Move around your light

One of the best tips I can give people is “move around your light”
Every time I show this very simple technique during workshops there is always a group of students that is literally totally surprised by the effects you can create by just moving around your model. What you are actually doing is the same as moving around your light source, but when you combine it with a wall against which the model is posing you can get some stunning effects very fast.

 

In this setup I’m using one strobe aimed at my model.
In the first shot you see it shot from the front.

In this shot I move to the side of the model, as you can see the effect is totally different.

 

Now if you also change the light source to the side and shoot into the light source you can get some nice flares and some cool contrast.

And in this case… the worse the quality of the lens, the more “cool” the lens flares 😀

 

So the next time you do a photoshoot, start by walking around your model and as soon as you see the differences in contrast start by moving the light sources and don’t be afraid to in essence shoot into a light source, let the light source creep in just a little bit and voila you get some cool flares.

 

Good luck with the experiments.

 

Want more in depth information on lighting, working with models, retouching, social media tips for the photographer, lighting diagrams, metering tips, styling tips and much much more? check out my book “Mastering the modelshoot” or my instructional videos you can download via this site.