This headshot of Oliver, editor of law journal Ebor Lex, done in a standard meeting room in a very short timescale. I thought it would be an interesting subject for a “stream of consciousness” post showing every shot that was taken during set-up and and trying to explain what was going through my head at the time. This is not supposed to be a perfect example of how it should be done, merely a record of how it was done.

It’s important to have some idea what you’re trying to achieve before you start so I decided I wanted something edgy, like this shot but with a more traditional background. That look was achieved by having a pair of softboxes very close to the subject, angled slightly toward the camera so I started off with the lights in that position.

No light meters no modelling lamps, what follows is exactly what I saw on the back of the camera at each stage…

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I was going to call this post something like “and ace up your sleeve” but yeah, it’s a shot involving cards that I thought would make a good behind the scenes post.

Lighting plays a key role in determining the mood of a photo such as this so that’s the first thing to sort out before the shoot begins.

To give a contrasty yet flattering look I decided to go for a strong directional yet soft light for the model. The background was hit with a spotlight on the curtain - to compliment the theatrical setting. Read the full post for more details setting up lighting in two planes:

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