You can find great light anywhere, you just need to be observant, aware and willing to see things differently. This portrait is a case in point.
I was at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) today to see a contemporary art installation by artist Alfredo Jaar. Jaar constructed a path of total darkness which wound around corners and through black walled hallways; turning the last corner, the viewer is struck by a dazzlingly bright 10'x18' wall of light. After so much darkness, the wall seemed even bigger than it was and the light was so bright you had to squint. That was it. The artwork is not terribly remarkable, although I'm sure I missed the symbolism as I usually do with contemporary art. But there was something about that light. While looking directly at the light wall was bothersome, the light it emitted was incredibly beautiful. I stood for 5 minutes just watching peoples faces as they turned the corner. The corners and the walls created an abstract set of lines and shades of gray depending on how the light spilled over the wall. I knew I had to photograph this set up and found a willing young man from Portugal to pose for me.
While everyone else saw only the harshness of the bright light and turned away, covering their eyes, I saw the beauty such a big light source created. 35mm lens, f4.5 at 1/40th sec. ISO 500