How to Create a Professional Portrait With Very Affordable Equipment

You can spend a lot of money on lights and modifiers for portrait photography, and while there are certainly reasons why professionals invest in expensive equipment, you can absolutely create professional-level portraits with the most affordable gear — even a shoot-through umbrella and speedlight. This fantastic video tutorial will show you everything you need to know. 

Coming to you from Jiggie Alejandrino, this great video tutorial will show you how to light and shoot a portrait using a speedlight and shoot-through umbrella. This sort of setup can be had for less than $500, but it can still produce fantastic results. In fact, shoot-through umbrellas can produce incredibly flattering light. The reason why most photographers eventually move on from them is because they tend to throw light everywhere, which can make it hard to create more process images. However, for certain looks and scenarios, that is not an issue. In fact, that effect can even be advantageous for certain photos or client needs. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Alejandrino. 

If you would like to continue learning about how to light a portrait, be sure to check out "Illuminating The Face: Lighting for Headshots and Portraits With Peter Hurley!"

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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