How to Shoot Portraiture with One Light

Studio photography can get quite complicated. Using just one light source for your portraits will make it simplier. You can place a large soft box close to the wall so that some light is reflected from the wall to the model. The aperture setting is set to f9 or f11 because the photographer is using a 200 mm lens. This aperture will allow the model to be in focus.

With one light what you see is what you get. If you place the soft box at 45 degrees and install a reflector on the other side of the model, there will be no harsh shadows on her face. Another way is to use a diffuser which softens the light coming to the model and leaving the intensity of light on the background. Also add a big reflector and you will have three lights portrait with just one light source.