50+ Stunning Portraits & Still Life Images Using One Light

You’d be amazed at what it’s possible to achieve using only one light or strobe. Although many of us may envy a full studio setup complete with all lighting configurations imaginable, it’s often something of an unrealistic dream! Today’s post is designed to inspire you to shoot with the equipment you have, and make the most of your simple lighting setup!

One Light Only

Every photo below was taken with just a single external flash or strobe (and, in some cases, a reflector as well). There’s no fancy multi-light trickery – just a simple setup, and some creative photographic thinking. Enjoy the images, and feel free to share your own in the comments!

Lighting Resources for One-Light Photography

Here are a few links, websites, and resources for finding out more about lighting in general!

Strobist – A great blog, packed with lighting examples, tutorials, ideas and tips.
Using a Single Strobe – An interesting forum post, complete with loads more examples and explanations of this type of photography.
Quick Tip: Dramatic Portraits With Off Camera Flash – This quick tip article is all about getting your flash off the camera, and using it in creative ways to capture great, dramatic portraits. Whether you use a dusty old garage sale hot shoe speed light or the latest electronic strobe kit matters much less than how you place, and direct your light.
Single Strobe Photo – A slightly over-commercial site, but it contains plenty of examples of the type of kit you should be looking to purchase.

One Light Only

Lighting Resources for One-Light Photography

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