Photographing with Continuous Lighting

Now, Today’s is our topic is “Photographing with Continuous Lighting”. Constant lighting is very capable for creating some interesting and amazing portraits if you know how to utilize them. One reason I liked using continuous lighting in photography is that it gave me better control over the lighting. What you see now is exactly how it’s going to turn out. Strobes have never allowed me to move as quickly and efficiently as I can now. Setting up strobes takes so time once you think about moving, just forget it. And rest everything okay. And after this you can assume that the light can be changed on you then you understand the main idea. Continuous lighting has revolutionized portrait photography, whether we’re shooting indoors or outdoors. Join me for a live photo shoot in New York, where I will create dynamic portraits using continuous lighting. We’ll work with stunning backdrops and feature some amazing models. Are you ready to capture bold and eye-catching pictures? Let’s get started!

“Alright, we’re starting with a white balance set to 5,000 Kelvin. Does that sound good? Go ahead and set that on your cameras, and please avoid using auto mode for today’s setup. While auto might work well outdoors, in this controlled environment, I want us to take full control of our settings. So, we’ll stick with 5,000 Kelvin. I’m also adjusting my angle here to achieve a cleaner shot—just making sure there isn’t a globe awkwardly popping out of her head!”

Alinna and I are always drawn to the hunt for reflections when we’re on a shoot. It’s something we instinctively seek out, no matter where we are.  Sometimes we get lucky and discover something truly unique; other times, there may not be anything usable. Still, we believe it’s always worth the extra effort to look for those moments. Now, we typically begin with a reliable, go-to composition to establish the scene. After that, we slow down and take more time to search for that unexpected moment—the kind that makes us stop and say, “Wow, this is something completely different.”

 

Posing is just as important to me for as it is the setting. The pose should feel natural and intentional, rather than forced. For this particular shot, I don’t think eye contact with the camera suits the mood I’m aiming for. Instead, I’m drawn to the lean-back pose it exudes a graceful, confident vibe. It feels subtly sexy without trying too hard and beautifully complements the overall atmosphere. In a space like this, that kind of pose could work just as well for a modern bridal shoot as it would for something more intimate, like boudoir photography.

 

We’re moving on to our next setup, which will take place at the bar. The goal here is to go beyond simply capturing a basic, straightforward shot of the bar itself. While a linear shot down the length of the bar may seem like an obvious and easy choice, it often lacks visual interest and fails to provide much in terms of storytelling, depth, or compelling foreground elements.

Instead, we plan to enhance the composition by adding more layers to the scene. This means we will look for angles that provide context—perhaps including something in the foreground, such as a drink glass, a bar tool, or even a reflection—so that the image feels more immersive and thoughtful.

For this setup, I’ll be working with Alinna again. One aspect I really appreciate about using continuous lighting is the creative flexibility it offers. In this case, we’re going to modify the lighting to introduce a blue color tone, which will shift the mood and add a dramatic, stylized effect to the scene. I’m considering positioning the light somewhere off to the side or above, just out of frame, in a way that highlights texture and adds visual depth—possibly catching reflections off the bottles, the countertop, or even her skin.

Moving into the third scene…

We’re working with a variety of lighting tools today, and we owe a huge thanks to the team at Nanlite for making this possible. For this particular setup, we’re using lighting equipment that offers both full RGB and bi-color options, including tungsten and daylight temperatures. The flexibility of this system allows us to fine-tune the color and craft a specific mood for the scene.

To begin, we’re using two PavoTubes positioned in the background to introduce color and atmosphere. The overall vibe we’re aiming for is a high-fashion, old Hollywood aesthetic. This look should translate beautifully into black and white if we decide to convert it later, but it will also look stunning in color.

Specifically, we are setting up two PavoTube 6Cs, which we’ve been utilizing throughout the day. These lights help create edge lighting and provide a nice separation between the subject and the background, giving the shot more dimension and polish.

Now, next is our forth scene in which…

We’ve got bronze and a bit of green in the headpiece, and I wanted to complement that with more yellow tones. So, We are utilizing a mix of color temperatures in this lighting setup for optimal effect.

Alright, everyone, here’s the plan for our final shot in this setup before we head up to the roof. We’re going to create a dramatic “Lady in Red” scene. For the background, we’ll be using RGB lighting, specifically red continuous lights to set the mood. Up front, we’ll incorporate some hidden lights to balance and enhance the overall look.

 

At this point, I won’t be using manual mode. Instead, I’ll be shooting in aperture priority and allowing the camera to handle exposure adjustments. Just to recap, our key light is set to 5,500 Kelvin at 50% intensity. This setup is providing us with a strong, intentional shadow on the wall, along with beautiful skin tones. While her skin may appear a bit cool to the naked eye, setting the Kelvin to 5,500 will make it look really nice in-camera.

We’ve arrived at our final scene, where we’ll be shooting fashion portraits on a rooftop in Brooklyn. For this second shot, I want to ensure we fully capture the impressive background, particularly the skyscrapers and the New York City skyline.

 

I recommend setting your aperture between f/6.0 and f/8.0 and using a long lens to compress the scene and bring the background closer. We will also use a gold reflector to add warmth and enhance the lighting on the subject. The main goal is to retain as much background detail as possible. While we could blur it out in post-production, if the detail isn’t captured in-camera, we won’t be able to recover it later, so it’s best to get it right from the beginning.

 

That’s a wrap, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the video and picked up some useful tips along the way. We captured a lot of creative shots up here on the rooftop and with our various lighting setups. Drop a comment to let me know which image stood out most to you!

Continuous lighting truly makes a difference in shoots like this I can’t emphasize that enough. We used the Nanlite Forza 60s (both the 60B and 60C) and the PavoTubes (30X and 6C), and they were absolute game-changers. If you’re used to working with flash, you might be wondering how to approach these same setups. While it’s certainly possible to use flash, it lacks the same flexibility and speed. We had limited time, just under 10 minutes before sunset. However, continuous lighting enabled us to work efficiently and remain creative under pressure.

Thank you for tuning in! I hope you found some inspiration and learned something new today. Tell me in the last of blog, which one is your favorite shot drop in the comments section Thanks, see you in the next one!

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