The Easiest One-Light Setup for Professional Headshots | Master Your Craft

Take professional headshots with a single light. In this video, Pye walks through the easiest, simplest one light set up for beautiful headshot portraits anywhere.

► Video Edited Using Gamut LUTS:

Time Stamps:
Intro: 0:00 - 0:39
The Gear: 0:40 - 1:15
Step #1: 1:16 - 2:27
Step #2: 2:28 - 8:31
Step #3: 8:32 - 10:21
Outro: 10:22 - 10:56

Welcome to “Master Your Craft,” a photography educational series by SLR Lounge, exclusively on Adorama TV. From gear advice to in-depth instruction, our goal is to give you practical, real-world advice to help you master the craft of photography. Whether you’re a beginner just learning your camera, an amateur looking to become pro, or a professional seeking inspiration, this is the series you’ve been looking for to help you become a better photographer.

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✘ PRODUCTS USED:

Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera:

Canon RF 70-200 f/2.L USM Lens:

Profoto A10 On/Off-Camera Flash:

Profoto Umbrella:

Manfrotto Nanostand:

MagMod MagShoe:

✘ PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT USED:

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Zoom Lens:

Benro S8 Tripod:

Blue Yeti USB Microphone:

Rode Wireless GO II Microphone:

Adobe Premiere Pro:

#flashphotography #portraitphotography #adorama

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► Model: Kiara

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THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!

[slrlounge]

We hoped you enjoyed this video! Comment below what you'd like to learn next!

[Gargi-Ratnapriya]

I love how simple one light can be. kahma is great too if you want to try different expressions at home.

[WolfQuantum]

Reminds me of "back in the day." In the mid-90s, I was the photographer with a travelling glamour team. The old 70MM long roll Prism system using a Brown Line, 3 light Speedotron set for lighting. We ran an umbrella pretty much like that with a reflector in a stand flat in front of the subject. A small softbox on a boom for a hair light, and a backlight. Oh, and we ran F5.6 and a softening filter. For my own stuff now I have softboxes, etc., but the old umbrella and a reflector can go a long way in making a simple, but very usable lighting system. I think a lot of folks, myself included, would do well to make it a point to ever so often to limit ourselves to a single light with an umbrella and maybe a reflector and just shoot. Portraits if you can, stills if you can't, or in addition to. Appreciate the simple, short, but very sensible presentation.

[Vincent.Morreale]

This is one of the best how to video for photography on the internet.

[ashleyenger]

This is so useful, especially for non-studio photographers that need portability. Thanks!

[jameshood]

This is super helpful, my biggest takeaways were definitely the modifier distance =/= size of modifier, and the zoom out your flash to fill the modifier are both game changers! No more guesswork, thanks so much Pye!

[jer]

Easily one of the absolute best videos I have seen on this specific topic! Pye has made this the easiest-to-replicate studio setup ever with minimum techie stuff and solid tips! Every time a question stated to form in my mind, Pye's next 15 seconds answered it. The white arrows and red markings on some of the images are examples of what I mean. Thank you for sharing and knowing how to present this information. ⭐x5

[jpdj]

As you're shooting with a speedlight/speedlite, and the excellent advice was given to zoom the flash head out to wide angle, I suggest to stand a bit back from the umbrella and shoot a frame of the umbrella, flashing into it. That shot will tell you if the flash angle has become too wide. With a shoot through umbrella in a white studio you have stray light everywhere anyway, so you don't want to add direct flash light on walls/floors/ceiling. In a black studio, you want to minimize light losses.

[LongTimeTTFan]

Simple set up, but effective. Good tips on zooming in the flash to maximize the spread of light with the umbrella. 50 MM lens may be preferable for most people in a Small home studio. Thanks a lot.

[truthsayers]

hey 2 years later!!!!

i watched and liked this some time ago but never commented. love this video. i shoot ONE big headshot deal a year for one of the high school band's 'yearbook'. i always try for something a little bit different. i shot some other headshots for a local semi-pro hockey team and did the "hurley head shot' style cropping. OH. MY. WORD. you would have thought i sacrificed a live skunk on the desk of the media director for cutting off the tops of the players' heads! it was only on a couple of semi-artsy fartsy images too...

while i agree with the single speedlite and umbrella deal, i need much more height because shooting upwards of 200 kids for their portrait, half stooped over like you are KILLS me...

great video. great presentation. thanks

Simple, effective, not trying to sell anything. Love it.

[jonstivers]

Thank you for another great video without background music !

[josephchan]

Love umbrellas. Easy to setup and budget friendly.

[ShadowlightPhotography]

Great 1 light basics, lovely model, such an easy smile 😃

[jontiffinphoto]

Love your relaxed humorous banter, and, she’s stunning, that hair just kills!

[photoshoott]

Great results. We also did the same, we use at the 45 degree above the person one light set up with the octa umbrella and with our 24-70 lenses get the best headshot results. We noticed that in some situations, especially when there is not enough room to set up more, 1 light and 1 large umbrella is sufficient enough to do a perfect headshot.

[samuelchan]

This is same setup I use for headshots. Instead of having the model hold the reflector, I use a super clamp on an umbrella stand to hold the reflector so she/he can pose freely. A follow-up tutorial with a hair light will really step-up the game

[aceentertainmnt]

his videos are not hard to push the like button. no messing around just straight to the point, so much valuable info.

[jonmedia]

Sweet! I learned a new lighting term to add after Rembrandt 💯💯💯 thanks!

[luissalazar]

Great stuff, great energy thanks for sharing