Ryan Li Photography

As a commercial photographer, I don’t usually have the problem of finding interesting subjects – if someone is paying me to photograph something, then by definition I already have an interested audience.

What is a challenge to every professional photographer is that the subject does not always present itself in visually interesting circumstances. A true professional adds value to the image; he or she captures the subject at its most aesthetically striking, in a way that enhances the message communicated by the image.

This shoot was a recent commission by the Aga Khan University, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations. They were seeking fresh images to promoting their courses online and in their prospectuses. I worked with the students to get the shots we needed, but I was struggling with the rather functional interior design of the ground floor library. Not to mention the cold flourescent lighting.

Imagination was required to inject some soul into the image. In my mind’s eye, I travelled into some grand archive at the height of Islamic civilisation. It became apparent that a sole light source would illuminate the library – so I fired my trusty Canon 550EX remotely from a bookshelf, pointed towards the back of the girl. I asked the girl to have her book open; this served as an excellent reflector and prevented her face from being rendered in silhouette. The result can be seen above, as compared with the following photograph in which the flash was bounced from the ceiling.