Adam Basti

Dramatically lighting a book series

—

by

Adam
in

For this weeks blog post, I was tasked with temporarily becoming a commercial photographer and creating a small photographic campaign with three images. Even though I am a photojournalism student, I do have some experience with commercial photography campaigns as well as different types of lighting and I knew just what to photograph. The Amulet series is one that I grew up reading with the first book coming out in 2008 and 9th and final book coming out 16 years later in 2024. It is a series that I have many fond memories of and has never been something that I feel like I have outgrown even as I got older. For my campaign, I decided to keep it simple and create one photo that showcased a few of the books, one that showcased some of the dramatic aspects that can be found within them, and one that not only showed the unique art style that can be found on the books themselves but also represents a heavily read book that has stood the test of time. Because it is a series that focuses a lot around action and drama, I decided to keep my first two photos relatively dark and I think that worked especially well with my second photo. The dark lighting helps the audience focus less on the background and more on the action that is unfolding on the pages in front of them. With the third photo, I did brighten up my image a little bit because I felt like I wanted to focus less on the dramatic aspects of the book series and more on the art style and condition of the book in the photo. Overall, I do like how the photos turned out, however, if this were a professional client shoot, I think I would change a few things. I would most likely style the books a bit differently, perhaps putting them against a background that better suited their art style and overall vibe. I may also use multiple lights to mess with shadows and possibly focus more on one aspect within the book or to create suspense within my audience.
 

Comments

3 responses to “Dramatically lighting a book series”

  1. Summer McNichol Avatar
    Summer McNichol

    I really enjoyed reading about your campaign and how you chose to photograph something that you have a personal connection to. I think it is always the best when you get to photograph something you genuinely enjoy. For my campaign, I did the same thing and chose to photograph something I really enjoy as well. I also really liked the dark lighting you used for your first two photos. I think it worked really well. My favorite detail was the close up of the faces on the page in your second photo. For your third photo, I loved how you showed the wear and tear on the book. I think that detail really shows how much it has been read and enjoyed over the years. Overall, I love how these turned out! I think you did a great job at capturing the personality and dramatic feel of the book series and also showing the personal connection you have to it.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Paul Goodman Avatar
    Paul Goodman

    Hey Adam! I love the Amulet series, this brings me back to elementary school. I really like your choice of using a wooden board for the set up of this photo. When I think of books, I don’t image a glass table or metal cabinet; I think of a wooden bookshelf in the school library. I Think it would’ve been better if you move the black backdrop so that you can’t see the studio in the first photo on the back left. I wish the house in the last photo was in focus, I’m not quite sure where the focus even is. I think your middle photo is the strongest one. It does a great job of being darkly dramatic and being lit enough to tell what is happening in the book. I think you did great with the atmosphere and vibes for this series. But I think you could’ve done better with the lighting setup. Experiment more, take your time, and don’t rush. I see what you’re cooking with, now you just gotta let it simmer. You’re an artist Adam and you’ve got this!

    Like

    Reply
  3. ryssa.wuorenma Avatar
    ryssa.wuorenma

    I enjoyed seeing how you connected a personal interest to your commercial photography assignment. Choosing a book series you’ve loved since childhood gives the campaign a sense of authenticity, and that comes through in the images. Your explanation of how you intentionally changed the lighting between the photographs was interesting. The darker lighting in the first two images makes the series feel dramatic and draws attention toward the action on the pages, while the brighter third image lets the artwork and wear of the book become the focus. I also appreciate that you evaluated the photographs as if you were working for a client and identified things you would change. That mindset is an important part of developing as a commercial photographer. I think your idea of experimenting with multiple lights and different shadows could add a layer of drama while the focus on the books. This feels thoughtful and personal.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a Reply