1/4 speed grid. The idea was to light the entire scene in a way that makes the viewer feel as though the police had just arrived.
Be sure to check out Jon’s Instagram @ohyaword, and special thanks to Kelton Woodburn for all the help.
Class: Advanced Lighting / Paul Meyer
