I’ve started working on more of a studio look, but it can be challenging without a “true” studio! Since I began to go full-time with my photography business in 2023, at the top of my wish list is to have a private studio/office space where I don’t have to set up, break down & haul my gear to and from the location…maybe one day! I can always dream!!!
My headshot lighting setup is a Westcott X-Drop Pro with a black 8'x13' sweep backdrop. It's very easy to set up, but you do need to watch for the wind. If you’re outdoors, it becomes a giant sail!
Please don’t mind the primitive stick figure diagram (below) I drew for this headshot session…LOL! The pink highlights are my 4 light setup plus a Wescott Eyelighter.
I have 2 double-diffused 12”x36” strip boxes with a grid set up on each side of Harley just out of the camera’s view powered by 2 Westcott FJ80II speedlights. The left strip adds a rim light to her (camera) left side, which is focused more on the shoulder and partially on her upper arm. The camera’s right side was raised and angled down to give her a hair and shoulder rim light to help separate her hair from the backdrop. Both lights were set up about 3' behind Harley.
One speedlight about a foot directly behind Harley’s shoulder blades, pointing towards the background slightly pointing up, to create and illuminate a circle of light behind her head and shoulders with a MagMod Magsphere to help spread the light evenly with a magenta MagMod Magsphere and a Pro Artistic Gel. This background light’s job is to separate her head & shoulders from the black backdrop. This helps with subjects with black hair on a black backdrop.
My fourth light is the main key light, a 36” double defused octabox powered by an FJ Wescott FJ200, boomed in front of Harley’s face and slightly angled down to her face. I place the bottom of the box about the same height as her eyebrows. This allows the octabox to create a beautiful catchlight in her eyes. I could have used another speedlight for the key, but I only have 3 speedlights, lol! But I’m trying to say that you don’t need high-powered strobes to do this. Speedlights are more than enough power.
Don’t forget to sandbag your light stands (yellow highlight). You don’t want any of your lights falling on your subject or crashing to the ground.
The last “light” would be the Westcott Eyelighter, technically not a “light” but a curved reflector that catches the light from the key octabox and adds that curved catchlight at the bottom of her eye. For headshots and close portrait/beauty shots, this is one of the best purchases I’ve made! It adds so much life to my subject’s eyes! Any portrait without catchlights makes your subject’s eyes look dead and lifeless. TV and movie makers always have catchlights in any close-up shots of the character. I usually have my subject stand or sit almost touching the Eyelighter. This stylized lighting is called clamshell lighting.
I hope this breakdown of my lights helps anyone understand the importance of what & how lighting will affect a portrait.
A work in progress...
Learn, grow...repeat!
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