Dramatic Lighting Tips

Here’s another portrait that I made with my photography students.
We used one electronic flash with a grid and the sun streaming through a window.
This is the technique where we meter for the ambient light, the shadow behind her head, and then dial the main light about 1 to 1 1/2 stops over that ambient light.
The result is super dramatic images, without overexposed ambient light in the background.
Here the exposure allows for us to not overexpose the light that is also hitting her blouse which is white and normally would have blown out.
The electronic flash is hitting the subject’s face from above a bit behind her and the again the effect is very nice.
Don’t be afraid of your flash, make it do your bidding!
Be inspired!