studio lighting – Greg Urbano

Suspension and Illusion: A Study in Controlled Ephemera

Model Everyn Darling is featured in a significant studio portrait taken during a photography workshop in Denver. This image, characterized by its minimalist setting and controlled lighting, explores themes of aspiration and vulnerability through the metaphor of a translucent balloon. The photographer’s evolving style emphasizes collaborative creativity and visual poetry over mere technical perfection.

Studio portrait of a woman in a black dress holding a translucent balloon against a plain backdrop. — Model Everyn Darling poses with a translucent balloon during a studio photography workshop in Denver, Colorado.

This studio portrait represents a significant departure within the photographer’s evolving practice, marking his exploration of collaborative, workshop-based creation and the controlled artifice of studio environments. Captured during a Creative Experimental Photography Meetup at RAW Studios in Denver, the image demonstrates how structured creative exercises can yield work of surprising conceptual depth when approached with technical precision and compositional awareness.

The photograph centers on model Everyn Darling, positioned within a minimalist studio setting characterized by graduated neutral tones that transition from cool blue-grey to warm cream. This chromatic subtlety provides visual breathing room while maintaining atmospheric presence—a backdrop that supports rather than competes. The subject, dressed in a simple black dress with white collar detail, appears barefoot in a pose of upward contemplation, one arm extended to hold a translucent balloon trailing delicate white ribbons or fabric.

What elevates this image beyond documentation of a workshop exercise is the photographer’s attention to the psychology of gesture and the poetry of the ostensibly simple prop. The balloon—that most ephemeral and-associated of objects—becomes a vehicle for exploring themes of lightness, release, and the tenuous connection between desire and drift. The model’s gaze follows the balloon upward, creating a diagonal compositional line that draws the eye through the frame while suggesting aspiration, longing, or perhaps the acceptance of letting go.

The technical execution reveals disciplined studio craft. Working with his Nikon Z5 and the versatile 24-120mm f/4 lens, the photographer has managed studio lighting with restraint, avoiding the harsh drama often favored in workshop settings. The illumination appears softly directional, modeling the subject’s features and dress while maintaining detail in the translucent balloon. Shadow work on the studio floor provides subtle grounding without becoming graphic or distracting. The slightly elevated perspective and negative space allocation give the subject room to breathe within the frame—a compositional generosity that reinforces the image’s contemplative mood.

Within the context of Chapter 6—”The Road Ahead: Recent Work & Ongoing Exploration”—this photograph signals important developments in his practice. The workshop origin indicates openness to collaborative creative structures and willingness to work within parameters set by others. Yet the result bears his aesthetic signature: careful attention to subtle tonal gradations, preference for psychological ambiguity over narrative certainty, and interest in objects as metaphorical carriers rather than mere props.

The image also represents exploration of human subjects with greater intimacy than much of his earlier landscape and architectural work. The model’s upturned face, though not confronting the camera directly, introduces vulnerability and interiority often absent from environmental documentation. This shift suggests expanding comfort with portraiture and the complex dynamics of photographer-subject collaboration.

The balloon’s deliberate artificiality—clearly held rather than actually floating—adds productive tension. The photograph acknowledges its own construction while inviting viewers to suspend disbelief, mirroring how all photography negotiates between document and fiction. In selecting this image as his best from the series, the photographer reveals evolving criteria for success: not technical perfection alone, but the achievement of visual poetry through careful orchestration of simple elements within controlled conditions.

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.

Powerade Sports Drink

The photographer’s still life study of three Powerade bottles transcends typical commercial product photography through technical mastery and thoughtful lighting. Using a classic triangular arrangement against a dark background, he elevates mundane objects into gallery-worthy art, emphasizing color and light. This work reflects his evolving confidence and duality in art and commerce.

A studio still life of three Powerade sports drink bottles arranged on a reflective surface against a dark background.

The photographer’s exploration of commercial product photography takes an unexpectedly sophisticated turn in this meticulously composed study of three Powerade bottles. Working within the constraints of a domestic setting—his living room transformed into an improvised studio—he demonstrates how technical mastery and thoughtful lighting can elevate mundane consumer objects into subjects worthy of gallery consideration.

The composition employs a classical triangular arrangement, with the three bottles positioned against a stark black background that eliminates all contextual distraction. This deliberate void forces the viewer’s attention entirely onto the subjects themselves: the vivid red and orange bottles flanking a brilliant blue variant. The color palette recalls the saturated hues of contemporary advertising photography, yet the treatment here transcends mere product documentation. Each bottle catches and refracts light differently, creating internal luminosity that transforms the beverages into glowing, jewel-like objects.

His technical approach reveals significant evolution in his still life practice. Utilizing a Sony A7ii with a kit lens, softbox, and flash, he crafts lighting that achieves both commercial polish and artistic dimensionality. The softbox provides diffused illumination that wraps around the bottles’ curved surfaces, while strategic flash placement creates the distinctive highlights and reflections visible across each container. The condensation beading on the plastic surfaces adds textural authenticity, suggesting these are not pristine studio props but objects intercepted in their natural state—cold, recently removed from refrigeration, existing in that liminal moment between commercial packaging and consumption.

The post-processing workflow—Adobe Camera Raw within Photoshop 2018, enhanced with Nik/DXO Viveza—amplifies the inherent drama of the scene. The blacks deepen to an almost velvety darkness, while the colors intensify without crossing into oversaturation. This balance proves crucial: the image maintains photographic credibility while achieving the heightened reality that characterizes effective still life work.

Within the broader context of Chapter 5’s exploration from classic to experimental tabletop photography, this image occupies an interesting middle ground. It adheres to established commercial photography conventions—the product-forward composition, the dramatic lighting, the emphasis on color and form—yet subverts them through its gallery presentation context. Removed from their intended commercial environment and reframed as objects of aesthetic contemplation, these sports drinks become something more: symbols of contemporary consumer culture, studies in color theory and light behavior, or perhaps meditations on how photography itself mediates our relationship with everyday objects.

The work also demonstrates his growing confidence in minimal staging. Rather than elaborate props or complex narratives, he allows the bottles themselves to carry the visual weight of the image. The slight rotation of each container, the variation in liquid levels, the casual yet deliberate spacing—these subtle decisions reveal an artist increasingly comfortable trusting in restraint.

This photograph ultimately succeeds because it occupies dual territories: it could function effectively as commercial product photography while simultaneously inviting the slower, more contemplative viewing that gallery work demands. This duality, this ability to straddle commercial and fine art sensibilities, marks a significant development in his still life practice and suggests promising directions for future experimentation.

Big Daddy: Layered Depth in Contemporary Tabletop Composition

A focus-stacked image of a Funko Pop BioShock Big Daddy figure highlights the photographer’s skill in elevating a mass-market collectible to art. By mastering focus stacking and lighting techniques, he achieves hyperreal detail and visual analysis, suggesting aesthetic value exists beyond an object’s origins. This work bridges traditional and modern photography, emphasizing form and texture.

Studio photograph of a Funko Pop Big Daddy figure from BioShock, lit against a black background. — A focus-stacked studio image of a Funko Pop Games BioShock Big Daddy figure on black acrylic against a black backdrop.

In this striking tabletop study, the photographer transforms a mass-market collectible into a subject worthy of contemplated observation. The Funko Pop! Games Bioshock 65 figure—depicting the iconic Big Daddy character—emerges from absolute darkness with a presence that transcends its commercial origins. This work exemplifies the photographer’s evolving command of still life technique, demonstrating how contemporary imaging technology can elevate genre photography into something more architecturally precise and visually arresting.

The technical execution reveals a sophisticated understanding of focus stacking methodology. By compositing multiple exposures captured at incrementally adjusted focal planes, he has achieved a depth of field impossible through traditional single-exposure photography. Every riveted seam of the copper-toned diving helmet, each glowing porthole window, and the textured surfaces of the green atmospheric diving suit maintain perfect clarity throughout the frame. This exhaustive sharpness creates an almost hyperreal quality, allowing viewers to examine the figure with a scrutiny typically reserved for museum artifacts rather than vinyl toys.

His lighting strategy demonstrates restraint and intentionality. The stripbox and softbox configuration creates dimensional modeling that accentuates the sculptural qualities of the form. The warm metallic tones of the helmet and boots catch highlights that suggest weight and substance, while the darker green suit recedes appropriately into shadow. The signature yellow portholes glow with an internal luminosity, creating focal points that guide the eye through the composition. Against the black acrylic surface and backdrop, the figure exists in a void that emphasizes form over context—a classic gallery presentation strategy that isolates the subject for pure visual analysis.

Within the framework of Chapter 5’s exploration of tabletop photography from classic to experimental, this image occupies an interesting transitional space. The setup itself—studio lighting, controlled environment, careful composition—adheres to traditional still life conventions established over centuries of studio practice. Yet the technical execution, particularly the focus stacking process completed in Affinity Photo, represents distinctly contemporary capabilities. The photographer bridges historical methodology with digital innovation, creating work that honors tradition while exploiting modern tools.

The choice of subject matter also merits consideration. By photographing a figure from video game culture with the same technical rigor one might apply to antique objects or fine art pieces, he democratizes the still life genre. This approach suggests that aesthetic value exists independent of an object’s pedigree or market position. The Big Daddy, rendered with such meticulous attention, becomes a study in form, light, and texture—qualities inherent to all successful still life work regardless of subject provenance.

The reflection visible on the glossy black surface beneath the figure adds a subtle but important element of depth. This mirroring effect grounds the subject in space while maintaining the minimalist aesthetic. The overall composition reads as both technically accomplished and conceptually considered—a balance not always achieved in enthusiast tabletop work.

As part of his Top 100 Journey, this photograph represents his technical proficiency in a controlled environment, showcasing abilities that extend beyond spontaneous capture into the realm of constructed, considered image-making where patience and precision yield images of remarkable clarity and presence.

Elkins Apple Spiced Liqueur: Vernacular Object as Subject

The photograph of Elkins Apple Spiced Liqueur exemplifies a blend of commercial product photography and fine art still life, using classical composition techniques. The arrangement of the bottle with apples and cinnamon sticks highlights flavor context while demonstrating technical skill in lighting and focus. The image showcases an accessible beauty in everyday items, merging artistic intent with commercial appeal.

Bottle of Elkins Apple Spiced Liqueur on a wooden surface with red apples and cinnamon sticks against a dark background. — Elkins Apple Spiced Liqueur is photographed with apples and cinnamon sticks in a studio still life.

This photograph demonstrates the photographer’s engagement with commercial product photography conventions while maintaining artistic intentionality characteristic of fine art still life practice. The composition centers on a bottle of Elkins Apple Spiced Liqueur from Estes Park, Colorado, flanked by red apples and cinnamon sticks—elements that function both as contextual reinforcement of the product’s flavor profile and as formal echoes of color and shape within the frame.

The arrangement follows classical still life principles: objects positioned on a weathered wooden surface against a dark, graduated background that moves from deep black to subtle illumination. This chiaroscuro approach recalls Dutch Golden Age painting traditions, where selective lighting carves form from darkness and imbues everyday objects with weight and presence. The bottle’s amber-red liquid becomes luminous against the void, while the apples emerge from shadow with enough detail to register their texture and mass without competing for primary focus.

Technically, the image reveals deliberate choices in equipment and lighting strategy. Shot with a Sony A7ii and 85mm f/1.8 lens, the photographer employs a focal length typically reserved for portraiture, which compresses space slightly and allows selective focus while maintaining natural perspective. The use of a Godox softbox combined with a secondary flash creates dimensional lighting—the main light source appears positioned to camera right, creating highlights on the bottle’s curved surface and label while the fill light softens shadows without eliminating them entirely. This two-light setup produces the polished yet natural quality that distinguishes professional product photography from amateur attempts.

The label itself becomes a compositional element worth examining. Its vintage-inspired design, complete with wheat motif and hand-drawn typography, speaks to contemporary craft distillery aesthetics that reference historical authenticity. The photographer allows this graphic element full legibility, understanding that typography and branding function as visual information within the frame. The cork cap with its branded sleeve adds vertical interest and completes the bottle’s narrative as an artisanal product.

Within Chapter 5’s spectrum from classic to experimental still life, this work occupies the classical end—a straightforward, beautifully executed product study that prioritizes clarity, atmosphere, and material fidelity over conceptual disruption. Yet the photographer’s decision to include this image in his top 100 suggests recognition that mastery of foundational approaches remains essential even as one pushes toward experimental territories. The work demonstrates technical competence: precise focus, appropriate depth of field, balanced exposure across a challenging tonal range, and color palette that feels both rich and naturalistic.

The supporting elements—grocery store apples and cinnamon sticks—ground the image in accessible reality rather than aspirational luxury. This democratic approach to sourcing props reflects contemporary still life practice that finds beauty in the everyday rather than the exotic. The wooden surface, likely the photographer’s own workspace, bears authentic wear that reads as character rather than distress.

Post-processing in Luminar 4 appears restrained, enhancing rather than transforming the captured scene. The final image possesses the polish of commercial work while retaining the considered composition and atmospheric quality that elevates it to fine art documentation of material culture and regional craft production.

Gabby: The Architecture of Gesture and High-Key Simplicity

Gabby’s portrait, taken in Denver, showcases the photographer’s shift from low-key to high-key aesthetics, emphasizing brightness and minimalism. Using a Sony A7ii and 85mm lens, the image focuses on the subject’s form and style against a white background. The composition blends casual glamour with commercial appeal, highlighting sophisticated color and texture relationships.

Woman seated on a rolling studio stool against a white background, arms raised behind her head, wearing a sleeveless top and fitted pants. — Gabby poses seated on a stool during a studio portrait session in Denver, Colorado.

This portrait of Gabby, captured at The Headquarter in Denver, exemplifies the photographer’s exploration of high-key studio aesthetics within Chapter 4 of his Top 100 Journey. Where previous work in this chapter has leaned toward dramatic low-key lighting and theatrical darkness, this image pivots toward brightness and negative space, demonstrating the photographer’s versatility in handling opposing approaches to studio portraiture.

The technical foundation remains consistent with his established toolkit: the Sony A7ii paired with the 85mm f/1.8 lens, complemented by Godox V1s flash modified through a shoot-through umbrella. However, the application of this equipment yields an entirely different visual language. The near-white background floods the frame with luminosity, creating an environment where the subject exists in a floating, dimensionless space. This deliberate elimination of context shifts the viewer’s attention entirely onto the subject’s form, gesture, and the carefully constructed interplay of textures and colors.

The composition centers on a moment of suspended motion—arms raised to manipulate cascading blonde hair, the subject positioned on a chrome office chair that introduces an unexpected element of contemporary banality into what might otherwise read as pure fashion imagery. This juxtaposition between the mundane object and the styled subject creates a productive tension. The chair, with its visible wheels and utilitarian design, grounds the photograph in the reality of the studio space while the subject’s pose and styling lift the image toward aspirational fashion photography.

Color relationships anchor the visual hierarchy. The vibrant magenta top creates the primary focal point at the composition’s center, while the black faux-fur vest provides textural complexity and tonal contrast. Below, leather leggings in glossy black establish a continuous dark field that culminates in zebra-print platform booties—a detail that injects pattern and visual interest at the composition’s base. This vertical arrangement of color and texture demonstrates sophisticated styling that the photographer captures without interference, allowing the wardrobe choices to speak clearly against the minimal background.

The pose itself warrants examination. With arms raised and gaze directed away from the camera, the subject embodies a moment of casual glamour—not performing for the lens but existing within her own contemplative space. This approach to direction, whether collaborative or specifically guided, results in imagery that feels less like traditional portraiture and more akin to editorial fashion work. The photographer captures not just appearance but attitude, a quality that elevates studio work beyond documentation.

Within the broader context of Chapter 4, this photograph represents the photographer’s engagement with clean, commercial aesthetics. Where other images in this collection embrace complexity through dramatic lighting or environmental context, “Gabby” finds its power in reduction and clarity. The high-key approach requires precise exposure management—overexposure would flatten the image entirely, while underexposure would render the background gray rather than white. The successful execution here suggests a photographer increasingly confident in technical precision.

Post-processing in Luminar 4 maintains this clarity, with adjustments that preserve the luminous quality of the scene while ensuring adequate separation between subject and background. The result is an image that functions equally well as a portfolio piece, an editorial illustration, or a study in contemporary portrait methodology.

Mike Groth: Classical Studio Portraiture and the Language of Formality

Mike Groth’s studio portrait, featured in Chapter 4 of the Top 100 Journey, exemplifies traditional portraiture through controlled lighting and composition. Shot at Old Town Yoga Studio, the image focuses on character and presence, utilizing a classic backdrop and professional techniques. Its formal simplicity highlights the subject’s confidence, making it versatile across various contexts.

Mike Groth is photographed in a studio portrait at Old Town Yoga Studio in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Within Chapter 4 of the photographer’s Top 100 Journey, this portrait of Mike Groth represents a return to the foundational principles of studio portraiture—controlled lighting, deliberate composition, and the timeless formality of traditional headshot aesthetics. Shot at the Old Town Yoga Studio in Fort Collins, Colorado, the image demonstrates the photographer’s facility with classic studio techniques while exploring the psychological dimensions of formal masculine presentation.

The technical execution adheres to established conventions of corporate and editorial portraiture. Utilizing a Sony A7ii with an 85mm f/1.8 lens, the photographer has positioned his subject against a pure black backdrop, eliminating all environmental context to focus entirely on character and presence. A Godox V1s flash paired with a shoot-through umbrella provides the primary illumination—a traditional modifier choice that produces soft, diffused light with gentle shadow gradation across the subject’s features. This approach creates dimensional modeling without the harsh contrast of direct flash, revealing the contours of the face while maintaining a polished, professional quality.

The composition centers the subject in a classical three-quarter view, shoulders angled slightly to create visual interest while the face turns toward the camera. This positioning—neither fully frontal nor profile—has been a cornerstone of portraiture since the Renaissance, offering both dimensionality and direct engagement. The subject’s formal attire—dark suit, white shirt, burgundy tie—reinforces the traditional corporate aesthetic, while his neutral expression and direct gaze suggest confidence tempered with approachability.

What distinguishes this work within the photographer’s broader practice is its embrace of restraint. Where other images in Chapter 4 explore environmental integration and spontaneous moments, this portrait strips away context to examine how lighting, posture, and expression alone can convey character. The black void backdrop functions not merely as a neutral background but as an active element, creating psychological weight and directing all attention to the subtle details: the catch lights in the eyes, the texture of facial hair, the precise fall of shadow along the jawline.

The post-processing in Luminar 4 maintains the studio’s carefully controlled atmosphere. Skin tones are rendered with natural warmth while preserving texture and detail. The lighting reveals itself as directional yet forgiving, highlighting the subject’s facial structure without creating unflattering shadows. This balance between revelation and flattery characterizes effective professional portraiture—honest without being harsh, polished without appearing artificial.

Within the context of Chapter 4’s mission to document studio, outdoor, and workshop methodologies, this image anchors the studio component with particular authority. It demonstrates that contemporary portrait photography need not abandon classical techniques in pursuit of innovation. The photographer’s choice to work within established conventions reflects an understanding that certain approaches endure precisely because they succeed in their essential task: revealing the subject’s presence and character with clarity and dignity.

The formal simplicity of this portrait allows it to function across multiple contexts—editorial, corporate, archival. This versatility speaks to the photographer’s understanding of portraiture not merely as artistic expression but as functional communication. As part of the Top 100 Journey, the image represents a technical benchmark, showcasing the fundamental competencies upon which more experimental work can build. It is portraiture in its most distilled form: light, subject, and the photographer’s ability to orchestrate their interaction with precision and purpose.