Long time friend, Music Maker supporter and ace photographer Mark Austin says, “its really pretty simple,” before he proceeds to blow our minds.

It’s Saturday morning or a Wednesday afternoon and we are standing in the Music Maker Grotto studio. Mark is adjusting and angling high power flash bulbs and giant reflective white boards while Tim sets up the 8 x10 camera and Whitney, Thomas and I take his instructions, locate film backs and generally hustle in every direction.

“The human eye wants to see light originating from one source,” Mark says, “overlapping shadows don’t make sense, it’s like a world with two Suns.” Ok, that makes sense, I think to myself. With that the lesson is over. Justin sits in the modeling chair and as we capture some digital shots, we look back at the computer screen to see beautiful image, one after the other pop up on the screen. Thrilling!

Since painted black, the grotto studio has become the perfect controlled lighting setting. In short order, we have had several very productive shoots. Here are some top picks from the past few sessions.

– Aaron