3 Foolproof Studio Portrait Approaches From Tony Corbell

One-Light Sequins

There is almost a perfect blend of highlights and shadows in the sequins found in this dress. Our beautiful subject, Madlena Kalinova, is one very professional New York City model, and I wanted to try lighting her with a single, very large source and position it in such a way that would light her and the background.

Here, our main light was just to the right of the camera, giving some shadow and creating depth. What is significant to keep in mind is the dress, the product in this image. Remember that any shiny surfaces, especially sequins, will go dark if they receive no light. In this case, the light for the sequins was provided by the placement of two 4 x 8-foot white foam boards, which were taped together to make a very large V-flat. My position was opposite the main light, and I moved around until the highlights became visible and the sequins sort of came alive. The snap, or bright hit of light in the shadow side of the dress, helped contribute to the success of this image. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

Gear – Camera: Canon 5D Mark III Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4 exposure: f/16 at 1/60th sec. Lighting: Bowens 500 W/s strobe, 5-foot Octabank

The Butterfly Effect

For several years I have avoided using octas because I was just not a fan of the octagonal catch lights in the eyes of my subjects. But after spending about a year doing a lot of testing, I have finally come to the realization that the light quality from an octa-shaped light is almost perfect for most faces. There are very subtle differences in this octa shape versus a softbox of a similar size and distance from the subject, but in the overall result, the octa seems to be a little more forgiving and offers a subtle transition between light and shadow that is less severe than a softbox.

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For this shot, the light source was positioned over my lens and in direct line with the nose of the subject. This created a catch light that is in the top center area of the eye, as well as shadows accentuating the cheekbones. The butterfly (or paramount) lighting pattern on the face is great at emphasizing cheekbones and is often used to get that classic Hollywood glamour look. Its lighting quality almost always looks great.

Gear – Camera: Canon 5D Mark III Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4 exposure: f/11 at 1/60th sec. Lighting: Profoto D1 strobe, 5-foot Octabank

The Back Profile Light Simplified

There are two ways to shoot a profile: in front, with the subject facing the photographer and their face turned to the side, and the back, when the subject is literally turned away from the camera with the face then turned into the profile position.

Here is an example of the back profile, and in order to create the most drama, I chose to light her face from a 45-degree angle, and shoot behind her. This allows the light to come forward and whenever that happens, the shadows fall toward the camera, not away from the camera. This approach adds shape, form, texture, dimension and more importantly, impact. I used only one light source here: a 3 x 4-foot softbox. It’s a very simple yet elegant way to illustrate this beautiful face.

Gear – Camera: Canon 5D Mark III Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4 exposure: f/5.6 at 1/60th sec. Lighting: Bowens 500 W/s strobe, 3 x 4-foot softbox

Tony Corbell is a lighting guru within the portrait photography community, as well as an experienced educator and WPPI Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

Creative Live Video Tutorial: Studio Lighting Basics with Tony Corbell