Inward lighting

Massimo Franzese · Issue 129, Nov/Dec 2022 · pp. 58–60

Products mentioned: Panasonic GH5M2, Canon 8-15mm, Metabones smart adapter, Tokina lens

It was Christmas 2018 and my wife Helen hands me an envelope with an unexpected gift: two hours tuition with Alex Mustard (on land). Alex was travelling and I was busy with work so I only managed to get the session arranged in spring 2019. At that time I had just returned from a Hammerhead expedition in the Bahamas. Prior to boarding the boat I did two days diving at Blue Heron bridge. I must admit shooting macro is not my favourite discipline but the shots were very disappointing: they all looked flat fish ID style images of various critters on the sea bed. I showed the images to Alex who gave me a session on inward lighting for macro and we took several shots of coffee mugs or other widgets on his kitchen table. I wish I had had that session before going on that trip, but things never quite work as you want. Since then, I have done mostly wide angle with the occasional macro or fish po…