Level up your portraits with these five lighting setups

How often do you get stuck in a lighting rut? I must say that I’m guilty of this at times, and I often lean on my go-to couple of tried and tested setups that I know will always produce great results. However, that can get a little stale at times, and while we all crave a signature style, achieving that by always replicating the same lighting is probably not the best way to do it.

In this video from Adorama, Ab Sesay walks us through five different lighting setups for creating beautiful and dynamic portraits. Even if you already know all of this, it’s a great reminder for us to freshen things up occasionally and try something different.

Relative size of the light source to your subject

Understanding how the relative size of your light source impacts your portrait is crucial. In the first setup, Ab used two lights to create a dramatic portrait, with the main light focused solely on the subject’s face. The light’s distance from the subject is key to achieving soft or hard light.

When positioned closer, the light source appears larger relative to the subject, producing softer highlights and shadows and a rapid fall-off that prevents the background from being overly lit. Moving the light further away makes it appear smaller, resulting in harder light with sharper contrasts.

For this particular shot, Ab positioned the main light close to the model to ensure a soft, flattering glow. Using the Westcott 45° Reflector with a diffusion sock created a mini softbox effect. Adding a quarter CTS gel gave a warm tone, while a Rosco bluish-green gel on a second light added a moody colour to the shadows.

From simple to dramatic lighting with two lights

The next setup shows how to achieve three different looks with two lights. Starting with the Westcott 7T white umbrella, Ab created a beautifully simple portrait. However, introducing a flag to block some light from specific areas enhanced the image by drawing attention to the model’s face, the brightest element in the frame. This subtle adjustment shifts the emphasis of the portrait.

Adding an edge light helps to separate the subject from the background, introducing even more depth to the portrait. For a darker, moodier look, they turned off the umbrella light and only used the edge light at a higher angle and further distance from the subject. This shift created a more dramatic image, similar to the first setup but with a unique edge. To reduce the intensity of the shadows, Ab reintroduced the umbrella light at a lower power setting to soften the overall feel while retaining the drama.

The key takeaway here is that subtle changes to lighting position and power can give you a range of different looks in just a few clicks. This method is ideal for situations where you only have a short time with your subject but need to capture multiple styles of portraits.

Choosing between a silver or white umbrella

Ab says that one of the most frequently asked questions is whether to use a silver or white umbrella. Both have their merits, and the choice largely depends on the effect you’re going for.

White umbrellas are excellent for general use, providing a soft and even light with minimal variation, regardless of how you position them. This consistency makes them great for straightforward, flattering portraits. On the other hand, silver umbrellas offer more control and focus, allowing you to direct light more precisely and produce stronger contrasts.

For example, when shooting dancers or other subjects where you want broad illumination without too much fall-off in the background, a large silver umbrella is perfect. It provides a more focused, sharp look, while a white umbrella behind the camera gives a softer, evenly spread light, making it ideal for simpler portrait setups.

Creating fashion portraits with hard light

The last setup delves into fashion portraiture, employing hard light to emphasize the clothing and lines of the model’s pose. In this setup, Ab positioned the Westcott 45° reflector directly above the camera, casting sharp shadows with soft edges. This approach works particularly well when photographing models in structured outfits, as the hard light complements the hard lines of the wardrobe.

The shadows created by this hard light add depth and dimension to the image without overwhelming the subject, providing a balance between the person and their clothing. The soft-edged shadows help blend the overall look while maintaining enough contrast to make the portrait visually interesting.

---