One light, endless portraits. If you think you need a studio full of lights to create beautiful portraits, think again. This is a complete one light portrait tutorial: every photograph here is made with just one light, one modifier, one wall, and one very patient model.
The aim isn’t to teach you a list of lighting pattern names. It’s to show you just how much variety you can create by making small changes to the position of a single light. A slight movement can completely alter the mood, the shape of the face, and the feel of the portrait.
Of course, some of these lighting patterns do have names, and they’re useful to know. If you’d like to explore them in more depth, we cover them in detail during our workshops and in our Mastering Eight Lighting Patterns video, available on YouTube and on the Mastering Portrait Photography website.
It’s also worth remembering that there isn’t one perfect lighting pattern for everyone. Every face is different. Some people have the bone structure for dramatic split lighting, while others suit a softer approach. The trick is to understand what the light is doing and choose the version that flatters the person in front of your camera.
One light. A little experimentation. Endless possibilities.
Comments
17 responses to “One Light. Endless Portraits…”
Great tutorial! Does the stripbox need to be slightly angled rather than vertically straight up?
your insights are just too good for any photographer
maybe you should have had the decency to introduce the model, she is a living breathing human being..
it would have been polite to introduce her, tell us her name and personality before you use her as a model.
by ignoring her like that your deminishing her to just an object of fotography..
it appalled me do afetr typing this comment I skipped your video
Quick question. Great video by the way… But your shadows in your o images looked like maybe 2 stops under ish… Which is pleasing but I'm curious. Did you shoot them so some of the ambient was doing some work on the shadows. I most often have to introduce a second light to get that ratio. Thanks
I liked the insights shared on this video, and the beautiful model as well 👍
Can you please share the technical details of the equipment used?
Thanks!
Very clear and useful. Thanks
Just more rubbish on YouTube !
That was a very simple and great video explaining the different lighting patterns!👍📷👏
Dude, the right audio channel is gone…
Nice video, but getting her name wrong on the last set-up, you can see her expression change 😬
Thank you very much for possible the best lighting tutorial video on YT. Easy to follow, straight to the point without any ramblings or sales pitch, and one-to-one photos from each lighting setup.
Quick questions. Are those pictures SOC. If not can you do a video on post production. This is great work. Keep doing it. We appreciate your mastering.
This is a great video. Simple and effective. Now, I've got one question that intriques me immensly about this shoot; what is that rig that holds your strobe called? It's the first time I see one like it and I think I would like me on of these babes….
Wonderful Lizzy!❤
Good explanation, very rare such an all in one in just a short time. Well done. Love the results with adding contrast , could even use some more but that is my personal taste. Love the model too, your beautiful neighbor. No botox or other freaky stuff, plain beauty .
Excellent, thanks for sharing 🎉🎉🎉
Fantastic video dude. Do u have a video on dramatic male portraits? Greetings from Cape Town. South Africa.
Really useful reference, thanks for sharing