Classic Portrait Lighting With Just One Speedlight

Have you ever wanted to shoot sophisticated-looking portraits with the simplest lighting gear that you have in your bag?

In this video from wedding and portrait photographer, Jiggie Alejandrino and his wife, Coco, he talks about a simple method of using a single speedlight without any modifiers to achieve soft lighting for shooting classical portraits. In this particular shoot, he made use of a collapsible microfiber printed backdrop to achieve the oil-painted appearance in the background. Alejandrino also explains the differences of using high speed sync on his flash in comparison to using neutral density filters in the particular situation when you need to cut down the amount of light in frame without having to sacrifice your widest aperture.  

Learning to shoot amazing portraits may seem quite intimidating especially when you see complicated lighting setups with many modifiers early in your learning process. Shooting with ambient light and a reflector is a common stepping stone for many aspiring portrait photographers and the usual next step is to purchase a speedlight and to explore lighting with it both on and off the camera. Mastering the discipline of shooting with a minimal setup can make you a versatile photographer especially when you have access to more advanced gear down the line.