To experiment with concentrating light I took an A2 sheet of black card and rolled it into a tube around my flash unit and took a few random shots to test the technique.
For my first shot I wasn't entirely sure how much light would be cast onto my subject (the floor and stool leg) so I was unsure about the composition. Nevertheless, I took the shot and I'm quite happy with how it's come out. There is a visible circle of light within the image, nicely framing the subject.
I then stepped back and retook the same shot. The effect is the same, however the frame of unexposed area is much larger giving the photograph greater contrast.
After turning the stool onto it's side I returned to my original viewpoint and managed to capture this interesting and slightly dramatic looking shot.
Wanting to try this technique out on a person, Lindsay kindly offered to step in and model for me. Concentrating light onto a model's face directs a viewers eyes straight to it, creates contrast between the bright skin and black background and gives a slightly dramatic feel.
Overall, I feel this is an excellent technique to use if a photographer wants to direct a viewers attention to specific areas of their photograph. It creates contrast and gives photographs a dramatic feel.
