I already had Chris in the studio for a different picture so I asked him to stay a bit longer and sit for a quick lighting test. My goal in the test was to try simple lighting techniques, this time one strobe and a shoot-through umbrella, to build a foundation of something I like. If I find a solid foundation and stick with it I think I’ll be more comfortable with my lighting schemes. The rut I’ve fallen in is to have a bunch of gear and throw what ever I have at the picture on a whim. This, I think, leads to inconsistency in my lighting and I always feel a little out of control. Which means I’m always messing around with the lights and not paying attention to the subject. What I want is simple, effective and comfortable lighting schemes. That will free me up to concentrate on my portrait subject, which is way more important.

I recently returned from a photo conference where I head Dave Black talk about lighting. One of the key things he said over and over went something like this, “To make something interesting only light part of it.” That phrase went though my mind when I had to go make a picture of a book that was to run as lead art with a story package about our city charter.

With a little planning I brought my little pen light, Streamlight Stylus, a tripod and my iPhone, to the location.

After getting access to the unassuming book I just started playing around with the light. I put my iPhone behind the book and used the Flashlight App to kick a little light from behind and then painted over the book with the pen light for about 15 seconds.

• Coast panorama http://flic.kr/p/7BoxLD #
• At the San Diego airport waiting to head home. I miss my family and can't wait to be home. #
• The best part of my trip home so far. http://twitpic.com/1250vb #
• Thinking about my wonderful wife @tjparmele. She handled so much while I was gone, including a sick baby with an ear infection. #
• Glad to be home now. Heck of a drive on I-70. Went about 50mph the whole way. Some dicey spots along the way. #
• Kids were excited to see me I guess. They got up at 5am. #
• Gonna try a little experiment today while taping our sports Web casts. #
• RT @CDTPhoto: We're going to try and live stream the taping of this week's sports web casts. Stay tuned. #
• RT @CDTPhoto "Joe and Steve are talking MU baskteball right now (Broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/bPuy)" #
• ZING… POW! Nice one! – RT @thetrickstergod: @melissalyttle you are going to ride Zoriah across Haiti? #
• Super busy day today. Working prepress, uploading images to the trib's web and capturing and editing video. #
• Wow, our photos from January took 10 DVDs to backup. Maybe a new record. #
• Getting set up to live stream from a Mayoral candidate forum. #
• More popular than i thought it would be RT @columbiatribune "Happening now: Live video from Chamber Candidate Forum http://bit.ly/clWT0L" #
• Street Photography – unbidden http://bit.ly/90MHZ6 #
• RT @heygrover: Top 10 Twitter Lists All Photographers Should Follow http://bit.ly/d0pUdT (and how to create a great list) #
• RT @big_picture: I just set up a Big Picture Facebook Page – http://bit.ly/a11zkS – Feedback welcome, thanks. #
• http://twitvid.com/7D01E – Testing out video on my iPhone using Qik #
• Wow I didn't realize how many famous Americans are Canadian. #olympics #
• Why do 6 year olds get up so early on the weekends? #
• A couple of geeks http://flic.kr/p/7CJUdS #
• What a treat to have a creative wife. Makes it so easy to watch the kids while she spends the day making beautiful things. #
• RT @MattChandler74: Thanks Ray… http://bit.ly/7rgS5g #
• That's some good eye candy! RT @chiplitherland new blog post | puddle: http://bit.ly/dv0vVt in reply to chiplitherland #
• Bus Stop – unbidden http://bit.ly/bRoRJv #
• My son just tried to open a cupboard door with his head. Wood 1, eight-month-old 0. #
• Anyone remember Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards from the last Canadian Winter Olympics? http://bit.ly/dn21ZN #

Another bus stop photo in San Diego.

I went to San Diego for a friend’s wedding and took the city bus from the airport. I’m not much of a street photographer. I prefer to have a relationship with my subject, even if it’s brief and on a first name basis. While I was waiting to transfer to another bus I saw this fellow waiting at the stop with me. He caught my eye by the way he was proudly holding his flowers. After shooting his photo I talked to him for awhile. His name is Gilbert and the flowers were for his mother. We talked a bit, I gave him my name and told him what I was doing in San Diego. Then we parted ways.