When I saw the title of this video, I knew I was either going to like it or dislike it based on how "subtle lighting" was meant in this context. I have seen many videos selling the use of soft natural light for portraiture, and it can be effective, but it isn't a particularly interesting topic. What I've always enjoyed and see as a powerful tool in the creating of portraiture is the use of artificial lighting in subtle ways. Fortunately, that's exactly what Jiggie Alejandrino is discussing in this video.
What's more, one of my go-to setups is close to what he uses for this shoot. That is, the pairing of continuous lighting with natural light to achieve something that looks both natural and attractive. You can, of course, use strobes to achieve the same thing, but I've always liked continuous lighting for reasons I've covered in past articles, but it's particularly useful for getting the light just right without trial and error.
This video is a useful reminder of how opting to go with subtle lighting can be extremely effective in the right scenarios.
