single light setup – Greg Urbano

Tomatos

This photographic composition showcases three tomatoes on a textured wooden surface against a dark background, illustrating the themes of light and form in still life art. Using controlled lighting to create a dramatic chiaroscuro effect, the photographer emphasizes the tomatoes’ beauty, merging classical traditions with contemporary techniques.

Tabletop still life of three ripe tomatoes with water droplets on a wooden surface against a dark background. — A tabletop still life of three tomatoes arranged on a wooden surface and lit against a dark background.

In this deceptively simple composition, the photographer demonstrates how the most humble subjects—three tomatoes from a supermarket produce section—can become vehicles for exploring light, form, and the enduring traditions of still life photography. The work sits comfortably within the classical end of Chapter 5’s spectrum, channeling centuries of artistic precedent while employing decidedly contemporary tools and techniques.

The arrangement recalls Dutch Golden Age vanitas paintings, where ordinary kitchen staples were elevated to subjects of profound contemplation. Here, three ripe tomatoes rest upon a weathered wooden surface, their placement casual yet deliberate. The varying positions of their stems—pointing in different directions like botanical compasses—introduce subtle asymmetry that prevents the composition from becoming static. Water droplets cling to the glossy red skin, suggesting recent washing and adding points of light that animate the surface.

His lighting strategy proves crucial to the image’s success. Working with a single Godox V1s flash modified by a softbox and grid, he achieves remarkable control over illumination. The grid attachment narrows the light spread, creating focused illumination that emphasizes the tomatoes while allowing the background to fall into deep, theatrical darkness. This chiaroscuro effect—the dramatic interplay of light and shadow—lends gravitas to subjects that might otherwise seem merely documentary.

The wooden surface provides essential contextual grounding. Its rough texture and visible grain contrast beautifully with the smooth, taut skin of the tomatoes, creating a dialogue between refined organic form and rustic materiality. The warm tones of the aged wood complement the rich reds of the fruit, establishing a harmonious yet varied color palette that feels both earthy and sophisticated.

His post-processing approach through Skylum Luminar 4, utilizing a color LUT (Look-Up Table), demonstrates an efficient workflow that enhances rather than overwhelms the captured image. The color grading deepens the reds toward burgundy in the shadows while maintaining natural highlights, creating dimensionality that draws the eye around each form. This restrained digital intervention respects the photographic integrity of the scene while amplifying its visual impact.

Within the broader trajectory of his still life work, this image represents a return to fundamentals—a meditation on how controlled lighting and thoughtful composition can transform the everyday into the examined. Where other works in this chapter might push toward experimental territories, this photograph anchors itself in proven traditions, demonstrating that innovation need not always mean departure from established visual language.

The Sony A7ii captures these elements with clarity and subtle tonal gradation, rendering the tomatoes with sufficient detail to appreciate their imperfect spherical forms, the slight variations in color saturation, and the delicate green stems that signal recent harvest. These details matter; they prevent the image from becoming abstract or overly stylized, maintaining its connection to the tangible world.

Ultimately, this work succeeds through its quiet confidence. The photographer understands that compelling still life photography requires neither exotic subjects nor complex staging—only patient observation, technical competence, and an appreciation for how light reveals the inherent beauty in forms we too often overlook. These grocery store tomatoes, frozen in this particular moment of light and shadow, become worthy of sustained attention.

Pears: A Chromatic Triptych in Measured Light

A still life photograph features three pears, highlighting the photographer’s evolving technique in transforming everyday produce into subjects for aesthetic contemplation. Using controlled lighting and a focused composition, the work emphasizes color variation and organic authenticity. This piece bridges classic and contemporary styles, encouraging viewers to appreciate the beauty in simplicity.

Tabletop still life of three pears arranged side by side on a wooden surface against a dark background. — A tabletop still life of three pears arranged on a wooden surface and lit against a dark background.

This composition of three pears exemplifies the photographer’s evolving approach to still life, transforming quotidian supermarket produce into subjects worthy of sustained aesthetic contemplation. Arranged in strict linear progression across weathered wood, the trio presents a study in chromatic variation and volumetric form that speaks to both classical still life traditions and contemporary minimalist sensibilities.

The technical framework mirrors the controlled approach evident throughout this body of work: a single Godox V1s strobe modified by softbox and grid, captured with a Sony A7ii paired with an 85mm f/1.8 lens. This choice of focal length proves particularly significant. Unlike the wider perspectives often employed in tabletop work, the 85mm compression subtly flattens spatial relationships while maintaining separation between subjects, creating a stage-like presentation where each pear occupies its designated position with theatrical clarity.

What distinguishes this image within the chapter’s trajectory is its bold embrace of color as primary subject matter. Where the earlier onion and garlic study operated within a narrow tonal range of earth and amber, here the photographer orchestrates a chromatic progression—verdant green, deep crimson, oxidized copper—that reads almost as a color theory exercise. Yet the natural imperfections of each fruit prevent the composition from becoming merely schematic. Surface blemishes, stem variations, and subtle textural differences assert the subjects’ organic authenticity.

The lighting strategy reveals sophisticated control over shadow placement and tonal gradation. The grid attachment concentrates illumination on the subjects while allowing the background to fall into near-absolute blackness, a technique borrowed from Old Master painting that isolates forms in dramatic relief. Light wraps around each pear’s curved surface with mathematical precision, creating highlight-to-shadow transitions that define volume without resorting to harsh contrast. The wooden platform receives just enough illumination to establish spatial grounding, its grain and weathering providing textural counterpoint to the fruits’ smooth skins.

Compositional decisions demonstrate a rigorous formal intelligence. The three pears, though similar in scale, exhibit distinct silhouettes—the green pear’s upright verticality, the red pear’s compressed roundness, the copper pear’s elongated diagonal lean. This variation within repetition creates visual rhythm while avoiding monotony. The spacing between subjects appears carefully calibrated, neither crowding nor isolating, allowing each fruit to maintain individual presence while contributing to the unified whole.

Post-processing through color grading has intensified chromatic saturation while preserving naturalistic tonality. The resulting palette suggests both heightened reality and painterly intention—colors feel amplified yet believable, enhanced rather than fabricated. This balance between documentation and interpretation positions the work at a productive intersection of photographic traditions.

Within the chapter’s arc from classic to experimental approaches, this image occupies transitional territory. Its formal rigor and single-light methodology align with classical practice, yet the chromatic boldness and almost Pop Art sensibility of three isolated, colored forms hint at more conceptual concerns. The photograph demonstrates that experimentation can emerge from treating simple subjects with exacting attention rather than through technical complexity alone.

The work ultimately asks viewers to reconsider the aesthetic potential residing in everyday objects, a question central to still life practice across centuries. By isolating these supermarket pears in dramatic light and formal precision, the photographer transforms the ordinary into an opportunity for visual meditation on color, form, and the enduring power of careful observation.

Onions and Garlic: A Study in Chiaroscuro and Culinary Stillness

The photograph captures a still life of onions and garlic on a wooden surface, showcasing classical principles through contemporary techniques. The controlled lighting and asymmetrical balance create depth, while post-processing enhances tonal richness. This artwork engages with historical traditions, revealing how ordinary subjects can convey significant meaning through careful observation and technical precision.

Tabletop still life of whole onions and garlic bulbs arranged on a wooden surface against a dark background. — A tabletop still life of onions and garlic arranged on a wooden surface and lit against a dark background.

In this deliberate composition, the photographer demonstrates a mastery of classical still life principles while working within the constraints of contemporary digital tools. The image presents three bronze-skinned onions accompanied by two heads of garlic, arranged on weathered wood against an impenetrable black void—a setup that immediately recalls the Dutch and Spanish still life traditions of the 17th century, where humble kitchen subjects were elevated to objects of contemplation.

The technical execution reveals a sophisticated understanding of light modulation. Working with a single modified light source—a Godox V1s paired with a softbox and grid—the photographer has created a tightly controlled illumination that wraps around the subjects’ curved surfaces while maintaining crisp shadow definition. The grid attachment proves essential here, preventing light spill into the background and preserving the dramatic contrast that gives the image its gravitas. This economy of means, using just one light to achieve such dimensional modeling, speaks to both practical skill and aesthetic intentionality.

What distinguishes this work within Chapter 5’s progression from classic to experimental tabletop photography is its conscious dialogue with art historical precedent. The photographer acknowledges drawing inspiration from a tutorial source, yet the resulting image transcends mere technical exercise. The onions’ papery skins catch light with a luminosity that suggests both fragility and age, their dried stalks creating gestural elements that break the otherwise spherical regularity. The garlic bulbs, positioned in the lower quadrant, provide tonal counterpoint—their pearl-white surfaces reflecting light with greater intensity than the warmer onions above.

The compositional arrangement follows classical principles of asymmetrical balance. The three onions occupy distinct spatial planes, their positioning creating depth through overlapping forms and subtle scale variation. The leftmost onion’s dramatic upward-reaching stem introduces vertical energy, while the garlic anchors the composition’s base. This triangular organization guides the viewer’s eye through the frame in a measured, contemplative rhythm appropriate to the subject matter.

Post-processing choices, implemented through color grading in Luminar 4, enhance the image’s tonal richness without sacrificing naturalism. The warm amber-to-sienna palette suggests candlelight or late afternoon sun, though the lighting setup confirms neither. This ambiguity of light source contributes to the image’s timeless quality—it could as easily have been captured in a 17th-century Dutch kitchen as in a contemporary studio.

The weathered wooden surface provides crucial textural contrast to the subjects’ organic forms. Its rough grain and worn patina introduce narrative suggestions of use and time, transforming a simple backdrop into an active compositional element. The wood’s horizontal planking creates subtle linear structure beneath the curved biological forms above.

Within the broader context of this chapter’s exploration, this photograph occupies the “classic” end of the spectrum—demonstrating that traditional approaches retain their power when executed with technical precision and compositional intelligence. The work proves that experimentation need not always mean formal rupture; sometimes it involves mining established vocabularies with fresh attention. Here, the photographer engages in a centuries-old conversation about how light reveals form, how arrangement creates meaning, and how the ordinary, when carefully observed, achieves a quiet monumentality that rewards sustained viewing.

Maia del Mazo: Intimate Focus in Environmental Context

Maia del Mazo’s portrait, taken in City Park, Fort Collins, showcases a sophisticated blend of technical skill and authentic presence in outdoor environmental portraiture. The controlled lighting, tight framing, and engaging gaze create intimacy, emphasizing psychological connection. This work reflects the photographer’s evolving style, merging formal excellence with genuine subject interaction.

Woman with short dark hair and facial piercings looks off-camera in a park, with green foliage softly blurred behind her. — Maia del Mazo is photographed in City Park, Fort Collins, Colorado.

This portrait of Maia del Mazo demonstrates the photographer’s evolving approach to environmental portraiture, where technical control and authentic subject presence converge within naturalistic settings. Created in City Park, Fort Collins, the image exemplifies how careful light management can produce studio-quality results while preserving the atmospheric qualities inherent to outdoor locations.

The composition employs a tight framing strategy that prioritizes facial features and direct eye contact over environmental context. While the verdant park setting remains visible through soft bokeh, it functions primarily as chromatic backdrop—its luminous greens providing color temperature contrast against the subject’s warm skin tones and earth-toned clothing. This compositional choice reflects a portrait philosophy centered on psychological connection rather than contextual documentation, using location as supporting element rather than co-protagonist.

The lighting execution reveals refined outdoor flash technique. Employing a single strobe with shoot-through umbrella, the photographer has created illumination that appears both directional and enveloping. The soft light wraps around facial contours with dimensional subtlety, evident in the delicate shadow transitions beneath the cheekbones and jawline. This quality suggests careful modifier positioning—likely placed to camera left, creating gentle modeling while maintaining even exposure across the subject’s face. The approach successfully mimics the flattering characteristics of window light or late-day sun while providing consistent exposure control impossible with ambient illumination alone.

The subject’s direct gaze creates immediate engagement, her slight smile and relaxed demeanor suggesting collaborative rapport rather than performative posing. The styling elements—including visible piercings, layered chokers, and olive-toned garment—construct contemporary identity markers that the photographer neither emphasizes nor downplays, allowing personal expression to coexist naturally with formal portrait structure. This balance between individual authenticity and aesthetic cohesion marks a mature approach to contemporary portraiture.

Technical choices throughout support the image’s intimate character. The Sony 85mm f/1.8 lens, deployed at wide aperture on the Sony A7II, produces the shallow depth of field that isolates the subject while maintaining sharpness across critical focal planes. The resulting background compression creates spatial ambiguity—the viewer understands outdoor context without distraction from precise environmental detail. Post-processing in Luminar 4 has enhanced color separation, particularly emphasizing the complementary relationship between cool background tones and warm subject illumination.

Within Chapter 4’s examination of portrait methodologies, this photograph represents outdoor work informed by studio sensibility. The technical execution—single light source, controlled depth of field, precise subject positioning—demonstrates principles typically associated with interior photography adapted to location constraints. This synthesis suggests workshop-influenced learning, where traditional lighting fundamentals are studied and subsequently applied across varied environments.

The image also reflects broader developments in his portrait practice. Compared to more environmental portraits that incorporate gesture and setting, this work focuses attention inward, using technical precision to facilitate psychological presence. The direct gaze and tight framing create intimacy despite the public park location, demonstrating how formal control can serve rather than diminish authentic connection.

As part of his Top 100 Journey documentation, this portrait affirms the photographer’s technical versatility while revealing his growing interest in portraiture that balances formal excellence with genuine subject engagement. It represents work where technical mastery becomes invisible infrastructure—present in every aspect of execution yet never overshadowing the essential human element at the photograph’s center.

Kelly: Classical Portraiture in Natural Light

Kelly R. Bienfang’s portrait in Fort Collins’ City Park showcases refined environmental portraiture, merging classic lighting techniques with natural settings. The composition emphasizes psychological presence through thoughtful framing and soft lighting, achieving dimensionality. Using traditional optics and careful post-processing, the image balances contemporary authenticity with technical precision, reinforcing the importance of classical methods in outdoor photography.

Woman with light brown hair stands beside a tree in a park, looking toward the camera with a soft green background. — Kelly R. Bienfang poses beside a tree in City Park, Fort Collins, Colorado.

This portrait of Kelly exemplifies the photographer’s command of environmental portraiture, demonstrating how classical lighting techniques can be sensitively adapted to outdoor contexts. Created in City Park, Fort Collins, the image represents a refinement of traditional portrait methodology—translating studio principles into naturalistic settings while preserving the intimacy and control typically associated with interior work.

The composition centers on a three-quarter view of the subject positioned against the textured bark of a substantial tree trunk. This anchoring element provides both physical and visual grounding, its vertical mass creating structural balance while its organic texture contrasts productively with the smooth contours of the subject’s face. The decision to place Kelly against this natural backdrop rather than opening the frame to broader park vistas reflects deliberate focus—prioritizing psychological presence over environmental documentation.

The lighting execution reveals sophisticated outdoor flash technique. Employing a single strobe with shoot-through umbrella, the photographer has created illumination that appears to extend rather than contradict the existing ambient light. The soft directional quality—evident in the delicate gradation across the subject’s face and the luminous edge separation along her profile—suggests careful positioning to mimic golden hour sun while maintaining consistent exposure control. This hybrid approach, blending natural and artificial light sources, achieves what purely available light could not: sculptural dimensionality without harsh shadow or unflattering overhead illumination.

The subject’s positioning and expression demonstrate thoughtful directorial collaboration. Kelly’s gaze, angled slightly upward and away from the lens, creates contemplative distance while her hand’s gentle placement at the shoulder introduces subtle gesture without performative emphasis. This combination of turned body and averted eyes establishes a portrait that feels observed rather than confrontational—inviting viewer attention while maintaining the subject’s interior privacy. The styling choice of a simple white garment serves the image’s tonal strategy, providing clean highlight mass that draws focus toward facial features and natural coloring.

Technical choices throughout support this classical approach. The Sony 85mm f/1.8 lens, deployed on the Sony A7II body, offers the compression and shallow depth of field characteristic of traditional portrait optics. The resulting background dissolution—visible in the soft green bokeh representing distant foliage—eliminates visual competition while establishing atmospheric color context. Post-processing in Luminar 4 has enhanced the warm color palette, emphasizing the golden light quality playing across skin tones and hair while maintaining natural saturation levels.

Within Chapter 4’s examination of portrait methodologies, this photograph demonstrates the photographer’s ability to execute formal portraiture outside controlled studio environments. The work shows less interest in contemporary street portrait spontaneity than in translating time-tested studio aesthetics into outdoor practice—a technically demanding approach requiring precise light manipulation and environmental awareness simultaneously.

The image also illustrates evolution in his workshop-informed practice. The confidence evident in both lighting execution and subject direction suggests accumulated knowledge from collaborative learning environments, where traditional portrait techniques are studied and adapted. This photograph represents portraiture rooted in classical principles—emphasizing beauty, technical precision, and dignified subject representation—while acknowledging contemporary preferences for natural settings and authentic expression.

As part of his broader Top 100 Journey documentation, this work affirms the continuing relevance of foundational portrait techniques when executed with skill and sensitivity. It demonstrates how environmental portraiture can achieve the polish and intentionality of studio work without sacrificing the organic qualities that location shooting provides.