Light can bring out subtle detail — or create an eye-catching contrast. This week, we highlight five photographs with dramatic lighting combinations. From setting up colored gels to matching the pose with existing ambient light, these five photographs from Kristin Sharp, Amber Henry, Nicholas Gore, Morgane Cazaubon, and Brad Deel are ready to inspire.

Kristin Sharp, Struve Photography

Kristin Sharp’s favorite dramatic lighting set-up for the dance floor is using two off-camera flashes as rim lights at 1/64 mixed with an on-camera flash at 1/16. The dramatic lighting recipe mixed with perfect timing to create this dramatic dance floor photograph. She used a Canon R6 with the EF 24-70mm f2.8 L lens set at f6.3 to give the lights — three Canon 580EXIIs — a starburst effect.

“Emma and Andrew had planned a choreographed dance for their first dance,” Sharp said. “I didn’t quite know exactly what to expect, but I knew that I wanted to make sure that I lit it in a punchy way that worked. I also didn’t want to have too much clutter behind them, so found a spot that I felt worked, facing towards the band with the fairy lights and window behind them with some pleasing symmetry. I wanted to create a photograph that captured the spirit and atmosphere of the moment without overpowering it. The key was keeping an eye on what they did and anticipating Andrew turning to get Emma’s beautiful smile before taking the photo.”

[Read: Creative Lighting Techniques for Portrait Photographers]

Amber Henry

This colorful dramatic lighting setup is so integrated into Amber Henry’s style, she’s dubbed it the Henry Triangle. For this portrait of her 17-year-old son, she used two Geekoto GT200s modified with blue gels and MagMod Spheres as the rim lights on both the right and left sides. A third light was modified with a magenta gel and a 24-inch softbox on a Cheetah rolling boom stand about a foot above the portrait subject. Atmosphere Aerosol created the fog in the background, meshing with the colors and leather jacket for a rock-star look.

“I love a really good OCF image,” said Henry. “I think it became such a big part of my style because I can create whatever I see in my head, no matter where I am. There is no limit to your creativity when you can be the master of the light in your scene. I am so lucky to be living in a time when powerful and versatile strobes are so light and convenient. They are a big part of my creation process.”

[Read: A Complete Guide to Color-Effect Gels in Portrait Photography]

Nicholas Gore

Rain backlit by a flash makes a dramatic effect, as evidenced by this image from Nicholas Gore. The weather that day had changed the original portrait plans, Gore said. “To be completely honest, it was quite late on the wedding day and the weather had washed out most of the day’s portrait opportunities so we had to get a little creative,” he said. “The couple was keen, even though it was raining like crazy so we ran out into the storm and did what we could to make it work!”

The dramatic lighting was created by a Godox V1 at roughly 1/8th power about 10 feet behind the couple, held by an assistant. A second flash was used on Gore’s Sony A1 to light the couple. He used the Sony 50mm f1.4 lens set at f2.2.

Morgane Cazaubon, Petite Visuals

As Amy and Oli rushed to their wedding ceremony, Morgane Cazaubon paused the couple to get this shot on the staircase. While the lighting hits the couple perfectly and falls off to dramatic shadows in the background, the shot was lit entirely by the existing light fixtures in the scene. While Cazaubon says she would have loved to add in a flash to better illuminate the groom, the time constraints just a few minutes before the ceremony required minimal setup. The photographer simply asked them to take the stairs instead of the elevator and instructed the couple to walk slowly holding the handrail.

“I saw the huge staircase of the hotel before meeting the couple, and loved the lighting situation,” Cazaubon said. “To be honest, I am not sure what I was going to do, I just told the couple that we should take the stairs instead of the elevator to get down to the ceremony. As we were all rushing down the stairs separately, I saw this frame. And this is just how it turned out. I love how, to me, it conveys that Amy and Oli are on the same path, but on different levels. And that they are going to join each other on the same level soon (marriage). It’s all a bit metaphorical!”

Brad Deel

When photographer Brad Deel was approached about photographing cheerleaders from the Top Gun Cheer Academy, he knew he had to do a photoshoot inspired by the movie of the same name. Deel asked the client to find an outfit resembling a flight suit and also worked in a red polka-dot bandana to pay homage to Rosie the Riveter. To bring out all those details, Deel used a four-light set up using Wescott FJ400s. Two were placed in long throw reflectors at a 45-degree angle. A large softbox served as the key light while a beauty dish highlights the front of the airplane.

“The reason I love off-camera flash so much is it allows me to control the light and not have the light control me,” Deel said. “Off-camera flash is a powerful tool. I can have control over the direction, intensity, and quality of the light. This allows me to create more dramatic lighting and visually interesting images. I feel it also adds depth and dimension to the subject.”

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching wedding photos and portraits. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery to: arlene.evans@emeraldx.com.