It’s all about the shadows, get them right and you’ll be a master of the "dark" element of a lowkey portrait. Adding some mood is a little more tricky. That requires a combination of carefully considered shadows, styling, or props that add some dark character and possibly a little bit of postprocessing magic.

Photographer Gavin Hoey starts at the beginning and shows you how to make the shadows as dark as possible before you start your photo session. Next Gavin uses a simple twolight setup to keep control of the light on his model and background using a Glow softbox and two Flashpoint flashes.

For the mood in his portraits, Gavin has three simple studio ideas that use everyday props in an unusual way. It starts with some heavy, dark fabric that Sophie, his model, wears like a hooded cloak. Next Gavin mixes things up and uses the brim of a top hat to cast a shadow that hides his model's eye. Finally, Gavin switches to some sheer black fabric that completely covers his model but adds that all import mood and mystery to the images.

Timestamps and Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:15 Camera settings for maximum shadows
02:14 Setting up the key light and background flash
03:25 Hooded cloak photo session
04:58 Dark beauty lighting setup
05:59 Top hat with shadows photo session
07:38 Correct camera setting for sheer fabric
09:50 Sheer and lace fabric photo sessions
10:50 Conclusions and Subscribe

Gavin Hoey is a freelance photographer, content creator, OM SYSTEM ambassador, and trainer who specializes in all things photography.

With over 25 years of experience, Gavin’s photography career has grown from a parttime job writing articles for photography magazines into a fulltime career creating video tutorials and live streams. More often than not he can be found photographing, filming, and editing in his small home studio.

Gavin is a highly creative and talented photographer who believes that anyone can take amazing photos. Now in his 11th year with Adorama TV, sharing that belief with over 1.2 million subscribers is an honor he never takes for granted.

Whether it’s portrait or macro photography, studio lighting, or postprocessing, Gavin is passionate about creating simple, entertaining, and educational content. In fact, the only thing he enjoys more than talking about photography is actually doing photography.

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Model and MUA Sophie Daly
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THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!