Using an LED Spotlight with Portrait Photography

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

As it occasionally happens in photography, you might start getting bored of repeatedly doing the same thing for an extended period of time. Studio photographers are more likely to experience this as they need to invest most of their time working indoors. Interestingly, adding new gear to your arsenal is one of the ways you can keep yourself motivated. But hold on! This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to get yourself the expensive stuff just to keep things lively. As professional portrait photographer Manny Ortiz shows in this video, you can easily spice up your portrait photography by adding something as simple as a projector attachment. As he demonstrates in the video, the versatility of this simple tool is truly inspiring:

Ortiz uses the Godox SA-17 projector attachment on his light sources – both continuous LED and flash. He then shows some creative ways you can use this simple tool. The beauty of the projector attachment is that you can quickly and conveniently change the size and sharpness of the spotlight and modify it however you need.

Ortiz also shows how you can combine this spotlight with other flash units covered with gel to add a burst of color to your images. However, when doing so, use the flash units at lower power to ensure this. In case you need to alter anything (exposure, hue, and saturation), you can do this easily in post. And it’s not essential that you always place the spotlight in front of the subject. Place it right behind the subject and you can create a beautiful halo effect. How convenient is that?

“You’d have to place it directly behind the model. Or else, you’re not going to get a perfectly circular projection. So, have them block it with their body.”

Towards the end of the video, he also shares the gobos that you can use with the spotlight to add further drama to the image. Whether you want to mimic light slits or windows, it’s all possible with this simple tool.

So, whether you’re bored of the lighting that you’ve been using, or want to get a little more creative with your lighting, adding this tool is a good idea to try. How do you feel about this tool? Let us know in the comments.