Join us for Challenge Night, a recurring event where EPS photography group members can test their skills, explore new techniques, and participate in creative, friendly assignments. All skill levels welcome!

Due to Competition Night in October, the next Challenge Night will be on November 5th.

I know I keep harping on light, but it’s so important. It’s also important to me for club members to learn it well and apply what you learn to grow as photographers.

So, for this Month’s challenge (actually, two months), let’s explore opposite ends of the spectrum. Both have their places in photography and art. The actual challenge is at the end of this article. See the attached photos for the "quick and dirty" examples of the lighting effects and setups. I wanted to go over them last night, but the meeting ran over. Feel free to email me with questions.

It’s no secret that I love window light. With indirect light (no sun streaming through), shadows are soft, and the available light wraps around the subject, adding subtle depth. I prefer a north-facing window. I believe I’ve covered that in previous challenges, but here is a link to my Ed Night presentation on natural light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx1V9iyCKKU

Harsh, direct artificial light or sunlight works too when you want drama. Chiaroscuro (Kee-ah-ro-SKUR-oh) utilizes a strong contrast between light and dark to create a dramatic, three-dimensional effect on flat surfaces.

What is Chiaroscuro?

• Definition: The term comes from the Italian words chiaro (bright or clear) and scuro (dark or obscure).
• Origin: Artists during the Renaissance, like Leonardo da Vinci, used it to give depth to paintings. Later, painters like Caravaggio and Rembrandt perfected the style to add high drama and emotion. I urge you to look up their work. Especially Caravaggio for examples of the technique.
• Purpose: It builds mood, shows tension, and makes a subject stand out from the background.

Here is an excellent video describing the technique. Although it is intended for painters, the first five minutes of the video has great information for photographers as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFBihM9ieeE&t=479s

Portraits

Links: https://www.isabellabubola.com/journal/how-to-use-window-light

https://www.theclickcommunity.com/blog/create-beautiful-portraits-light-one-window/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6GcERUzChQ  -- Portraiture. You do not need a studio light setup to get the desired chiaroscuro effect. For this challenge, utilize the same cheap light reflector as I did. The goal here is to learn.

Still Life

https://stillliferoomtobreathe.wordpress.com/2025/09/02/lighting-101-a-beginners-guide-to-still-life-photography/#:~:text=Types%20of%20Light%20You%20Can,free%2C%20accessible%2C%20and%20incredibly%20versatile.

So here is the challenge: Pick a subject, either a portrait or still life – or both – and try shooting it both ways. As you can see in my examples, you don’t need a sophisticated lighting setup. I picked up the light in the example at Walmart for a few dollars. The images don’t need to be competition-ready. Just demonstrate that you understand the assignment.

Nov Challenge Samples