Nothing to see here... just a troll.
Lol.
What a wonderful response from someone who has not a thing to say about why he did a certain something.
If 80% of an image is lit differently from the main subject, it looks un-natural. Therefore, you should have lit 80% of the image the same as you main subject.
If you don't understand this, let me explain it an easier way for you to grasp. Natural light ONLY comes from one direction. When light comes from two directions at the same time, you either have a very big mirror that was abandoned in the woods, just where you happened to need it or you have a very un-naturally lit photo.
Get over yourself and learn.
Or don't.
I couldn't care less.
Signed: The TROLL
IMO, post #25 explains this pretty well, and benefits greatly from not having had to poke a stick at anyone.
I believe the main point of both posts is that the use of real natural light is fantastic. Using flash to supplement natural light (in a way that still looks natural) is difficult, but preferred when using flash.
Gavjenks, however, goes on to acknowledge that sometimes you just don't have as much control over the timing, environment, and posing as you'd like, and under those circumstances, flash can still be used to improve a shot (not to put words in anyone's mouth).
As far as "naturalness" goes, it strikes me as somewhat ironic that light from two directions at once throws us into a fit, but two little boys with neat clothes and combed hair is "natural"? Shoot -- one of 'em is even
smiling. Natural??
I think photographers eventually develop a heightened sense of light shaping (I know I've got a long way to go yet), but it's way beyond what other people can perceive. I really think most people are just going to see two cute little boys, and if the backlighting suggests a hint of a halo around Mom's two little angels, then so much the better.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I'd like to be able to use light as a tool to help convey emotion -- maybe natural; maybe not. I've seen a couple Joe McNally videos where he unloads a wheelbarrow full of speedlights and softboxes to create a lighting patten never before seen in nature, and yet, his work seems to be generally pretty well-received. Am I missing something about his work, or is he a hack, too?
I get your point -- there's real elegance in using lighting to convey emotion without looking overt or gimicky, but I really don't see that here.