STEP by STEP / Six steps to low-light portrait success

1 Get set up

First, eliminate all other light sources by choosing these settings: 1/200 sec, f/4, ISO200. Because we’re shooting in low light and using a fast shutter speed, our image is severely underexposed, which is the foundation that we can build on to achieve the lighting we want.

2 Trigger the light

On the night we had two methods of synchronizing the flash with wireless triggers, the SU-800 infrared flash controller that sits in the hotshoe, and a WR-R10 radio trigger that slots into either the MC-DC2 port or, using an adapter, the 10-pin remote terminal.

3 Sync with your flash

We used manual flash and controlled the power output via the Photo Shooting menu under the option Flash Control. We set it to Group A, Channel 1 at 1/16 power. Shooting with manual flash ensured our power output was consistent throughout our shoot.

4 Modify the light

Putting the Speedlight into a Lastolite Ezybox Pro Strip softbox gave much softer light than the bare flash. A honeycomb grid was placed on the front of the softbox to focus the light and reduce spill onto unwanted areas, preventing glare from nearby windows.

5 Reposition your light

The light and softbox were placed on a C-stand (a heavy-duty light stand), camera-left of Amber, our model. It was raised up higher than her face and aimed downwards for a flattering three-quarters directional light, casting soft shadows on the right side of her face.

6 Include background interest

Out on the busy streets after sunset there were a lot of lights from the traffic and nearby bars and restaurants. So with a central position shooting down the road, we used a 200mm f/2 telephoto lens to increase the size of the bokeh from the lights in the background.