Catalogue Lighting Setups

Clean White Background Fashion Portrait

4 lights · Soft Commercial Lighting · Clean, polished, commercial, soft, elegant

This bright, clean lighting setup is ideal for full-body fashion portraits and e-commerce product shots, ensuring the subject is evenly lit against a pure white background. The key light, a large octabox with a grid, is positioned above and slightly in front of the camera, providing soft, diffused illumination without harsh shadows. A rectangular softbox placed just below the camera acts as a gentle fill light, subtly lifting any remaining shadows on the subject. Two white umbrellas illuminate the seamless white backdrop from either side, creating a bright, uniform background that isolates the subject. Black negative fill boards on either side of the model add subtle contrast and sculpt the edges, preventing the image from appearing too flat. This versatile setup is perfect for showcasing apparel, creating professional headshots, or capturing clean e-commerce imagery where product details need to be clear and free from distractions. The overall mood is commercial and polished, with neutral colors and soft, flattering light.

Placement: Key Light: A large octabox with a grid is positioned just above the camera, close to the camera axis, acting as the main light. Fill Light: A rectangular softbox is placed just below the camera, designed to lift shadows created by the key light. Background Lights: Two shoot-through umbrellas are placed one on camera left and one on camera right, aimed at the backdrop to illuminate it evenly. Negative Fill: Two black panels are positioned on both sides of the model to absorb bounced light.

Modifiers: Octa with Grid, Rectangular Softbox, Shoot-through umbrellas, Black panels

Studio Fashion Lookbook with Three-Light Setup

3 lights · Three-point lighting for clean separation and soft key. · Clean, professional, bright, commercial

A detailed breakdown of a three-light studio setup for fashion photography, featuring a female model on a seamless white background. The setup uses two gridded backlights (strip and beauty dish) and a diffused umbrella as a key light for clean, commercial results.

Placement: Backlight 1: camera right, Backlight 2: camera left, Key Light: front, overhead

Modifiers: Strip light with grid, Beauty dish with grid, Umbrella with diffuser

Dramatic Traditional Portrait with Optical Snoot Background

3 lights · Cinematic Indian Fashion Portrait · Dark, warm, and cinematic with controlled highlights, soft skin, and separation from the background.

This lighting setup creates a dramatic, moody portrait with rich colors and soft, controlled shadows, ideal for traditional wear, bridal, or high-fashion editorial concepts. The key light, a beauty dish with an additional diffuser from camera right, provides a soft yet directional light that sculpts the subject's features, emphasizing texture and form in the attire. A large shoot-through umbrella acts as a soft fill from camera left, subtly lifting shadows without flattening the image, contributing to the overall gentle contrast. The optical snoot on the background projects a distinct pattern, adding visual interest and depth that separates the subject from the backdrop. This technique is particularly effective for evoking a regal, vintage, or storytelling mood, making it suitable for campaigns that require a blend of classic elegance and dramatic flair, or for artists seeking a painterly aesthetic.

Placement: 1. Key + Rim Light: Camera right, slightly behind the model. Modifier: Beauty dish with a grid and diffusion fabric (from a 5-in-1 reflector). This light provides direction and definition, acting as both key and rim. 2. Fill Light: Camera left, slightly off-center in front of the model. Modifier: Umbrella with a diffuser. Adds a small amount of light to shadows to retain detail. 3. Background Light: Far camera left. Modifier: Optical snoot. Aimed directly at the backdrop to create texture and variation, ensuring no spill onto the model.

Modifiers: Beauty dish, Grid, Diffusion fabric (from 5-in-1 reflector), Umbrella with diffuser, Optical snoot

Red Background Portrait with Beauty Dish & Rim Light

3 lights · Controlled studio lighting with defined key and subtle fill and separation. · Polished and commercial, with a high-fashion sensibility.

This studio setup features a female model against a vibrant red seamless background, creating a high-impact and confident aesthetic. The main light, a beauty dish with a grid, is positioned camera-left, providing soft yet defined illumination on the model's face and shoulders. A Nanlite PavoTube II 15C acts as a rim/hair light, placed above and slightly behind the model, adding separation and a subtle glow to her hair. A second Nanlite PavoTube II 15C serves as a fill light, positioned below and in front, gently lifting shadows for a smoother skin tone and overall low-contrast look. This combination results in a clean, polished portrait with a dramatic flair due to the bold background, suitable for fashion editorials, beauty campaigns, or striking personal branding. The setup emphasizes clarity and a confident mood, making it versatile for various creative concepts.

Placement: The key light (Nanlite FC-120C with Beauty Dish, Diffuser, Grid) is placed just above the camera axis, angled slightly downwards towards the model, providing the primary exposure and shaping. A Nanlite PavoTube II 15C is positioned behind the model and above her head, creating a subtle highlight for hair and shoulder separation. A second Nanlite PavoTube II 15C is placed under the model's chin, angled upwards, acting as a controlled fill to gently lift shadows on the lower face and under the chin.

Modifiers: Beauty Dish, Diffuser, Grid, Nanlite PavoTube II 15C (x2)

Dramatic Fashion Portrait with Overhead Key and Gel Backlights

3 lights · Warm, dimensional, and slightly editorial with strong golden separation. · Dramatic, warm, sculpted, editorial.

This studio lighting setup creates a dramatic and high-contrast fashion portrait with a painterly feel. The subject is a female model in an elegant, flowing garment, accentuated by pearls and intricate hair adornments, against a textured brown backdrop. A large overhead umbrella with a diffuser acts as the key light, providing soft, flattering illumination from above that creates gentle shadows and highlights the contours of the face and body. Two bare strobes with yellow gels are positioned as backlights, one on each side, generating distinct, hard-edged rim lighting that beautifully separates the subject from the dark background and adds a warm, cinematic glow to her hair and garment. The overall effect is moody and luxurious, emphasizing texture and form, ideal for fashion editorials or artistic portraits. This setup is perfect for photographers seeking to add depth, dimension, and a rich color accent to their studio work, particularly for fashion or beauty subjects where strong separation and a dramatic mood are desired.

Placement: The key light is a bounce umbrella with a diffuser, positioned overhead and in front of the model. Two backlights are placed behind the model, one on camera left and one on camera right. Both backlights are fitted with yellow color gels. A silver reflector is positioned on camera right to bounce the key light for fill.

Modifiers: Top Bounce Umbrella with Diffuser, Yellow color gels, Silver reflector

Split-Tone Creative Portrait

3 lights · Layered, cinematic lighting with a soft key and a distinct diagonal background beam. · Moody, cinematic, layered, deliberate

A creative portrait lighting setup using three lights: one for a split-tone background, one for overall ambience via top bounce, and a gridded octabox as the key light.

Placement: Light 1 (Key): Large octabox with grid, camera right. Light 2 (Background): Fresnel with barn doors, camera left, aimed towards lower backdrop. Light 3 (Ambient): Top bounce, behind model towards ceiling.

Modifiers: Large Octabox, Grid, Fresnel, Barn Doors

Soft Portrait with Pink Gradient Background

2 lights · Two independent lights, one for soft, broad subject illumination and another for a coloured gradient background. · Clean, soft, flattering, and vibrant.

A two-light setup featuring a large umbrella diffuser for soft frontal key light and a strip light with a pink gel for a vibrant background gradient.

Placement: Light 1 (Main Light): Placed directly in front of the model and slightly above the camera. Light 2 (Background Light): Placed behind the model, aimed toward the lower portion of the backdrop.

Modifiers: Large umbrella with a diffuser, Strip light with a pink colour gel

Bright Fashion Portrait with Umbrella Key Light

3 lights · Key umbrella light for the subject with additional lights for a bright background. · Clean, bright, professional

This setup uses a key umbrella light for the subject and two additional lights to achieve a pure white background. The result is a clean, bright fashion aesthetic with soft, even illumination.

Placement: One white umbrella from camera left, two lights for the background.

Modifiers: White umbrella

Elegant Overhead Light Portrait with Veil

1 light · Controlled contrast with soft key and precise negative/white fill. · Elegant, composed, refined, beauty-focused, dramatic

A single overhead softbox as the key light, with a white fill card and black negative fill cards to sculpt dramatic shadows and highlights for an elegant portrait with a mesh veil and pearls.

Placement: Key Light: In front of and slightly above the model, angled downward. Negative Fill: Two black negative fills behind the model on either side. A third black negative fill below the model's chin. White Fill: One white reflector on each side in front of the model.

Modifiers: Top-Down Umbrella with Diffuser, 3 Black Negative Fills, 2 White Reflectors

Vibrant Fashion Shoot with Octa and Strip Lights

2 lights · Two lights, gridded octa for subject, strip light for background and separation. Controlled spill. · Vibrant, clean, bold, confident, fashion-forward.

A fashion shoot featuring a female model in a blue top and striped fabric on an orange seamless background, utilizing an octagonal softbox with grid as key and a strip softbox as fill/backlight for a bright, energetic look.

Placement: Key Light: Camera Left, slightly in front of the model. Separation/Background Light: Camera Right, behind the model.

Modifiers: Octa with Grid, Strip Light

Simple Studio Portrait with Overhead Octabox

1 light · Feathered overhead key light with passive reflector fill for soft, even full-body illumination. · Clean, commercial fashion look with smooth falloff and controlled highlights.

A video demonstrating a simple studio lighting setup using a single overhead octagonal softbox as the key light and two large foam boards as reflectors for fill, creating soft, even illumination for portraits.

Placement: Key light: Directly above and slightly in front of the model, angled downward, feathered. Fill: Two white thermocol reflectors placed on either side of the model to bounce key light into shadows.

Modifiers: Large Octabox, 2 × White Thermocol Reflectors

Dramatic Portrait with Projected Leaf Shadows

1 light · Hard, directional key light with projected shadow patterns and passive fill. · Dramatic, high-contrast, editorial, natural, artistic.

A creative portrait setup using a single NANLITE FC-120C as key light with artificial leaves placed in front to project a shadow pattern onto a dark green background. A white thermocol reflector provides fill light.

Placement: Key light: Camera Left, Nanlite FC-120C bare bulb. Fill: Camera Right, White Thermocol Reflector.

Modifiers: Bare bulb, Artificial leaves (gobo), White Thermocol Reflector

Intimate Portrait Through Rain-Smeared Glass

1 light · Soft, flattering beauty light with controlled shadows and natural foreground texture. · Intimate, soft, and artistic with a premium, editorial feel.

A female subject is photographed through a glass panel with water droplets, creating a soft-focus, intimate portrait. The setup involves a Godox octa softbox with a grid as the key light, a large white fabric panel for fill, a "cutter" to control background light, and black negative fill for shadow enhancement.

Placement: Light 1 (Key Light): Camera Right, approximately 45° from the model, slightly above eye level. Negative Fill: Camera Left. Cutter (Flag): Camera Right, placed between the diffusion cloth and the backdrop. Foreground Effect: Between the camera and the model.

Modifiers: Small Octabox with Grid, Double Diffusion Cloth, Black Foam Board, Cutter (Flag), Transparent Glass with Water Sprinkles

Professional Studio Portrait with Three-Light Setup

3 lights · Soft directional lighting with controlled background separation and cinematic gradient. · Commercial, fashion, sophisticated

A professional studio portrait session featuring a female model in business casual attire, illuminated by a three-light setup including a key light with a grid, a hair light with a diffuser, and a bare bulb background light for a gradient effect on a blue seamless background.

Placement: Light 1 (Key Light): Camera Right, approximately 45° from the model and slightly above eye level. Light 2 (Hair / Rim Light): Camera Left, behind the model. Light 3 (Background Light): Camera Left, aimed across the background toward Camera Right.

Modifiers: Octabox with Grid, Standard Bowl Reflector with Grid, Beauty Dish with diffuser

Split Tone Portrait with Red and Blue Lights

2 lights · Split lighting with RGB video lights to create a high-contrast and colorful effect. · Bold, athletic, high-impact, intense, dramatic

A male model is lit with a red strip light on one side and a blue spotlight on the other, creating a dramatic split-toned portrait. The setup highlights the model's physique against a dark background.

Placement: Key Light (Blue): Model Right (Camera Left), slightly forward of the model. Secondary Light (Red): Model Left (Camera Right).

Dramatic Fashion Portrait with Beauty Dish Key and Rim Light

3 lights · Dramatic and sophisticated lighting with a strong key and rim light, enhanced by negative fill for increased contrast. · Dramatic

A female model is lit with a beauty dish as the key light and a snoot as a rim/hair light, a gridded reflector towards towards a seamless white background. A negative fill panel is used to enhance shadows and contrast, creating a dramatic, fashion-forward look.

Placement: Key light camera-right, 45 degrees to subject. Rim/hair light camera-left, behind subject. Negative fill panel camera-left, opposite key light.

Modifiers: Beauty dish with grid, Standard reflector with grid, Black negative fill panel, Snoot

Clean Front-Lit Portrait with Beauty Dish

2 lights · The primary lighting is from a single beauty dish with a grid, creating soft, even illumination. One light with simple reflector bounces from the ceiling. Black flags provide negative fill to enhance contrast. The overall effect is clean and professional. · Clean, professional, slightly commercial

A female model is lit with a single beauty dish with a grid positioned frontally, slightly above the camera. One Light behind the camera tilted towards the ceiling, as top bounce fill. Two black flags provide negative fill, creating soft and even lighting with medium contrast against an off-white paneled wall.

Placement: One key light (beauty dish) positioned frontally, slightly above the camera. One light behind the camera tilted towards the ceiling, as top bounce fill. Two black flags used as negative fill on either side of the subject.

Modifiers: Beauty dish, Grid, Black flags (negative fill), simple bowl reflector

Vibrant Soft Light Beachwear Portrait

4 lights · Warm, high-key studio lighting with color accent. · Vibrant, summery, clean, fashion-forward.

A studio portrait of a woman in pink beachwear, using a soft octabox key light, a stripbox for fill/separation, and gelled backlights on a peach seamless background to create a warm, vibrant aesthetic.

Placement: Key light: Camera right, slightly ahead of subject. Fill light: Camera left. Backlight 1: Overhead, behind subject, pink gel. Backlight 2 (separation): Camera right, behind subject.

Modifiers: Octabox, Stripbox, Reflector with pink gel