Creative Lighting for Studio Portraits
By Russ Turner
As a portrait photographer, my goal is to emphasize my subject, bring out their personality, and help tell a story with the final image. As a primarily studio-based photographer, I rely on lighting and backdrops to create depth, showcase creativity, and ensure my clients both look and feel good about their images. Backdrops give me the opportunity to quickly re-style my studio space and transform it into a new environment. My walls can become a formal ballroom, an autumn forest, or even a wintry castle scene by hanging the appropriate drop. When scheduling a shoot, I talk through options with the client to determine what they want from their session. Once we’ve settled on a plan, I select backdrops that will help us achieve our goals.
Backdrop: Black Wall Ballroom – Shot with strobe and gelled lighting on the backdrop to convey a feeling of warmth and sophistication. See Lighting Diagram 1.
To effectively utilize backdrops and maintain dynamic sessions, it is essential to approach each shoot with creativity. I primarily achieve this through strategic lighting techniques. By adjusting my lighting methods, I not only enhance the value I provide to my subjects but also continue to foster my own creative development. The following are some suggested creative lighting setups, but I encourage you to view these as starting points and experiment to create your own variations.
Creative Tip #1 – Add Color
One of my favorite things to do when shooting with backdrops is to add color. Gelled lighting has the power to transform a scene into something completely new. For example:Backdrop: Black Wall Ballroom – Shot with strobe and gelled lighting on the backdrop to convey a feeling of warmth and sophistication.
IMAGE © Russ Turner photography | Backdrop: Green Chipped Floral
The lighting setup is simple: I used a Godox AD600 with a softbox as my key light, along with a white reflector to soften the shadows. To light the backdrop, I used a Godox AD200 with a strip box. For the second image, I added a pink MagMod gel to the AD200 to transform the backdrop.
This technique works best with neutral or light-toned backdrops, as they pick up color changes from lower-powered lights more easily. This allows you to colorize the backdrop without adding excess color to your subject. More dramatic color changes are also possible using this method. The following images feature the “Smokey Quartz” backdrop.
IMAGE © Russ Turner photography | Backdrop: Smokey Quartz
For this image, I was less concerned with creating a subtle effect. Adding a strong orange gel took the look from smoldering to full-on Michael Bay film! Again, there’s nothing complex about the lighting. The main light was a Godox AD600 with a softbox, while the color was added by an AD200 with a MagMod gel—this time without a softbox.
When working with color, don’t be afraid to switch things up. Start with basic color theory, but don’t hesitate to break the rules. Changing colors and light placement can produce a wide range of looks. The following images were created using the Smokey Quartz backdrop with Godox TL60 RGB tubes for lighting—all I did was change the light colors.
IMAGE © Russ Turner photography | Backdrop: Smokey Quartz
In this setup, the two GL60 tubes were placed on either side of the model. The colors and intensities were adjusted to create different lighting effects. The lights were alternately positioned in front of or beside the model to control where the light fell.
Creative Tip #2 – Move your lights around.
There are four basic factors that impact how your lights interact with your subject: intensity, modifier, distance, and position. For this tip, I’m focusing on light position and how it can transform your portraits. We use softboxes to modify the light output and “soften” the results. While the softbox does much of the work, its effectiveness is directly tied to how far it is from the subject. A large modifier placed several feet away will still produce harder light than the same modifier positioned very close to the subject.
IMAGE © Russ Turner photography | Backdrop: Autumn Wall
The backdrop for this image is “Muted Autumn Wall,” lit with an AD200 and a yellow gel to carry the gold tones from the model’s dress into the rest of the scene. For the main light, I used an AD600 with a large 5’ softbox, positioned just out of frame beside the model. The result is a soft, wrapping light that adds pleasing dimensional shading to the subject.
The phrase “I’ve got a dumb idea…” has often preceded the discovery of some of my favorite lighting setups. The point is not to be afraid to try things outside the ordinary. This image also features the Muted Autumn Wall backdrop. Key lighting was provided by an AD400 with a gridded softbox. Instead of coloring the backdrop directly, I placed an AD200 with a blue MagMod gel in front of the model, pointed at the camera. The goal was to create a blue overtone and potentially add lens flares for visual interest.
IMAGE © Russ Turner photography | Backdrop: Christmas Castle Door
Creative Tip #3 – Mix your lighting
Whether your preference for studio lighting leans toward strobes or you favor the WYSIWYG approach with constant lights, learning to mix your lighting can produce interesting results. Success depends on balancing f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO to achieve a pleasing outcome. Both of the following images were shot using the Christmas Castle Door backdrop with mixed lighting.
IMAGE © Russ Turner photography | Backdrop: Christmas Castle Door
For this first image, I used an AD200 with a blue gel on low power to light and colorize the background. For the key light, I used 10 strands of fairy LED lights placed inside a glass lantern, combined with a higher ISO and longer exposure to illuminate the model. The end result creates the impression of a nighttime photograph.
For this image, the client requested a holiday faerie–themed shoot and provided wings and a headdress as part of the wardrobe. The headdress included illuminated horns, and the lighting setup was designed to highlight them in the photo. Godox TL60s were used to add color and light to the background, with an AD200 strobe equipped with a softbox serving as the key light, and an AD100 positioned behind the model to illuminate the wings. To emphasize the horns, the shutter was dragged with intentional camera movement, producing light trails in the image.
IMAGE © Russ Turner photography | Backdrop: Castle Door Dark
If there’s one takeaway from these setups, it’s this: experiment. Don’t be afraid to mix light sources, try unexpected color combinations, or adjust your setup mid-shoot. Not every idea will be perfect, but exploring new creative lighting for studio portraits will expand your skills, give clients more variety, and keep your sessions exciting. By combining backdrops with intentional lighting, you can transform a studio space into anything your client imagines—while producing portraits that are both professional and artistic.