Finding the Light, Reflection

I have been waiting years in search of the perfect photography assistant.  Someone that I could mentor, that I could have a blast working with, that would learn and grow in life with me.  I have finally found that perfect assistant.  Ok, so maybe it could be consider child labor, but I just love my new photography intern.

Look at her work

I invited my sweet and very artistic daughter to join me on a photo session a few weeks ago to assist me with lighting.  Occasionally she has come along to wedding sessions with me to carry my bags and help hold my lighting equipment.  Idaho wind tends to pick up my umbrella and carry it like a sail, so bringing her along to hold down the tripod is very helpful.  However, she hasn't always enjoyed that job; "its boring".  So when she was excited to go with me and help this time, I was elated.  This time, she wasn't there to hold stuff, she was there to learn and actually work.

Her job assignment, "Kya, find the light from the sun, and reflect it on to their face".  I am a lighthouse fanatic; the symbolism, its sole purpose, everything about the lighthouse intrigues me and draws me near its story.  When it comes to light, I am always looking for the analogy.

As Kya is my daughter, I found this moment of teaching her to use the reflector properly, as an opportunity to teach her about life and how our influence on others around us and the universe can affect how the world goes round, and how we can find peace and love in our own life.  Find the light, and reflect it on others.

The light.  In our faith, the light we focus on is The Light of Christ.  All that He exemplifies in service and kindness, in sacrifice, in loving all people.  Finding this light in our own countenance is crucial to our own happiness.  Finding this light takes effort each day, through prayer and developing a solid and loving relationship with God our Father in Heaven, through service for others.  Often focusing our attention on other's needs over our own offers us to see others the way God and our Savior see them.  It brings empathy and honest love into our hearts, and helps to put our own "issues" or concerns into perspective.  Once you have found that light, then share it.  I like to use the word "reflect", not only because it directly relates to photography lighting, but once your light is shared, it comes back to you, if reflects.

I am a firm believer in karma.  What you put out into the world, does come back to you, twofold.  I have seen this and experienced this first hand in my life, many times.  So when I teach Kya to "find the sun's light, and reflect it onto my subject", what I am hoping she gets from this practice is to find His Light and Reflect it onto the world that surrounds her, with her own glowing countenance.

Look how she glows! She takes her work serious! And usually doesn't like when I take pictures of her unexpectedly. hee hee

She found the light.  Its tricky and takes practice to find it and then be able to hold just the right amount on the subject as not to blind them, or cast too much highlighting.  And as Kya found, when the clouds are out, its a little more difficult to find the light, but it is always there, you just have to seek it out.