August 2015. Client: Artburst

When a sunbeam cuts through a darkened room there are three choices*:

1. Expose for the non sunlit areas and let everything the shaft of light hits appear even brighter (it’ll be white, too bright for the camera to capture any detail but still a good effect for other pictures).

2. Expose for the sunlit area and use a flash to bring up detail in the shadows.

3. Expose for the sunlit area and let the shadow areas go dramatically dark as in this picture. 

The storyteller, book and under-fives were in constant movement and were taking part in an Artburst workshop. In Artburst’s own description they integrate drama, art, music and movement in their creative educational workshops, so a lot was dancing in and out of the ray of light that morning. I waited with the camera set to expose correctly for that one area (f – Stop: 20 to get a good depth of focus – 1/200th of a second to stop the action of the children’s movements and finally ISO3200… to allow me shoot at f20 at 1/200th!)

All of a sudden the book came into the light, illuminating the giraffe and watering hole scene in the story, splashing light onto the surrounding storyteller and a passing child and so capturing a tender moment between the adult and a young listener.

(* more choices are available – eg. ‘head out for a picnic’ option not included)