The second issue of Stockilicious is going to cover the effect and use of Light and Shadows.

There are many uses for the general studio-style lighting and natural light for stock. It makes the focus of the photo easy to cut-out and be used in manipulations as well as see the various muscle-tone and lines of a body for traditional art.
But even more interesting, and rarely given enough credit, is the use of light/shadow effects that expose a photo or help it cast shadows across the body, object or area and give a more detailed view of what the photo is made of. People love being able to just cut-and-go with stock, but let's not over-look the art of making a stock image with an environment that is a little different.

Below there is a selection of stock that uses different styles of lighting. From having a lamp over to one side and turning the inbuilt flash on the camera off, to painting their body and using a blacklight.

You don't need to pay through the teeth to get some fancy umbrella lights. Ask the stockers you know what they use. A few bedside lamps? Maybe they spend around $50 to get some spotlights down at the camping store down the road? Take a moment to have a look at the photos below, and for the stockers reading this - maybe you could try experimenting a little with the lighting you have available to you.



Remember, not all light is white. Besides paying hundreds for special coloured light globes or lens covers there are a few simple and cheap ways to give your stock an interesting edge. By taping some cellophane over a lamp or your inbuilt camera flash you can change your normal white images to stock with tinges of red or blue or any other colour you can find.

While we're at it - why only use one colour? Set a lamp up on either side of your camera to shine on your stock area and cover each in different coloured cellophane to get a cross-over or mix of the colours you want.

Experimenting to find a new way to do stock is what its all about. Just make sure you don't start posting images where your model's features are barely noticeable from over-exposure or are so darkened you can't even tell if they're eyes are open or not.

Thanks for reading!
-Demonic