This 2-Minute Lighting Set-Up Is GREAT for Portraits (VIDEO)

Lighting your portraits properly is the key to producing a great image. Everyone knows this but not everyone knows how to do lighting right. Fortunately, there are experts like photographer Manny Ortiz who shows you how to do the ultimate lighting set-up in just two minutes.

In the video below, Ortiz demonstrates how to create fast and easy lighting using four flashes while photographing his lovely wife Diana in an Egyptian-themed portrait shoot. Ortiz uses four FJ 400 lights, including one with a beauty dish and one with a strip box to provide fill light on Diana's face. Another FJ 400 light with a grid provides a kicker light behind her to create separation from the background in the portrait.

Step 1: Put the Lights to Sleep

"When using multiple lights, the first thing you want to do is put all of them to sleep," Ortiz advises. "This is important. Take your time and adjust one flash at a time. Trying to do them all at once can be confusing."

Step 2: Assign the Lights

"Assigning the flashes from the closet to the farthest helps you remember which one is which when adjusting their power on the trigger. The bottom fill light is clearly closer here but usually they are the same distance. I tend to prioritize the main light as first."

Step 3: Turn Them On

"Adjust the power of each light. I like to start with lights with least impact on exposure because it's easier to see the effect it has on your model when the main light is off."

Check out the 2-minute video below and then try the set-up at your home or studio to create your own spectacular portraits. And don't forget to subscribe to Ortiz' channel to get all his content including this video were shared last week with his can't miss posing hack.

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