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If you’ve been taking photos for a long time, you’ll agree with me when I say that light plays an important role in each photograph. It can set the mood, create shadows and, yes, illuminate specific areas. It helps create shape and dimension on the subject. The perfect light, albeit ambient, for that perfect composition can also be very elusive.

Another photo session had taken placed last Friday for a few of my blogs. It started out as a simple photo feature of a costume idea, an angel wing. Then it progressed into a beauty feature before I wrapped things up.

I had initially planned to use the morning light streaming in through a set of windows in my room like I always do. I would normally be satisfied but that morning, I had a hard time producing something that I was happy with. So, then came an answer to my quiet prayer to ease my frustration — mirrored sunlight.

I was blinded by the light coming from the rising sun that bounced off from one of the mirrors in the room. But seemingly like the blinding bright light, my face lit up in surprise and delight when I saw the first few sample shots.

From the cold, white light to warm, yellow ones, I was able to take photos that flattered and highlighted the colours of the makeup I was wearing. I had snapped photo after photo like a mad woman for as long as the light was present.

The photo on the right is a sample of a photograph taken without the mirrored sun. It pales in comparison, eh?

From experience, I would’ve come up with a different set of photos had I been under direct sunlight. It had worked to my advantage that the reflected light only illuminated particular areas of the space and kept the rest in shadows. Had I used a flash, even if it were a speedlite capped with a diffuser, I still wouldn’t have been able to take these sort of photos.

Trivia: Session was for an FOTD (Face of the Day) at Beauty Bento Box; Fashion features seen in Style Manila and Tops 2 Bottoms. Taken between 6am and 7am in my room; October 2008.

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