Now that everything is in its proper place, we’re ready to put the lighting concept from the first article into practice.

First of all: The flash is your friend!

Why? When used deliberately, it can create targeted highlights. Admittedly, this is light that is not determined by the interior lighting or by daylight. But as mentioned at the beginning, the goal is not always to capture pure reality – it’s about image. It’s about liveliness and about making the existing interior just a little more interesting.

Personally, I use a small armada of compact flash units. I prefer this option for several reasons: they are small and easy to hide within a room, they don’t rely on an external power supply, and they are easy to transport. With the right wireless triggers and a good deal of experience, they can be adjusted to suit the specific conditions and then fired in sync.

For the photo accompanying this article, two flashes mounted on light stands were enough. They were aimed more or less crosswise at the table and armchairs in the center. You can see this quite clearly from the shadows beneath the chairs. In addition, the glasses, the bottle, and the glass tabletop cast subtle reflections onto the wall and the sofa cushions. Small accents that bring the scene to life.