Lighting Walkthough

When shooting, I often times know what shot that I want and how I want it to look. From there I simply have to set up the lights and tweak them to my liking. I set up one light at a time so I can see what each light is doing. For this setup with Lacie I started with the backlight.

I was using a two light setup so with the backlight I wanted it to light both the dirt bike and create separation between Lacie and the back wall. I used a bare flash for this to create harsh light.

I then setup my key light. I placed the key high and just to my left. This is so that the shadow created by the key would then be blown out by my backlight. I wanted to create a dramatic look so the key went through a translucent umbrella to soften the light. I turned up the power until I got the look I wanted.

After the lighting was right I had Lacie go and wet her hair. The only thing left was to get the shot. Sometimes less, is more and you don’t need 5 lights to light a scene. 

Photography is an art and although there is a right and wrong way to do things. At the end of the day it’s the photograph that speaks to your audience.

Model- Lacie Trover Smith