Photo Stories
Exploring a low-key lighting setup and coloured gels for a relaxed portrait shoot
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On one quiet Sunday afternoon I organized a photo shoot with a male model, Billy Wharton. As I had been on a short break away from photography due to my health, I decided to order some equipment, which included strobes, a beauty dish, strip banks and three Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlites. This was a big investment, but I felt it was
I set up a small studio in my bedroom, which is not particularly spacious
time to take my photography to the next level.
I set up a small studio in my bedroom, which is not particularly spacious. I was worried that Billy may have felt uncomfortable with the makeshift studio but I explained that this was just to test out my new equipment. He is a fashion model, so I got him to bring along a few outfits. Once my backdrop was ready with all the equipment in place I was ready to start.
At first I was a bit concerned because I was new to flash studio photography, despite reading many tutorials and doing lots of research. As time went by, both Billy and I were impressed with the results we saw on the LCD. The lighting was spot-on and Billy was relaxed, so we had a couple of outfit changes.
These shots were taken with my Canon 5D Mark III and a 50mm lens. I used a beauty dish for low-key lighting and then I decided to experiment with the strip lights. I positioned one on each side of Billy to see what results it gave. Since my shoot with Billy I’ve been experimenting further to improve my newfound photography skills and have gone on to shoot with other models. I am pleased to say that I also received a massive response on social media sites with my photos. Lens
I wanted to try a commercial magazine-style look
Canon ef 50mm f/1.4 USM Exposure 1/70 sec, f/4, iso400