How to Use Your V-Flat as a Key Light With Strobes

When it comes to lighting your subject, there are many different ways to do so and many different tools to help create and shape the light. If you do not have a ton of modifiers for your strobe but you do have a V-Flat, here's one way you can use the V-Flat to create soft light in your shot.

In this video, photographer Jeff Carpenter uses the portable V-Flat from V-Flat World in the studio along with a single Paul C Buff DigiBee flash unit as his light source. This combination produces a large spread of soft light onto model Leah Tobak to mimic a nice natural light look. If your studio doesn't have windows for natural light, this is one way to achieve a similar look in your shots. 

The setup is fairly simple and not a lot of equipment is needed, but placement is important as Carpenter mentions how the distance and height can affect the lighting. Both of those needed to be considered to produce the desired results along with your subject's placement, like modeling while sitting on the floor as shown in this video.

What's your favorite way to use V-Flats with strobes? What are some other ways you use your V-Flat with strobe lighting?
 

Alex Ventura's picture

Staff writer Alex Ventura is a professional photographer based out of the Houston area that specializes in automotive and glamour with the occasional adventures into other genres. He regularly covers automotive related events for Houston Streets & Spekture with some publications in the United States.

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8 Comments

It's almost like that $200 V-flat isn't tall enough for standing models.

Yes, why are they not closer to 96"?
Does it need to stay at 40" folded for shipping reasons?

They seem a little short if you want some wrap around light from above. Maybe they could sell a set of stilts? My homemade ones are 4x8 fomecore but don't fold up so niftily, or at all. They are 4x8 when folded LoL
PS-Is the brodude hat on backwards look here to stay?

Ummm... did the guy not notice the big white wall behind the V flat?

I need me some V flats but that price is too steep for me . I’d be good with $300 for the pair .

Buy some white coroplast at the local big box hardward store. $20 bucks a sheet. Buy a coroplast cuttter/ scorer and score it down the middle. Buy some black spray paint and paint one side. Easiest V-flat in the world. You can make 3 of them for less than $100

They should really have those things paint black on the black side ... I make mine dirt cheap from HomeDepot and $25.00 extra to rent their truck! .

Sorry... I don't take instruction from dudes wearing baseball caps backwards.