This shot was something Briana wanted to do. We have tried to shoot the fedora many times and never gotten around to it. This time we wanted to make a go of it. She wore faded, ripped jeans, a black top, black hat and black gloves. With the red lips it was really stunning.

I set the lighting different than I usually do when using the beauty dish. Usually I place it as the main and a white umbrella as a fill. I used the Zebra this time for added punch.

In the shot below you can see the two lights in position. There is a large space between the two lights so I could move in and out and I wanted to light the jeans and the face and keep the light wide and flat… with that punchy hot look that the Zebra and the beauty dish give me.

A second shot of the setup here:

In the above shot you can see the shadow. I underexposed a little bit to make it easier to see. since it is straight behind her it adds a little shaping. You can also see that there are no fill cards used… just the two lights. And yet the shot looks so well lit, with no dark shadows… except where I want them. Using these very bright lighting tools cause a quick drop off into the shadows, and that adds a subtle drama.

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Here is another shot from the session.

Speedlight Idea:
Try two silver umbrellas or DIY beauty dishes for very ‘poppy’ light. Bring the sources in as close as you can and keep the fill to a minimum. Work from right between the lights and centered on them as well. Keeping that light from going sideways is one of the things that make this shot look the way it does.

One more from the session to close us out.

Part One of this Workshop
Part Two of this Workshop