Creating Mood in a Styled Shoot
Lighting is one of the great ways to create mood in a shoot and you don't even need expensive equipment. Actually, even natural light can be used to produce different feelings to pull viewers into a story.
Maybe your story carries a warm, romantic, and tender tone, painted perfectly in a pink-hued sunset. Another narrative might be more secretive and mystifying, so shadows would stir up the right emotions. I get a lot of opportunities to play in soft, warm lighting that shows the joy and love within my clients, but I've learned that harsh lighting can be just as fun.
Harsh lighting can be bright and bold, but also cast various shadows, creating a handful of moods from enigmatic to strong to menacing to somber. I had fun using mid-day light to set a few different tones in this shoot, where I explored some moodier ideas than usual!
