Experimenting with lighting styles in the studio
Here’s how to unleash creativity by experimenting with innovative lighting styles in photography.
Photography is a dance between light and shadows. In the world of portraiture, the way you wield light can transform a simple image into a masterpiece. Creativity knows no bounds, and when it comes to lighting styles in the photographic studio, there are endless possibilities to explore. I recently ventured beyond the conventional, pushing the boundaries of traditional lighting styles to discover new and innovative ways to illuminate my portraits. This was a ‘play’ session which allowed me to explore some different lighting techniques.
Gear used
I used a collection of lights to create the dark and moody look I was after. I wanted a basic three-light setup; key, fill and hair light. But I also wanted to direct the light beyond standard light modifiers.
Godox AD200 Pro with AD-S200 light stick (with barn door)
Two V-flat (black on one side and white on the other)
Sony A7RV camera and Sony 50mm GM f/1.4 lens
Dark gray seamless paper background
Lighting setup
I placed the Godox AD200 with the ADS200 light stick and barn door behind the model and first V-Flat. I had the black of the V-Flt blocking any light I didn’t require. This allowed the light stick to just skim her hair and provide some definition from the background.
Next, I placed another V-Flat (black side facing the model) in front of the Ocotobox, feathering the light that touched her face.
Lastly, I placed a strip box and grid horizontally to fill in the shadows on her face.
I played with various settings but pretty much wanted flat even light on her face, which created catch lights in her eyes, but fell off quite quickly. By feathering all of the light I had no real harsh shadows on the model’s face, especially the eyes. And allowed the shadows on other parts of her body and the background.
I could have lit this series without the V-Flats, but it’s often a lot of fun and quite educational to play around with your lights. You can end up with some stunning results which can then be used on future projects.
Model: Nicola Paige
Hair and Makeup: Teighan Felton
