Outdoor Swimwear Portraits Using One Light on Location

When you're on location, being able to take great images with minimal gear makes life a lot easier; knowing what you can do with just one light is where a lot of folks start, and for good reason. Check out these great setups for when you're on the beach with a one-light setup.

Brought to you via fitness photographer Brett Seeley, he's showing off some stellar setups that are easy to understand and straightforward enough for anyone watching to try out too. The great thing about a one-light setup is how simple it is, which is why they make for an excellent place to start and are the perfect learning tool when you're looking to either stay mobile (when you're on the beach, for example) or when you're looking to learn about lighting. Like most things, though, just because it's simple doesn't mean it lacks depth; the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Understanding your options with just one light is a stellar foundation for creating any look you're trying to achieve.

Seeley takes us through a number of different setups and explains the different effects that can be achieved by positioning the light in different places, often working in tandem with the strong sunlight that is characteristic of a tropical beach scene. Understanding how to work with existing ambient light (to help create a rim light, for example) is something that can help you to capture a lot of depth despite the setup being deceptively simple. I've always been a big fan of a good one-light setup, and keeping it simple whenever possible is something that has served me well. If you're a fan of a clean one-light setup (or if you've found you prefer multi-light setups), leave a comment below describing one of your favorites and why you keep going back to it.

Evan Kane is a portrait photographer based near Seattle. He specializes in colorful location portraits with a bit of a fairy tale flair. Always looking to create something with emotion behind it, he fell backwards into photography in mid 2015 and has been pursuing this dream ever since. One if his mottos: "There is always more to learn."

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11 Comments

I'm sure he has some other amazing work.. but not blown away by these images.

I see two lights 🌞

I was being cheeky and wanted to just delete this but apparently one cannot.

One could have just edited the original comment with a new comment. :P

It's about ethics in commenting Eddie.

I understood that reference.

I agree, this is a two light setup.

For me, a one light setup would be more along the lines of this - https://youtu.be/B1yd6D8PEp4

These pictures are a lot better

They were shot by someone who actually knows how to work with natural light.

Video feels rushed based on the not so inspiring examples and unedited SOOC images.

One light is one light. Do not mess. There is nothing like one light. Don't lie. Be honest. Change the title at least.