Create Dramatic Lighting Using Two Speedlights

Shooting creative portraits does not always require the biggest flashes and the best softboxes. All it takes is your imagination and a basic setup.

With a model in place, the first thing you need to decide is the kind of lighting you want to achieve. It depends on the theme you are taking up. In this shoot, Gavin Hoey decides to bring out a dramatic spooky mood in the picture. His setup is simple. He has two speedlights on either side of the model, equally spaced and facing her. He then experiments with the direction and height to achieve the dramatic lighting he envisioned. Experimentation is the key, as it is only through trial and error that you will be able to achieve the best of the conditions. Using a prop adds more character to the portrait in the end. After shooting a handful of pictures in different poses, he then moves on to Photoshop for post-processing. Out there it is all about adjusting the exposure, shadows, details, and finally bringing out that dramatic, spooky portrait. Take a look at the full video to grab the tips and techniques.