60+ Location Lighting Schemes (Indoor and Outdoor) (Printable)

60 LIGHTING
LIGHTING
out of studio
First edition - June 2021
Published by: Gerardo Gutiérrez
Texts and photographs by
©Gerardo Gutiérrez 2021
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise) without prior written permission.
For permission requests,

please contact: support@studioguti.com
Welcome!
Thanks to the great acceptance of our first digital
book “60 Lighting Schemes”, in Estudio Guti we
decided to launch this new PDF: “60 Lighting
Schemes outside the studio”, to help you to solve
different lighting situations, without the need
of having a big lighting equipment.
We have added a section of schemes using

ambient light and bounce screens that are
more economically priced.
In this book you will find a wide variety of schemes

of my best photographs, which I have made as a
professional photographer.
The sample presented has been chosen in the hope

that it will help you to solve any doubts you may have
when selecting the type of lighting and, above all, to
adjust them to the final result you want to obtain.
I hope this contribution will be very useful and that

you will be able to make the most of your skills as a
photographer.
I remind you that the best

way to learn is to practice!
This is a legal agreement between you and studioguti S.A. de C.V. which covers your
use of the PDF
“60 Out-of-Studio Lighting Schemes” PDF.
The contents of this online book are subject to the terms of this license agreement.
By purchasing and using this book you are agreeing to the terms and conditions, so
please read it. It is the responsibility of the purchaser of this book to read this license
agreement.
The copyright of this book and all incorporated materials are owned by studioguti.com,
and are protected by international copyright laws, so you should treat its contents in
the same manner as any copyrighted material.
All images or videos provided for download with this book are the property of studioguti
S.A. de C.V. By purchasing this book you obtain the rights to use the material for your
personal, non-commercial, educational purposes. It is prohibited to make copies or
derivative products of all materials in this book for commercial or non-commercial use.
As a purchaser of this book, you may download the material provided, save it to your
hard drive or compact disc and print it, provided it is for your personal use.
Photographs or images may not be copied for publication, whether in digital or physical
media, including the Internet or any website with or without keyword protection.
This license use agreement will be protected by the laws of El Salvador, and its
application by international copyright laws.
The trademark “studioguti”, its logo, isotype, as well as its commercial expression “A
better way to learn” are registered trademarks of studioguti. All our books and images
are registered at the National Registration Center (CNR) of El Salvador.
The only authorized retailer for the sale of all books is:
www.studioguti.com
If you have acquired this book by any means other than www.studioguti.com or have
seen unauthorized use of the images, PDF, tutorials, please write to us at
support@studioguti.com.
COPYRIGHT 2021 © BY WWW.STUDIOGUTI.COM

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Address: Telephones:
Master Poses, Capistrano #35, USA (toll free) +18883561773,
Colonia Escalón, San Salvador, México +525541632022,
El Salvador. CP1101 Argentina +541159843343,
Whatwapp +503-77505429
E
conomist by profession,
GERARDO GUTIÉRREZ
GUTI
photographer by heart, he
has a long professional career of
more than 15 years in commercial
photography. During his career he has worked
with renowned brands such as Coca Cola, Pizza
Hut, Axe, Maxim, KFC, Wendy’s, Ron Botran, among
others; as well as celebrities, prestigious magazines
and top advertising agencies in Latin America.
Guti has more than 10 years of experience as a teacher of photography

and digital retouching. He has been a professor at the prestigious Moni-
ca Herrera School of Communication. He is an Adobe Certified Expert for
Photoshop CC and has been a brand ambassador for Sony Alpha Latin
America. He is also a member of several international photographers as-
sociations and has conducted seminars and workshops in several Latin
American countries.
Guti enjoys not only being behind the camera, but also sharing “Without Reserva-
tions” his knowledge in photography and digital retouching through his workshops,
seminars, online books and digital books. He is currently the author of more than 30
online books, 15 in-person workshops and 3 digital books.
In 2015 and in order to bring his teachings to the whole world launches www.studioguti.com, which
quickly positions itself as the best school specialized in photography and digital retouching in Spa-
nish and has the best evaluation of the market with a Trustscore of 4.9/5 and with more than 17,000
satisfied students worldwide in more than 37 countries.
Guti continues to work professionally as a commercial photographer, but his greatest passion is to bring
his teachings to as many Spanish-speaking people as possible. His hobbies include traveling, cooking,
paragliding and being an adventurer in his spare time.
To learn more about Guti:

Online school: www.studioguti.com
Online portfolio www.estudioguti.info
TIPS
W
hen we shoot in a warm not as warm as the background, but enough
environment, with an so that it doesn’t look bad.
estimated 3,400 degrees
kelvin, we should use a If we have a spectacular place like this thea-
flash that has a neutral ter, let’s not go with the traditional approach
temperature of 5,500 degrees kelvin so that of taking tight shots just because it’s people.
the tone of the illumination is not so une- In this case it was a 12 mm lens in DX, which
ven. In this case I placed a filter that brought would be the equivalent of 18 mm if we had
the flash from 5,500 to approximately 3,800 taken it on a full frame camera.
degrees kelvin, generating a kelvin, a feeling
60 Esquemas de Iluminación
6 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
I have this photograph very
much in mind because it was
for my friend Gerardo Parker,
who needed a photograph
for his new album. He wanted
to capture the essence that it
was going to be not so much
contemporary music, but
music from the 50’s, that’s
why we chose the National
Theater.
For the photograph, through

the narrative of the poses was
to give him a character like
the great stars of the fifties
and sixties. I imagined what
Frank Sinatra would look like
if he were in this place and,
FLASH obviously since we were in a
theater, instead of over-ligh-
SCHEME ting him I tried to recreate a
lighting that looked like the HISTOGRAMA
hard light that people are lit whole perspective of the theater.
with in theaters, which are
usually quite intense fresnel. Let’s never forget that photogra-
phy is not only about composition
In the composition I placed and lighting, but mainly about
him right in the center with “storytelling”. Let’s think about
his back to what would have what we want to narrate and in
been the audience. I placed that way let’s make all the ele-
it at the bottom so that you ments match as in this case the
could see the angle of the position and attitude of the singer.
fuera de estudio 7
A little smoke can help you create a much more interesting
TIPS atmosphere. This resource is used a lot in movies.
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this photograph in Mexico for a ma-
gazine and what I wanted to capture was
the figure of the model, but with a type
of lighting that was not so advertising or
so modern, but with chiaroscuro to give it
a touch that looked more like a painting.
In that sense I used a five-foot octagon as HISTOGRAMA
the primary light and placed it on the left
side.
Let’s always remember that the attitude
To create a highlight I placed on the right and posture of the model has to go ac-
side a tiny light box overexposed in one cording to the narrative and, for example,
step to leave the right side a little burned in this case I explained to the model that
out with a flash to light the background. she could look to the front or she could
look to her left towards the small light
Remember that we always have to light box because if she changed that angle of
selectively and not evenly; in that sense the face it would no longer be illumina-
for example what is more illuminated is ted in the right way.
the model and the background is always
a little darker. We only filled in a little with I also instructed her to always keep the
a small flash that we placed at the bottom body sideways so that the lighting could
left so that the background would not be show more of the elegance of the back
so dark. and the volume in the legs.
fuera de estudio 9
When shooting in daylight, flash only completes the natural light.
TIPS No matter what you light with flash, always plan for the best time FLASH
when the location will have the best natural light. SCHEME
10 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
HISTOGRAMA
THE FACT
This session was done for
a multistore store and the
product that was being sold
were the suits for the men’s
section on the occasion of
father’s day.
The idea was to generate a
photograph that had a lot of
character and the inspiration
was the James Bond movies.
For this, a classic car was

obtained to make everything
look much more elegant.
If you look at this case, not
only the lighting, but also the
composition had a lot to do
with it.
The foreground would be As for the lighting, this picture was taken at the end of the
the model; the second the afternoon, I had some windows behind me where the sun-
carriage; the third the first light was coming in and all I did was expose the ambient
machines; the fourth the last light so that everything looked good.
machines and the fifth the
windows. In that sense it is Then I just finished filling in giving volume to the model
a photograph with a lot of with an octodome on the left side and a small flash as a
depth and at the same time kicker on the right side.
it uses the rule of thirds for
the composition.
fuera de estudio 11
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this picture for a ladies special for
a clothing store. To improve productivity HISTOGRAMA
during the day is to take advantage of the
hours when the sun is too high.
If we didn’t look for certain locations

that were in shadows as in this case, we
basically placed the model in the shade
of some trees. The camera position was
below the waist so that she would look
taller.
Finally an octodome was placed
It was decided to use an 85mm lens to on the right side and set the
make the perspective look flatter and maximum sync speed to be 1 /
more natural. Basically what was done 250 seconds and the maximum
was to expose to ambient light and, since power so that it could compen-
it was going to be lit with flash, ND filters sate for that speed and all the li-
had to be attached to use a low aperture ght loss caused by the ND filter.
of f3.2.
FILTER ND
Even if we are at noon, when the light is harder, it doesn’t mean

we have to stop taking pictures of people: we can always look
TIPS for their shadow! As we did in this situation expose in the bac-
kground and finish lighting so that everyone looks in perfect
light.
fuera de estudio 13
Let’s never try to fight against natural light. So-
TIPS meone who knows how to use flash harnesses
the power of natural light and uses the flash to
FLASH
finish perfecting the image.
SCHEME
14 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph was taken in
a place that naturally had a
quite nice natural light, since
there were many windows
around it. In that sense the
light was not entering direct-
ly, but a diffused light that
generated a pleasant atmos-
phere.
A white balance was used by

means of a gray card, be-
cause the windows and the
shadow light was creating a
cold light and I exposed the HISTOGRAMA
environment to get to the
composition that I was going lighting quality. Once we have
to like the most. the model, the composition and
the light perfected, it’s a matter of
I decided to use a five-foot forgetting about all the technical
octodome, since the model factors and dedicating ourselves to
was relatively backlit and the taking several pictures and direc-
additional light would give ting the model.
her a much better image
fuera de estudio 15
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph was taken in total
darkness. For this reason it was ne- HISTOGRAMA
cessary to have additional lamps to
the studio lights in order to be able to
see what we were doing. The models
were illuminated using an octodo-
me positioned on the left side and a
kicker light on the right side -which
as you will notice in this book- is a
resource that will be used a lot.
meters to the left and about 20 meters to the
Finally, when the photograph was front.
taken we noticed that in the fore-
ground the models looked good; It was exposed so that the composition was not
however, in the background they so clear, just enough to give ambience to the
looked totally black. In view of this, it background and create those beautiful shadow
was decided to place a third light that lines of the trees.
was at about 30
My main secret to lighting is that before I take a light out of

the suitcase I first imagine in my mind how I want that pho-
TIPS tograph to look, what is the story I want to tell, what is the in-
tention I want to convey and once I have decided that, I define
what equipment I need to be able to fulfill my vision.
fuera de estudio 17
Always start by lighting with the main lights, in this case
the octodome that illuminates the subjects. After that,
FLASH
TIPS place the additional lights to perfect everything you need
in the scene. The secret is to light from the most impor- SCHEME
tant light to the least important.
18 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
For this photograph I was
inspired by the series Mad
Men. The hairstyles and the
setting took me back to the
60’s, which is why I kept the
essence of the place and with
the expressions of the mo-
dels, who are not looking at
the camera.
The main model is looking

to the left and the secondary
model is looking at the main
model creating a composi-
tion through movement; as HISTOGRAMA
for the lighting I started by
first placing an octodome I placed a double kicker, at the
that illuminates the two mo- same time I used a last light to fini-
dels and once I had placed it sh the mood. Note that before I did
in the right way I was placing all this, as you can see in the lamp,
step by step and, light by the exposure was trying to captu-
light, as many as necessary. re the essence of the natural light
that was already in the scene.
fuera de estudio 19
Good photographers don’t portray reality, we
TIPS create it. That makes our clients’ products look FLASH
more interesting. SCHEME
20 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph was taken
for an aeromaintenance
company that I have been
working with for years. They
have always liked the way I
can turn conventional scenes
into much more artistic ones
by means of my resources of
composition, direction of the
models and lighting.
The first point is to define

what is the composition we
want to create; where to pla-
ce the model and then make
an exposure in which I leave
two steps underexposed the HISTOGRAMA
ambient scene.
Following the formula that cated myself to take more photo-

I liked very much to work graphs from other angles and pla-
in this situation, I placed a nes. In situations like these I love
speedlight on the right side to work in manual mode on came-
with a magenta gel and a ra and in “TTL” mode on flash.
speedlight with blue gel on
the right side and took in
“TTL”; in this case from the
first photograph everything
went totally well; then I dedi-
fuera de estudio 21
Whenever we find metal, glass or mirrors, let’s
try to make the scene much more interesting
TIPS by using reflections. In people photography, FLASH
the direction of poses is the difference between SCHEME
a good and a bad photograph, so it is good to
know about it perfectly.
22 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
In this photograph I took for
an editorial, we had to maxi-
mize the amount of scenes
in a place that did not have
many options, but creativity
is always the one that opens
multiple options even in the
simplest places.
We chose this room which

has a corner with double
glass and I placed the model
at an angle to make the most
of the natural light, looking
for a position close to the
glass to be able to use the HISTOGRAMA
reflection. In this case it was
a matter of deciding what octodome towards the direction of
would be a good pose. the face to finish filling in and avoid
backlighting, generating a much
First, I exposed it to ambient more defined illumination.
light and finally I placed an
fuera de estudio 23
Don’t forget to always carry your hand lamps in your bag to be able to
work and move around in situations like this, where the ambient ligh-
TIPS ting is almost nil; also, you avoid losing your equipment. Always carry
a tripod with you because you will never know when you will need it.
24 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
in Mexico for a well-known
wine brand. I wanted to take
a portrait that would simulta-
neously show the winemaker
with pride. I chose a location
with which I was going to
have a composition in which
I was going to see towards
infinity the blur of the barrels
where the whole environ-
ment was going to be appre-
ciated.
I placed it slightly to the left HISTOGRAMA

to be a composition based
on the rule of thirds, then I
exposed to ambient light and
then illuminated my left side
with a speedlight and with
a small portable octodome I
achieved the desired lighting. second so it was necessary to
place the camera on tripod.
In this case I had put the ca-
mera on tripods because the
ambient light was very low,
so I had to lower the shut-
ter speed down to 1/8th of a
fuera de estudio 25
Angled lenses can create vanishing lines that
make photography much more interesting. Ra-
TIPS
dio-controlled speedlights open up a world of
endless possibilities at a relatively low cost. Ano-
FLASH
ther advantage is that it is an incredibly compact
SCHEME
package and easy to carry with you at all times.
26 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
using only two speedlights, one
on my left, the flash that would
illuminate my main protagonist,
while the second flash in the
background, with a blue gel, to
add more drama and to finish
creating the scene.
I exposed the ambient light

from the outside which left
me underexposed inside, but
I solved this by using the two
flashes.
Once we have everything set

up it’s basically just fun to take HISTOGRAMA
pictures and direct the mo-
dels, always in situations like
this plan what you are going to
walk around in as you will be
suffering from a lot of heat and
it doesn’t hurt to bring more
than one change of clothes and
towels.
fuera de estudio 27
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this picture for my friend Vanes-
sa. It was the first time we were going
to take pictures in this location. The
first thing I did was to see the wardro-
be she would be wearing. I identified
that she was wearing a green swim-
suit, which contrasted with the yellow
color of the room.
Immediately, it occurred to me that

it was the perfect location, because I HISTOGRAMA
could combine the yellow of the salon,
the green of the swimsuit and the place an octodome to finish perfecting the lighting,
blue of the sky, which is why my main since it was against the light.
decision to shoot at that location was
because of the harmonious combina- The important thing is to direct the model, because
tion of the colors. in this case the pose is crucial. I used a 100 mm lens
to achieve the angle I wanted and I got down on the
Once I decided the place it was only a ground to have a perspective that makes the model
matter of exposing to ambient light to look better. Then in post-production I made the blue
of the sky much more intense.
When shooting location photography you have to keep an

open mind to identify all the possibilities that each location
TIPS can give you. Always think about the color combinations that
can make the most impact by taking into account the clo-
thing and location selections.
fuera de estudio 29
Always try to get the photograph as close as pos-
TIPS sible to what you have as a reference to the final FLASH
image you have in mind, in order to require the
least amount of post-production time.
SCHEME
30 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this picture for a war-
drobe campaign and the idea
was to get out of normality.
Everything you see in it is not
digital, but was mounted.
The tree was attached by

nylon lines to which artificial
flowers were placed, as well
as all the vegetation, grass
and leaves that you see below
are completely natural.
As for the lighting, we turned

on the spotlights to give it
some ambiance, but most
of the light in this image is
natural light, which came in
through the right window
to emphasize and give more HISTOGRAMA
volume to the model. I placed separation. Remember that
an octodome in front of her the trick is always to light the
face in a butterfly-like posi- environments and then use
tion, which generates an flash.
additional light creating a
Art direction can make the difference between boring

photography and spectacular photography.
fuera de estudio 31
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph taken outdoors is
illuminated mainly by reflected and
indirect light. The natural lighting
was already incredibly beautiful,
but to give it more character, more
volume and more direction, I pla-
ced an octodome on my left side
to better complement the ambient
light. By the way, the light from HISTOGRAMA
the octodome was placed in the
direction where the natural light is
coming from.
I used a low point of view and the

rest was to enjoy the photo session
by concentrating a lot on the direc-
tion of the poses.
Look for the place with the best natural light available to use
TIPS the least amount of artificial lighting. Always carry portable
speakers with you because music can give a better ambience
and facilitate the naturalness of the shot.
fuera de estudio 33
The early bird catches the worm, one of the best times of the
TIPS day to take pictures. Sunrise and sunset are the best times of
the day. When we arrive at the location the day before we can
start early and maximize our time taking pictures.
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph was taken just after
sunrise. It was a bit tricky, since what the
client wanted was to show off the trans-
lucency of the dress. As you can see this
picture is backlit and, if it wasn’t for the
light we placed behind us, she would have
been seen in silhouettes.
We placed a warm gel on the light so that HISTOGRAMA

the light from the flash was similar to the
ambient light we had. A small flash was
added to the back of her legs to give the
look of lucidity behind her, which could
not be achieved with natural light alone,
to better appreciate it through the dress
and through the texture of the wood.
fuera de estudio 35
THE FACT
This photograph was taken around
noon, but thanks to the relatively
cloudy sky with a thin layer of clouds,
it generated a fairly even and soft
HISTOGRAMA lighting in most of the image.
Additionally, to give the photographs

more volume, I placed a five-foot
octodome to my right, which was
doing this lighting for me. I wanted
to achieve a fairly shallow depth of
focus and was limited by the 1/250
sync speed, so I used a three-stop
ND filter to allow me to use a large
aperture..
FLASH
SCHEME
SCHEME
Look for the place with the best natural light available to use the
least amount of artificial lighting. Always carry portable speakers
TIPS with you because music can give a better ambience and facilitate
the naturalness of the shot.
fuera de estudio 37
THE FACT
This picture was taken on a beautiful sunset on the beach, a few minutes after
sunset, so we had to use two flashes.
The main light is a small octagon and as kicker we used a speedlight.

SCHEME
DIAGRAMS WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
HISTOGRAMA
When shooting on location you have to be open-minded to

TIPS identify all the possibilities that each location can give you.
fuera de estudio 39
Even if I say it again, remember that you can have the best
scenery, the best model, the best lighting, but if you fail to
TIPS direct the right expressions of your model you will have fai-
led. Remember that before clicking with the camera they
have to click with the model.
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
In this photograph I wanted to create
an effect similar to ring lighting. If you
don’t have a ring flash you can place
the flash just behind the camera to
make this type of wrap-around ligh-
ting, which creates a shadow effect on
all the edges. HISTOGRAMA
Additionally, as I always do first, I ex- Conclusion:

pose the photograph to ambient light When you don’t have a ring flash you
and then adjust the flash to finish the can achieve similar effects by placing a
fill. large softbox behind the camera.
fuera de estudio 41
THE FACT
In this photograph I wanted to
capture all the movement of the
model so that it would not be a
static photograph. As you can
see the main light is the ambient
light, having a backlight behind
the model.
To illuminate I simultaneously
used a California Sunbounce 4x6
feet, which made me part of the
lighting and additionally I used
an on-camera flash at -1 TTL acti-
vating the high-speed sync. With
which you can work with F 2.8.
One thing to keep in mind when

using high speed sync is that the
effective flash distance is redu-
ced, as the flash has to fire seve-
ral synchronized shots.
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
HISTOGRAMA
One of the advantages of working with modern flashes

is that you can sync at a high speed, which is not limited
TIPS to 1/250, but can even reach a sync speed of 1/4000,
allowing you to use low apertures.
fuera de estudio 43
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
I managed to get this shot just before
sunset. I first exposed the ambient light
so that it would be underexposed and the
sun would look much more dramatic. In a
situation like this, the model would have
been totally silhouetted.
For the main light, a metallic reflector HISTOGRAMA

was used to provide a hard, sun-like light,
which had a warmth gel on it. Finally, to
give a little separation I placed a speedli-
ght, with which the abdomen and arms
were illuminated, creating a little separa-
tion.
The good thing about having a flash with us is that we can

TIPS still take pictures even when the light is no longer suitable for
conventional photography as in this case.
fuera de estudio 45
The success of this photograph lies in the color grading, where
TIPS the colors were modified to provide a different emotion throu-
gh the alteration of the tones and colors of the image.
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph has basic lighting in
which we placed a five-foot octodo-
me on the left to provide loop ligh-
ting.
At the opposite end we placed a flash

as a rim light to separate the edges HISTOGRAMA
of the model and to create lighting in
the smoke. We can turn any environment
into the one we desire through
In this type of situation remember creativity and the combined
that the attitude of the model is tota- use of lighting and the model’s
lly important. attitude.
fuera de estudio 47
THE FACT
I used a softbox on the right
to finish filling in the sha-
dows. To decrease the con-
trast range, once I had the
lights ready, it was all a ma-
tter of finding a lower angle
to recreate the effect of them
being on a staircase.
I then proceeded to direct

the smile, the expressions
and a pose with the action of
painting.
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
HISTOGRAMA
The secret in advertising photography is to achieve

naturalness. We must achieve a connection with the
TIPS model by performing an action in which the model’s view
does not go towards the camera, but towards an imaginary
point.
fuera de estudio 49
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph departs from the traditional
shot in which we only see the model. I found
the use of the vanishing lines created by the
bleachers in this place extremely interesting.
Initially the photograph was taken at level,

however, it didn’t take me long to find a hi-
gher location that would allow me to create
a much more interesting composition using
the lines of the bleachers.
HISTOGRAMA
The lighting was simple. We placed a hard Subsequently, creative colonization
light in front of it at a “Rembrandt” angle and gave us the result we were looking
then a secondary light to finish off the fill. for.
Never stick to traditional angles when photographing a model!

As you can see in this case, I went from a higher point where
TIPS the focus was not directly on the model, but in conjunction
with architecture created a more artistic photograph.
fuera de estudio 51
The secret to winning over clients is to create photo-
graphs that are as original and different as possible
from the rest of the photographers. If we take con- FLASH
TIPS ventional photos we become a commodity and our
ability to charge is minimized. On the other hand, SCHEME
when we can create unique images we can charge
much more.
52 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph is striking
because of the complexity and
the amount of mechanical
elements that are inside an
airplane.
To maximize its effect, it was

decided not to illuminate at a
conventional temperature, but
to use a blue gel, which made
HISTOGRAMA
the whole environment look
much more sophisticated and
interesting.
In this case I placed a flash with

blue gel in the back and in front
a gel with light blue color to
finish filling. Remember that
gels can change the nature of
any environment and make the
boring much more interesting.
fuera de estudio 53
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
This time I was in Costa Rica doing some
photography and I found this place that HISTOGRAMA
offered me an incredible opportunity in
terms of composition.
However, I was limited by the fact that I

had very little equipment with me. I solved
the problem by placing a hard light flash
to the right of the model with a yellow
gel, calculating exactly the right moment Finally, I placed another “speedlight” with colored
when I was going to take a step, so that gel on the floor to finish illuminating and filling in
it would give the model a lighting that the different planes. The result was much nicer than
would highlight her figure and the mus- expected and all the effort was worth it.
cles on her back.
Movement can add a very interesting element to any

TIPS photograph. The use of multiple shots gives the photograph
much more depth and interest.
fuera de estudio 55
THE FACT
This fashion photograph was for a
magazine editorial. I shot it using
three lights. The natural light on
this location was incredibly minimal
which is why virtually all of the light
came from the flashes.
I placed two hard lights in the back to

create that “rim light” effect by illumi-
nating the edges.
Finally, I used an octodome light as

the main light to illuminate the mo-
del. However, so that it didn’t look ad-
vertising in the main light exposure I
left it a step and a half underexposed
which gives a much more dramatic
light.
This is one of my favorite lighting

combinations!
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
HISTOGRAMA
Whenever we take photographs with smoke we should
always backlight; likewise, an underexposed background
should be placed behind it so that the smoke can stand
out.
TIPS A correct illumination is not the illumination that the
exposure meter tells you, in some cases it will be to
overexpose and in other cases like this one it will be to
under expose, in order to create the atmosphere that we
are looking for.
fuera de estudio 57
One of my favorite techniques for lighting is the exaggerated
use of contrast and shadow generation.
TIPS Avoid the following mistake:

One of the mistakes most photographers make in their be-
ginnings is over-lighting by killing the shadows. A good image
should have shadows to create volume.
SCHEME
FLASH
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph I took for Maxim ma-
gazine in 2010. I searched among the
different shots for one that had the
greatest possible diversity of scenery,
even though they were all taken in a
small apartment.
HISTOGRAMA
For these photographs I used the
bleachers. I positioned the camera at
a lower angle and directed the model
to strike poses that would enhance her
figure and make her look practically
naked.
The lighting was simple: one light

radiating directly to create this totally
harsh illumination.
fuera de estudio 59
THE FACT
This photograph, taken for a magazi-
ne, I wanted it to look as much like a
painting as possible. I waited for low
light outside, it was practically dusk
on a cloudy day, and I lit it with a
single light, with an octodome to the
left of the camera.
All the rest was to direct the mo-

del so that the photograph created
looked as natural as possible. We
took several shots in which the mo-
del was walking next to the German
Shepherd, who was initially on her
left.
To create more drama I decided to

move it to the right creating an “X” in
the composition lines between the
model and the background, which
generates a greater visual contrast
SCHEME
and a much stronger and dramatic

result.
FLASH
SCHEME
HISTOGRAMA
Even if I say it again, my main secret is that I take the

time to imagine what I want the end result to look like
TIPS and then analyze all wardrobe, lighting, posing, angles
and lens decisions based on this initial vision.
fuera de estudio 61
Always look for the most unconventional angles to
take the most original pictures possible, in this case
TIPS with a 16 mm wide angle lens. FLASH
The “speedlight” well used will always surprise us.
SCHEME
They are so great results that they can give us.
can give us.
62 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this picture for an aeromaintenance
company. Looking for an angle that would
make the plane look as great as possible, I did
it by positioning myself just below the tip. HISTOGRAMA
I used a 16 millimeter lens, waiting for the mo-

ment with the most dramatic sunset light.
I exposed into the sunset and then placed two

flashes, one on each side of the aircraft, to fill
it in so it wouldn’t be silhouetted.
fuera de estudio 63
When you find yourself in situations where no
matter how much you move the lights you will
always see reflections on the glass, you should
place the camera on a tripod and take multiple
exposures. FLASH
TIPS
One in which we expose to ambient light where SCHEME
the flashes will not be seen and the other by fi-
ring the flashes; this will serve to illuminate the
subjects. Then using Photoshop and masks we
join the images together.
64 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph was taken for
a work memory, in an office
that presented me with the
problem of having a lot of
windows.
At the beginning I was playing

with the position of the flas-
hes, but I came to the conclu-
sion that it was impossible to
light well without showing the
reflection of the flash in the
environment.
It was also impossible to light

with natural light, as the back-
ground was always overexpo-
sed.
What I did was to place the

camera on a tripod, take pic-
tures exposing the ambient HISTOGRAMA
light and then, in another one,
I used the flash to photograph
the people.
With this, I achieved a result

that would have been impos-
sible without the use of Pho-
toshop to combine the two
images.
fuera de estudio 65
The best and most dramatic images are achie-
ved through selective use of lighting. FLASH
TIPS To direct the eye in an image, don’t light the SCHEME
whole image, just light part of it to create
more drama and emphasis.
66 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
inside an aircraft undergoing
maintenance. I illuminated it
by using two speedlights.
The one in the background

with a blue gel and the one
on the right with a flash,
which had a magenta gel.
All this composition is desig-

ned to dramatize more the
vanishing lines and so that
a good part of the image
is not illuminated. This will
generate a dark part, making HISTOGRAMA
the illumination much more
dramatic.
fuera de estudio 67
Look for different angles to photograph. Avoid ta-
king all photographs at the model’s level. Whene- FLASH
TIPS ver possible have the models doing an action to
SCHEME
make the photo look more natural and to give the
photo more narrative.
68 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph, which
resembles one that appea-
red earlier in this book, was
achieved with the lighting of
two speedlights.
In the background a speed-

light with a red gel and in
front one with a blue gel to
create some dramatic ligh-
ting with contrasting colors.
I selected a lower point with

an angled lens to dramati-
ze the position and finally,
I directed the model to be
acting as if it was servicing
the aircraft.
HISTOGRAMA
fuera de estudio 69
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
When taking pictures of giant objects like in this
case the hangar, the aircrafts and all the person-
nel it is practically impossible to illuminate it ar-
tificially, that’s why you have to choose the best
TIPS time in which the light is perfect for the situation. SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
For photographs of groups as big as this one, you
have to place yourself in a high position to be
able to see all the people, in this case I mounted
on a crane, always taking safety measures.
72 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
There are photographs like
this that require a lot of
planning, since 400 people,
a hangar and airplanes had
to be photographed, without
forgetting that everything
had to be perfect.
First of all, I selected the right

time by visiting the place
previously to define the time
that had the best light, at ei-
ght o’clock in the morning.
Afterwards, I requested a cra-

ne with which I would have
a point that I could preview HISTOGRAMA
and we even had defined
how many rows and how
many lines were going to be In this PDF you will not be
formed so that there would able to see the detail of the
be a better distribution. faces, but with a resolution
of 42 megapixels you will be
Once all the people arrived, able to perfectly recognize
they were arranged in the each face once printed.
right way so that they would
not be obstructed.
fuera de estudio 73
When taking pictures near midday, place the face in the part
that is in shadow and illuminate it, since, if you place the face
TIPS in the direction of the light, the shadow would be too harsh to
get a good picture.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
This photograph, although it doesn’t
look like it, was taken in the middle
of the day. I positioned the model
with her back to the sun, leaving her
face in shadow; I then lit the sha-
dowed face with a california.
HISTOGRAMA
I used a 4x6 foot zebra sunbounce
to achieve this lighting, since the
element that was being sold was the
glasses. Use a polarizing filter to eliminate most
of the reflection in the water and to be
It was very important to control able to see the natural tones.
the family of angles and to instruct
the model to look down so that the Whenever you take pictures of water,
reflection of these out of the water use a circular polarizing filter to control
would look nice. reflections.
fuera de estudio 75
When we go on a trip it is very difficult to take lighting equipment
with us and even more so when it is impossible to set it up because
of the locations or because it could kill the spontaneity.
TIPS The secret is to choose the right time when there is the best lighting
and come back the next day to get the picture we are looking for.
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
76 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this picture in Nepal in
2014. There were two cere-
monies a day, the first time I
found them at a time when
the light was not optimal.
However, I managed to coor-

dinate to arrive the next day
at the other ceremony, which
had good lighting, as there
was light coming in through
the window.
Then it was all a matter of

combining the exposure for
the internal and external
incandescent light; finding
an angle at which to best
capture the situation using HISTOGRAMA
a 24mm to maximize the
leakage.
I took the picture just at the

moment when one of the
monks was doing an action
at the end of the corridor.
fuera de estudio 77
No matter how much money you have to invest in flash equipment,
in my personal experience bounce screens will always give you
better results and at a much lower price.
The screen used in this picture costs $800, which is quite expensive,
TIPS but if you compare it with what you would have to invest in flash
equipment it becomes a much more economical solution.
Always invest in the best bounce screens!
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
78 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
This photograph was taken at
sunrise and in a totally bac-
klit situation. If I had photo-
graphed this image without
frontal lighting, I would have
been seeing virtually only
silhouettes.
I used a very large 6x8 foot

bounce screen, which is even
much larger than the model.
I placed it right above me,
as I chose a spot close to the
ground to capture the sea
and the light from the sky.
Then it was all a matter of HISTOGRAMA

directing the model’s pose
and as you can see the light The model would not be able to
is spectacular, which would cover the entire model and, due to
be totally impossible with a its flexibility, it would not be able to
conventional circular bounce cover the entire model.
screen,
fuera de estudio 79
THE FACT
This photograph was taken for
a multi-department store for
their bridal campaign. I wan-
ted the pictures not to look
like advertising, but to look like
photos that were actually taken
at a real wedding to capture the
spontaneity.
The lighting was shadow-light,

as it took place inside a forest.
I decided to place them backlit
to increase contrast, and finally,
I filled in with a conventional
five-in-one circular bounce
screen, using the silver side to
create harder lighting.
Finally, it was a matter of direc-

ting the models and converting
to black and white to add more
SCHEME
romanticism.
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
HISTOGRAMA
One of my secrets is to place the models against the light,

as you may have seen in many examples throughout this
digital book, this case is no exception, as the backlighting
TIPS allows for a much more dramatic lighting.
Take the photograph at the height of the models, to achie-

ve this I dropped to the floor to take it from a point of view
that captures the intimacy of the scene.
fuera de estudio 81
Often the best lighting is natural lighting, as SCHEMES WITH
TIPS it captures the essence of the location, even
if the lighting is not perfect.
NATURAL LIGHT
82 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
This was a campaign I did
in Tijuana for a wine brand
that was promoting the
joint use of wine with good
food.
Several chefs were used, but

I chose not to light, althou-
gh the light of the location
was not perfect, it managed
to capture the essence of
what the client was looking
for: the naturalness of the
chefs in their work place.
From then on it was all a

matter of talking to each
chef while they were prepa-
ring a dish in order to get
the most natural possible, HISTOGRAMA
using a lens with a shallow
depth of focus to focus all
the attention on the chef.
Remember: the chef is not
a professional model, you
have to learn to guide him!
fuera de estudio 83
On location, it is always good to arrive an hour before to the
TIPS location to prepare the equipment and all the necessary
details to be able to take advantage of the few minutes we
have of the perfect light we are looking for.
THE FACT
This is one of my favorite photographs in of light that were illuminating the mo-
my entire professional career, as I mana- del’s face.
ged to capture what we were looking for.
It has no post-production at all, it was all The wood he is holding was not naturally
a matter of having arrived before dawn, there, we took it as a props, because if
so we were able to capture the mist that he was just standing he would not have
was still dispersing between the first rays such a strong pose.
84 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
HISTOGRAMA
Additionally, I directed the model

by giving him the following instruc- In reality, he was not a professional model, he was someone the
tions: “imagine that this land is from company chose because he had the perfect look they were loo-
your great-great-grandparents and king for. In other words, the best way to lead is to tell the story
you are proud to take care of it and so that he makes the story his own.
produce the best fruits”.
fuera de estudio 85
When you want to add drama and movement
TIPS to your photographs, use the “Dutch” shot,
which consists of radically tilting the came-
SCHEMES WITH
ra position to add instability and at the same NATURAL LIGHT
time movement.
You will be amazedat how muchbetter a

photograph can be when you convert it to
black and white!
86 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this picture for Maxim
magazine. I chose not to light
it, as it was a cloudy day. I
used a very low point of view
and tilt on the camera.
To capture a much more

dynamic image I was lucky
that there was a lot of wind
on that terrace, the secret
was to direct the model and
have good music in the back-
ground.
Also take a lot of pictures to

capture the right moment,
never be afraid to take a lot of
pictures when you are taking
pictures of models because
the perfect moment can last HISTOGRAMA
a fraction of a second.
fuera de estudio 87
Never be afraid to leave the background overexposed if it gi-
ves you the correct exposure on the subject, many times an
TIPS overexposed or burnt background can create a much clea-
ner and more interesting image.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
mid-morning, which you can see
through the shadows. I positio-
ned the model with her back to
the light and the model in a po-
sition where the light would give
definition to her chest and abs.
The connection is very impor- HISTOGRAMA

tant for the naturalness of the
photograph.
Finally, for lighting I used a 6x8

bounce screen placed vertically
to finish illuminating the back
light.
The result was a very dynamic

photograph with a lot of volume
in the bodies of the models.
fuera de estudio 89
Often you can find the perfect lighting for a face by placing
TIPS the models in shadow and with their backs to the light source,
which will result in a background that is overexposed to white,
but with a totally soft lighting on the face.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
This photograph, although it looks like it
was taken in a studio, was actually taken
on location under an incredibly easy
lighting scheme, I have always loved the
results it gives.
Basically I placed the model in shadow,

since we were on the beach, exposed
the face with the background where the
light was falling, being totally overexpo- HISTOGRAMA
sed to white, providing a naturally soft I used a 135mm lens to get the
light on the face. right perspective for the portrait
and with an aperture of f2 so that
Finally, to add a little more volume I only the eyes were in focus and
used a silver bounce screen to reflect the rest was out of focus to add
some of the light coming from behind more magic to the image.
her.
fuera de estudio 91
For a good photograph, attitude has a
great influence. A poorly lit photograph
can be accepted, but a photograph with SCHEMES WITH
TIPS false poses and expressions will be very NATURAL LIGHT
difficult to accept.
92 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
from a contrapicado point of
view. I laid the model down
and he had to climb a ladder
to get the angle.
The light is totally natural,

since I used the light from a
window, which gives natural-
ness in the illumination.
Finally, to decrease contrast

and shadows, I used a silver
bounce screen.
Whenever you are trying to HISTOGRAMA

bounce reflected light and
not direct light, use the silver
screen.
It was all a matter of setting

the mood through the hea-
dphones and the model’s
attitude.
fuera de estudio 93
THE FACT
I took this photograph mid-morning
and the lighting scheme is very sim-
ple. The sunlight is on the girl’s back,
whom I lit with a bounce screen.
The rest of the light is naturally boun-

ced off the white sand, a situation
that becomes more complicated
when working on dark sandy beaches.
Finally, it was all a matter of talking

to the model, showing her a good
time and trying to take the pictures in
the shortest time possible so the girl
wouldn’t lose her patience.
There are days when you are lucky to

work with a good model like her and
there are other days when it’s impos-
sible to make the kids look good.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
HISTOGRAMA
When working with children try to work as quickly as

possible, as you don’t know how long their patience will
last or they will become irritated. Try to place a low point
TIPS of view for more naturalness.
Above all, remember that they are children and the secret
is to make them have fun and enjoy themselves so that
they will give you the best naturalness.
fuera de estudio 95
Don’t underestimate the power of SCHEMES WITH
TIPS well-used shadow photography!
NATURAL LIGHT
96 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this photograph in
the shade of the trees; there
were also some small glints
of light falling on the bag and
flowers.
Although the light is incredi-

bly beautiful, it was simply a
matter of selecting the right
spot and a gold screen to fill
in the shadows.
You may wonder why a gold

screen, because whenever we
are in shadow we are always
working with cold light and
in this case we achieve better
results with a gold screen, as
it neutralizes the cold tone
and gives a warmer color. HISTOGRAMA
After that, it was a matter of

directing the model and in
this case we decided on a full
frontal view of the camera.
fuera de estudio 97
Experiment with as many angles as you can, in this case, both
TIPS the model and the horse have their backs turned and it was
the shot I liked the most.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
I took this photograph in the last
few seconds before the sun went
behind the trees.
The photograph was taken

overexposed and I filled it with a
bounce screen. HISTOGRAMA
I decided to take it with natural

light because sometimes the
flashes of the lights spook the
horse and this can hurt our
photography.
fuera de estudio 99
If you want the composition to be more dynamic choose to
leave the model in the center of the picture, in this case for
example I left him on the right of the image, but following
the law of direction he is looking towards all the empty
TIPS space in the image.
When you want to put more emphasis on the subject don’t
be afraid to create a blur between planes, like the

one I achieved in this case with a 135 mm lens.
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
100 fuera de estudio
SCHEME
THE FACT
I took this picture 15 minutes
after sunrise which is why
the light is extremely soft
and warm. On this occasion
all I had to do was use a 4x6
bounce screen to fill in the
entire side of the model that
would normally have been in
shadow and fill it with a fairly
warm light.
The very intense blur in these

photographs was caused by
using a 135mm lens and an
f2 aperture. An important
fact is that the shirt creates a
great contrast with the bac- HISTOGRAMA
kground, as the background
is cool-toned while the shirt
is warm, which creates con- By the way, I highly recommend
trasts and makes for more you to purchase and practice my
separation. course “Professional Posing for
Photography”.
fuera de estudio 101
THE FACT
This photograph was taken near
sunset. The model was positioned
sideways towards the sun in order to
show off the garment and also to give
it more volume. I told him to move the
face in a range where he would have
a “Rembrandt” type of lighting, which
generates a lot of volume and mascu-
linity.
Whenever I take pictures I always try

to direct the model, even if he is static,
so that he has a little movement in his
posture and that way he looks better.
The light for being basically a sunset
was already quite nice the only thing
I had to do in this case was to place
a bounce screen to have the effect of
filling and “kiker” on the right side of
his body, which is the left side towards
the camera.
SCHEME
The best way to get more volume in

the body is to place the model on the
side where our light source is coming
from.
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
HISTOGRAMA
Moving poses will always give more interaction than static

poses. Always try to use clothing that creates color con-
TIPS trast with the background to make it stand out. When the
light is at its best, the most important thing is to know
how to direct the model well!
Composition is very important, you can have the best model and the best
light, but if the composition is not strong you lose everything. In this case I
used the rule of thirds and placed the elements distributed in an “L” shape.
TIPS
Placing accessories that break the color scheme by contrast can generate
a visual element that gives much more dynamism to the image, as in this
case the red shoes.
SCHEME
HISTOGRAMA
THE FACT
For this photograph I looked
for an incredibly low visual
point to try to use the most
amount of reflections in the
image, adding to it that the
pool would also merge with
the sea, which was in the
background creating a clea-
ner image.
I used the composition

based on the rule of thirds,
then I placed the model in
a pose, although static, that
would generate movement
and looking towards the
camera, so that the sunset
light would illuminate only
half of the face. Then it occurred to us to
place a pair of red shoes
SCHEMES WITH
Finally, I placed a bounce in his hand, which are NATURAL LIGHT
screen to finish filling in basically the ones that
the shadows and, when we generate the visual focal
were at this point, the photo point and the contrast of
looked totally lifeless, since colors that make the pho-
all the colors were cold: we tograph dynamic.
had the blue sky, the light
blue shorts and the green
grass.
When the sun is very vertical place the model in full shade or
partial shade situations and you can still work in the worst of
TIPS the daylight hours. When the sun is very vertical you can have
the model look down and or wear sunglasses.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
Trying to maximize the productivity
of the photographs, since we were
working with international models, we
came up with this piece of furniture
that allowed us to continue working in
one of the worst moments of light.
HISTOGRAMA
I placed the model in a situation where If you notice one of the most im-
the sun did not hit her face due to the portant details in this photograph
shadow of the palm trees, but it did is the art direction, as basically all
illuminate her legs intensely. the colors are light blue and blue
contrasted against the magentas
Later I added a 4x6 feet bounce screen of the flowers.
on her side to fill in and give more volu-
me to the photograph. Once we have The art direction can be the total
the model in the right place and with difference between an ordinary
the right light, it’s all a matter of direc- photograph and a photograph of
ting her, playing music and trying to great artistic value.
create positions that have movement.
You can create a professional lighting stu-
dio without any equipment when you pho- SCHEMES WITH
TIPS tograph the model in shadow and set up a
small bounce screen. In backlit situations NATURAL LIGHT
use manual exposure.
SCHEME
THE FACT
This picture was not taken
in studio and did not requi-
re more than a polystyrene
screen to fill, the light was
very hard near noon so I
placed it under the shadow
of some palm trees.
If you notice the light gra-

zing the neck and head it
HISTOGRAMA
is sunlight, remember the
color temperature is cool
and it is likely that warmth
will have to be added, it is
also possible that the expo-
sure meter will be confused
with the burst as you are in
backlit situations and will
probably have to use ma-
nual exposure.
THE FACT
I took this picture in full na-
tural light early on a Sunday
morning in order to achie-
ve a situation with the least
amount of people in the back-
ground.
The light was no problem,

since the day was cloudy and
favored to have a lighting
that looked good no matter
in which direction I placed
myself.
The important thing here

was to find an angle that
didn’t show the distractions
of the street. I dropped to the
ground and specifically used
this spot, as I liked the visual
element of the pedestrian
SCHEME
zebra lines.
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
HISTOGRAMA
Personally, I love to get down on the ground and get a con-

trapposto, as it makes the models look more elegant and
TIPS taller. When you want to take pictures in crowded places
like downtown, get up early and take the picture on a Sun-
day.
The main requirement of an advertising people
SCHEMES WITH
TIPS photographer is to bring out the naturalness of
the models in the most artificial and unnatural NATURAL LIGHT
situations possible.
Before clicking the camera try clicking the

person you are photographing!
SCHEME
THE FACT
I had to take this picture in
less than ten minutes, since
I was in a production where
the main element was the
video commercial and not
the photographs.
Because of that I had to

take the pictures in a very
bad light situation and with
little time. What was done
was to take the picture
as fast as possible, as the
heat was unbearable and
I placed them with their
backs to the sun.
I placed a bounce screen to

fill them in and the rest of
the effort was in directing HISTOGRAMA
them to have fun and look
like real friends.
When you want to take pictures in high traffic tourist spots, try
to go late in the day, as most people like to arrive early to maxi-
mize their photo opportunities. Whenever we are in a tourist
TIPS spot there are always cycles, one has to be sitting there waiting
for the exact moment when we are alone and with that we will
get the perfect pictures and look like we had the place all to
ourselves.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
I took this picture at the Palace of
Versailles and, by the way, we ente-
red when there was little time left for
them to close, that is, it was already
emptier, but to achieve this, I tried
to be patient and wait for the cycles
when there were fewer tourists.
HISTOGRAMA
In this place, the light is naturally
splendid, since the architects desig- It’s all a matter of patience, wearing the
ned the place. For this reason, I pla- right clothes and using the beauty of the
ced the model in front of the window natural architecture of the place.
with her eyes facing out, without her
looking away from the camera. By the way, we were asked if the pho-
tography was for professional use and I
The light is overexposed and the said no, it was only for our own use. The
part of her back is filled in by the less flashy the camera you have with you,
reflection of the light in the windows the easier it is to take pictures in places
behind her. like these.
Whenever you want to make an artistic photograph, don’t
TIPS be afraid to use the silhouette resource, since very few
photographers use it.
THE FACT
Trying to satisfy my client and to look for put a crane on the back wing and place a
different photographs I chose to use sil- person who was working.
houettes and not to illuminate them.
Once the elements of the composition
First I placed the person who was working were ready, it was just a matter of taking
there, but the photograph looked very the picture, overexposing and leaving the
little visually; that’s why I asked them to natural colors of the sunset.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
If you notice in this case I didn’t do

anything with the light, I simply
used the resource of the silhouette,
but I did take the time to direct the
models and create the situations so
that everything complemented each
other.
HISTOGRAMA
Don’t be disappointed when you see that the day is cloudy.
TIPS Even on a cloudy day you can take very interesting pictures
like the one you see in this image.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
I took this picture on a cloudy day.
Although the people I was with were di-
sappointed with how the situation was, I
knew the pictures would come out per-
fect because they were actually going to
be used in black and white.
HISTOGRAMA
I saw this situation more as a blessing
and luck than a problem. silver bounce screen to finish the fill. The
rest was just directing the model and
In this sense I could work practically any black and white post production.
time of the day without suffering from
heat, without burning my skin and wi-
thout having to use diffuser screens to
soften the light.
.
I identified where in the sky the most
light was coming from, positioned the
model with her back to me and used a
The props, as in this case, the bed and the
flowers, can give a simple location a much more SCHEMES WITH
TIPS interesting touch. It’s not just lighting for ligh-
ting’s sake, it’s also important art direction that NATURAL LIGHT
can make all the difference.
SCHEME
THE FACT
We took this picture around
10 am, the sun was already
quite high, although it was
not too high yet.
I had the advantage that the

sand of the place was whi-
te, which generated a giant
bounce screen that dimini-
shed the contrast. HISTOGRAMA
In that sense I was able to

illuminate perfectly, only a
“california sunbounce” boun-
ce screen of 6x4 feet was
used, specifically using the
zebra fabric, which allows to
create a fairly even type of li- First the ambient light exposure
ghting, since it is a fairly large values were achieved and then
and fairly flat surface. further refined, as in this case
using the bounce screen.
The best way to get more volume in the body is to place the
model sideways in the direction where our light source is
TIPS coming from. When the light is at its best, the most important
thing is to know how to direct the model well.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
In this case the model was placed
sideways towards the sun in order
to show off the garment and also
to give it more volume.
I suggested him to move the

face in a range with which he HISTOGRAMA
was going to have a lighting to
generate more volume with a
masculine pose. The only thing I had to do in
this case was to place a quality
Whenever I take pictures I always bounce screen so that it would
try to direct the model, even if have the fill and kicker effect.
he is static, so that he has a little
movement in the pose and in that
way he looks better.
THE FACT
I took this picture in 2010 for Maxim
magazine with the model from Po-
land. We started taking the pictures
from four o’clock in the afternoon. The
moment the sun came through the
blinds, I saw the texture it was making
and I knew immediately that I had to
take the pictures there with the mo-
del.
The light was so perfect that I didn’t

have to use flash or bounce screens.
I positioned the model in a simple
wardrobe and it was all a matter of ge-
tting her to move so that the lines of
light fell in the right place, specifically
on her eyes to make it look clearer.
After shooting and directing her, even

the model was surprised at the fabu-
lous results we achieved in a corner of
her apartment, which she never ima-
SCHEME
gined was suitable for photography.
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
HISTOGRAMA
Whenever you go to a location, take the time to see every

single corner and analyze how the situation in that speci-
TIPS fic place can benefit you. In this case I just walked into the
room and saw the sunset coming through those blinds
and I knew this was the perfect place.
When taking pictures of two people the most important thing
is the interaction between them. Whenever possible, don’t pla-
ce objects flat. It’s good to overlap objects or people to create
TIPS depth and vanishing points. One idea that can work, when the
models are of different heights, is to sit one of them so that the
difference in height is not so noticeable.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
This photograph was taken in the
middle of the day. The light was too
harsh so we used a 3 x 4 foot cali-
fornia diffuser, placing them on top,
thus converting the hard light to the
equivalent of a softbox.
For that reason it was placed sea- HISTOGRAMA
I then used a bounce screen on the ted so that height was not relevant
right to finish the lighting and add and then the rules of direction were
more lighting quality and depth. played with in the sense that the
model would see the camera and
After that it was all about the posi- the man would see her.
tioning of the models, as in this case
the model is 1.84 meters tall, while Finally, it was colorized with green
the model is 1.75 meters tall. tones to make the photograph
more narrative.
THE FACT
I took this photograph in 2011 for
Maxim magazine. I was struck by
how the windows and the trans-
lucent curtain generated those
lines and shadows that created
an interesting atmosphere.
I placed the model at that point

and then it was a matter of brea-
king all the lines that were gene-
rated naturally with the shadow
by placing the model in a posi-
tion as curvilinear as possible,
that is, the linear is broken with
curves and curves are broken
with lines.
Finally, I converted this photogra-

ph to black and white, because I
felt that form was the most im-
SCHEME
portant thing and that the pho-

tograph would look better in this
color scale.
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
HISTOGRAMA
Whenever possible use the shadows created by natu-

TIPS ral light as an element to add texture and to enrich the
image.
It’s always interesting the shadow light effect! When the
occasion arises, place the models standing in the shadows
TIPS and position yourself where the light would be to create a
different lighting effect.
SCHEME
SCHEMES WITH
NATURAL LIGHT
THE FACT
This photograph was the cover of a
magazine that was celebrating its
tenth anniversary.
This time I found that I didn’t need

to use any flash, as the daylight was
incredibly bright. HISTOGRAMA
When I placed the model in

shadow, the light was super soft terms of detail and texture of
and delicate. She stood in front of the photograph that looks like it
a glass while I stood on the other was taken with an old camera.
side.
I used black and white because I
As you can see in the pressure liked it so much better for these
generated by her hands and, specific photographs.
additionally, the glass helped me
to create an effect of a very soft
and delicate light. much softer in

60+ Location Lighting Schemes (Indoor and Outdoor) (Printable)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

60+ Location Lighting Schemes (Indoor and Outdoor) (Printable)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

60 LIGHTING

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

For permission requests,

We have added a section of schemes using

In this book you will find a wide variety of schemes

The sample presented has been chosen in the hope

I hope this contribution will be very useful and that

I remind you that the best

COPYRIGHT 2021 © BY WWW.STUDIOGUTI.COM

Guti has more than 10 years of experience as a teacher of photography

To learn more about Guti:

For the photograph, through

For this, a classic car was

If we didn’t look for certain locations

Even if we are at noon, when the light is harder, it doesn’t mean

A white balance was used by

My main secret to lighting is that before I take a light out of

The main model is looking

The first point is to define

Following the formula that cated myself to take more photo-

We chose this room which

I placed it slightly to the left HISTOGRAMA

I exposed the ambient light

Once we have everything set

Immediately, it occurred to me that

When shooting location photography you have to keep an

The tree was attached by

As for the lighting, we turned

Art direction can make the difference between boring

I used a low point of view and the

We placed a warm gel on the light so that HISTOGRAMA

Additionally, to give the photographs

The main light is a small octagon and as kicker we used a speedlight.

When shooting on location you have to be open-minded to

Additionally, as I always do first, I ex- Conclusion:

One thing to keep in mind when

One of the advantages of working with modern flashes

For the main light, a metallic reflector HISTOGRAMA

The good thing about having a flash with us is that we can

At the opposite end we placed a flash

I then proceeded to direct

The secret in advertising photography is to achieve

Initially the photograph was taken at level,

Never stick to traditional angles when photographing a model!

To maximize its effect, it was

In this case I placed a flash with

However, I was limited by the fact that I

Movement can add a very interesting element to any

I placed two hard lights in the back to

Finally, I used an octodome light as

This is one of my favorite lighting

TIPS Avoid the following mistake:

The lighting was simple: one light

All the rest was to direct the mo-

To create more drama I decided to

and a much stronger and dramatic

Even if I say it again, my main secret is that I take the

I used a 16 millimeter lens, waiting for the mo-

I exposed into the sunset and then placed two

At the beginning I was playing

It was also impossible to light

What I did was to place the

With this, I achieved a result