One flash, three studio lighting styles

Studio lighting can be complex for a photographer to learn, but by starting with a single light you can produce some excellent results without getting bogged down with complex lighting setup.

In this video Gavin Hoey (me) shows you three easy to use lighting setups, all of which only use a single flash head.

The first is a beauty dish attached to a boom arm placed directly above the subject.

The second has a medium sized softbox placed at 90 degrees to the subject.

The third set up uses a honeycomb grid to make a raking beam of light, that hits both the background and subject.

Many thanks to Hasselblad UK for both the loan of their London studio and the H4D-50 camera

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• studio
• lighting
• photography
• tutorial
• hasselblad
• broncolor
• softbox
• grid
• Lights
• flash
• H4D
• model
• rap
• beauty dish
• gavin
• hoey
• gavtrain
• training
• tuition
• tip
• Help
• advice
• one light
• simple
• easy
• beginner
• Tricks
• Tips

[pjos111]

I take it your using a shutter speed of 1/250 so that ambient light will not be it the shot? I am guessing :)

[PhotoGavin]

@pjos111 Correct :-)

[MsKathy07]

Can you recommend a brand/model for a good light meter for someone just getting started? Also, can you tell us the name brand/model of the soft box you used? Great photos, awesome tutorial! Just what I needed.

[PhotoGavin]

@MsKathy07 I use Sekonic L308s flash meter... Sorry, no idea on the softbox brand used in the Hasselblad studio

[Sprenklefish]

That Hasselblad is way expensive! BUT, can you get a similar result from a 5D mkII??? Anyway, another great video, Gav! You make it look easy. I know it ain't!

[PhotoGavin]

@Sprenklefish 100% yes. The camera is a tool, nothing more. The only difference is the size of the files and thus their quality. My 5D mk2 is excellent, the Hasselblad was a step up again, but so was the price! Nice to try, but not for me.

[ElliottMascart]

Brilliant!

[aodes83]

ow come'on gavin ,, a hasselblad !! for real ! man i saved for half a year to get my 600D , and i ain't planing to change it for the next 3 years,,, great tutorial as usual though

[PhuNguyen88]

Hasselblad quality is similar to 5d mark 2 ? dont forget D700. Anyway, you cant compare like that. Every tool has its own purposes. Hasselblad designed to produce billboard advertising, yes the whole freaking billboard.

[djembedrummer]

@lotfihdv Doesn't make a difference. The thing is that the light doesn't know you have an ND filter. If you use a light meter and get f8, and you want to use an ND4, you would need to adjust until you're metering at f16, therefore the light is cranking out two more stops of light to compensate. ND2=1 stop, ND4=2, ND8=3, etc.

[alansm136]

If anyone has a Hasselblad lying around and not using it, please send it to me.

[MrsOneWattle]

Nice to see a male model, and one that isn't "pretty". Great video again!

[freestylefilmsinc]

@MsKathy07 the lights look like broncolor so possibly the same brand

[lotfihdv]

when using ND filter do you take meter reading before the filter is fitted or after?

[Sceme1991]

Could you do a tutorial on how to guide a model? Just some basic tips. I'm usually shooting non living objects cause they don't make weird faces but when I'm asked to shoot graduation pictures for example I find it very hard to tell the model how to act in front of the camera. I end up taking tons of pictures from the same angle because I know that most of them fail. Thanks!

[xgreenymeex]

Brilliant videos, great to watch and learn :)