Classically lit portraits

Natasha J Bella gives a masterclass on shooting a classic home portrait

- Natasha J Bella

THE MISSION

Take classically lit portraits at home

Time needed One hour

Skill level Beginner

Kit needed

• Flashgun or head

• Backdrop

• Beauty dish

• Reflector

In the first part of a brand-new series all about portraiture I’m going to teach you everything you need to know about taking perfect people pictures in the studio – from simple one-flash setups to more advanced techniques. I’ll go through it all with you!

I’m kicking off with a classically lit portrait that you can achieve at home with a straightforward home studio setup and a single flash. You can use a basic flashgun and modifiers with some budget radio triggers to fire your flash remotely, though you’ll have better success with a dedicated flash head, which generally have faster recycle times, more options for modifying and can be plugged into mains, meaning you don’t need batteries.

So follow me as I show you how to take great portraits at home all by yourself, with some simple flash accessories, a tripod, and your Canon EOS camera. You can also watch the accompanying video to see how it’s done.

SET UP TO CAPTURE WELL-LIT PORTRAITS

Discover the core kit that you need to take timeless and tasteful portraits

01 FLASH AND MODIFIER