Seriously simple portrait lighting for beauty shots

Lighting a portrait can be as simple or intricate as you want it to be. More often than not though, the concept of ‘less is more’ rings true.

To show off just how much can be done with only a small bit of gear, photographer Wayne Johns has shared a helpful tutorial on behalf of Bowens.

In the ten minute video, Johns breaks down how a simple clamshell lighting technique can make for an incredible beauty setup using nothing more than two lights and modifiers. For this specific example, Johns uses two strobes and soft boxes, but the same principle can be applied to speed lights and umbrellas as well.

As mentioned by Johns in the video, you can also create a clamshell style light by using a single light in combination with a reflector, an even simpler and less expensive solution.

The video is slow going, but the visuals and diagrams make it great to follow and easy to pick up on subtle changes the lighting setup can result in.

[via ISO 1200]