Think you can’t take great portraits with just a single, unmodified light source? Think again!

Mark Wallace, for AdoramaTV, uses a Profoto D1 500 and some tricks involving a mirror to transform a bland, unflattering portrait into one with depth and pizazz. Unlike a magician, though, Mark’s happy to reveal his secrets.

Watch the video above and see more from Mark on AdoramaTV.

All video and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©Mark Wallace, all rights reserved; story is ©Profoto. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.

Mark Wallace walks you through using zones, or groups, wirelessly in this video from AdoramaTV.

Mark sets up six Profoto D1 lights: a White Softlight Reflector as the key, a 2×3’ Softbox for fill, two kicker lights aimed into V-flats to highlight the model’s cheeks, and two different background lights — one with a 5 Degree Grid and another with a Zoom Reflector.

Since all his lights are in their own zone using the Air Remote, he can control them independently without ever leaving his camera. “In fact,” he says, “we actually got six different looks from our shoot.”

Watch the video to see all six looks and read more on AdoramaTV.

All video and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©AdoramaTV, all rights reserved; story is ©Profoto. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.

Soft, even light is all well and good, but sometimes you need some extra punch. Mark Wallace of AdoramaTV presents this tutorial, showing you how to use a grid to make portraits pop.

He uses a Profoto D1 Air with a 5 degree grid as his key light, which highlights the model’s face. A 4×6 Softbox is employed for fill, with two smaller 2×3 Softboxes as hair lights. Wallace demonstrates how to position the key light to avoid awkward shadows on the background and under the model’s chin, then takes a few shots. Check out the video for more tips and to see side-by-side comparisons of the same portrait, both with and without the grid.

Read the article and see more of Mark Wallace’s Exploring Photography series.

All videos and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©AdoramaTV, all rights reserved; story is ©Profoto. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.

Shooting on a white background? You have more options than you might think to create a creatively-lit image. Mark Wallace shares some of his techniques and tips for working with white backgrounds, walking you through a film noir-style shoot.

Using a couple of D1 Airs, Mark creates interest in the background by using a 10º degree grid and a handmade gobo to make streaks of light, as if from a window blind. A second light with a magnum reflector lights her hair and is flagged off from the background, to make sure it doesn’t interfere with the effect he create with the gobo. A third light with a 10º grid lights his model’s face. A fourth lights her from the back.

Watch the video to see the results and to learn how it’s done. See more of Mark Wallace on AdoramaTV and check out his new series Mark Wallace: Live.

All videos and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©Mark Wallace, all rights reserved; story is ©Profoto. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.

This video from Mark Wallace is all about ringflashes, what they are, and how to use them. Using a Acute2/D4 Ring flash and Softlight Reflector, he demonstrates the differences between using a ring flash on camera and off, as a key light and fill light, and between it and a traditional softbox.

He says, “it’s hard to pull people away from the ring flash because it’s just so much fun and you get great results.”

For more Mark Wallace goodness, check out snapfactory. His new program Mark Wallace: Live, offers photography workshops you can watch online for free. Don’t miss The Three-Light Setup.

All videos and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©Mark Wallace, all rights reserved; story is ©Sekonic. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.