Location lighting for brochures, websites and magazine photography

It’s not unusual with location / editorial photography to have a very limited amount of time with somebody in a single location (not of your choosing) without always being able to control everything.  Although the examples below are commercial photography pictures for a brochure or magazine in Kent, the principles are the same as for those doing location portraits (some of you will have seen me show you this on my training courses in some depth). In all of the examples below, either natural light or a bit of flash is creating a kicker, a fill and a main light. 

The pictures next to the pillars show the natural daylight hitting the sides of the face or jaw-line as a kicker. Next comes the fill reflection from on side. Finally the main light (reflected or direct). With just one light you can create three different qualities – kicker, fill, main – simply by altering the way in which the subject faces into that light. The kicker might not always be there but the impression of a main and fill/reflector will. In indoor shots all had a touch of flash (where the window light couldn’t quite reach as far as I wanted) but the method was the same as outdoors. If you place your subject by a non-reflective or dark surface you take light out of the picture (no reflection, more shadows). Please get in touch if you’d like to know more!