One-light to light them all

"Heaven Can Wait"

I've been toying the idea of shooting fashion at night under street lights so I tried to replicate that look, sort of like a proof-of-concept. When we talk about street lights, we mean harsh, very defined, very directional (high above) light.

This setup is dead simple, no diagram required, just one bare light about two meters high mimicking street-light. The good thing with a harsh one-light setup like this is that it conceals much yet is able to define curves and shadows which is a pretty good excuse to have the model in minimal clothing.

"Never Say Never"

The model is my very good friend, Dina who rocks as a model. She's one of those models who can easily flow through poses without much direction from me. The camera is a Canon 5Dmk2 with a very basic 50mm f1.4.

One thing to consider is how you light the face. Harsh light can be somewhat unflattering so you must be careful where you position the face. Long nose shadows, eyes hidden under heavy brows may be unattractive under certain conditions. Yet also be mindful that in situations like these, the goal is not to light "properly" but to light dramatically. Lastly, work around your light, don't be static, change perspective, flow through your setup and the model will flow through her poses. The shoot becomes a dance, I love it!

* John, I got the hint!