CAPTURE DRAMATIC LIGHTING

Create dramatically lit portraits at home with this single-light setup

Follow this step-by-step setup for creative portraits

In portrait photography, it’s not always about over-complicated lighting setups and having multiple strobes firing all at once. Sometimes keeping things simple is just as effective for capturing striking imagery. In this tutorial we’re going to be using a humble home-made light modifier teamed with a single light source in order to effectively draw focus to our subject.

In terms of setup, all you’ll need is a nice open space to shoot in, a DSLR or CSC, and a single light source. We’re going to be using a Godox V860II flashgun, however this technique could very easily be adapted for use with studio strobes, or even a bright desk lamp. The key to achieving this lighting effect is not necessarily the light itself, but rather the way in which we modify it in order to generate a perfect letterbox of light to pick out a specific part of the model’s face.