As a headshot and branding photographer Carlos Chavez knows a thing or two about lighting setups to help you achieve amazing headshots.
In this post, I'll be sharing three of his favorite setups using MagBox Pros that you can use to elevate your headshot game.
Triangle Lighting
First up, was this triangle lighting setup. This is the setup that Carlos likes to use most frequently in commercial shoots and studio sessions.
It's a simple setup that uses three MagBox Pro 36-inch Strip Boxes attached to MagRing 2s sitting on top of MagShoe 2s, to create a beautiful light that fills in shadows and gives you a professional look.
He’s using AD200s for this setup, but you can also use speed lights or even studio strobes with the Speedring Adaptors. To make the background white, he has a Godox speedlight with a MagSphere 2 attached.
His lights on the right and left of the model were both set to the same power which was 1/16th (using the AD200) and his light on the bottom was turned down a little to 1/64th (again using an AD200).
There is one more flash in the setup and it’s the Speedlight behind the model which is at 1/8th power. His camera settings were at 1/200th of a second, f/6.3, ISO 100.
While these are the settings Carlos used, be sure to play a little with yours to dial them in just right as there are lots of little factors to consider (power of flashes, distance to subject, etc) to consider.
So yours might be a little different but hopefully these get you on the right track.
One thing that's really helpful in this setup is using a Blue MagMod Pro Gel. These gels allow you to add a pop of color to your backdrop, and all you have to do is throw them on the speed light behind the model with the MagSphere 2.
In this case, he’s using a blue gel to give the background a nice cool vibe which compliments his subject nicely.
Just be sure to raise the power on the speed light a bit so you get the desired effect when using a gel; as the color saturation will affect the output a little depending on the color you use.
Also don’t forget you can stack MagMod Pro Gels for hundreds of color combinations.
Gear Used:
• 3x MagBox Pro 36" Strip Boxes (w/ MagRing 2 / MagShoe 2)
• 3x Godox AD200's
• 1x Godox V860II
• 1x MagSphere 2
• White Seamless Backdrop
Camera Settings:
1/200s
f/6.3
ISO 100
Flash Settings:
A: 1/16 + 0.3
B: 1/16 + 0.3
C: 1/64
D: 1/8
(Second Photo uses MagMod Blue Pro Creative Gel)
Clamshell Lighting:
The second lighting setup is using the MagBox Pro 42 Octa to create a clamshell lighting effect.
This is a great option if you only have two AD200s or speed lights on hand. All of the camera settings remain the same, but he adds a simple reflector underneath to bounce light back up just slightly filling in any shadows under the jaw line.
This is commonly seen in beauty setups, such as shots for cosmetics. The reflectors can be purchased at any camera store and are relatively inexpensive.
The large size of the MagBox Pro 42 Octa creates a lot of soft light that is very favorable to the subjects, and he’s lighting up the background with the same flash and power as before.
Gear Used:
• 1x MagBox Pro 42" Box (w/ MagRing 2 / MagShoe 2)
• 2x Godox AD200's
• 1x Full-Time Filmmaker Reflector
• 1x Godox V860II
• 1x MagSphere 2
• Savage Widetone Seamless Background Paper (#01 Super White)
Camera Settings:
1/200s
f/6.3
ISO 100
Flash Settings:
A: 1/16 + 0.3
B: 1/16 + 0.3
C: 1/8
Rembrandt Single Light:
Finally, the third lighting setup uses the compact MagBox Pro 24 Octa to create a Rembrandt light pattern on the model which is recognizable by the triangle of light on the cheek creating great dimension in the face for portraits.
This setup uses a smaller, more compact setup that's still able to give you amazing headshots.
Because it’s so compact this is a great setup for portraits on the go, senior portraits or even bridal setups.
Carlos’ camera settings were at 1/60, f/stop 6.3, and he bumps up the ISO to 400.
This is a really popular and simple lighting setup that a lot of photographers love to use.
Gear Used:
• 1x MagBox Pro 24" Octabox (w/ MagRing 2 / MagShoe 2)
• 2x Godox AD200's
• 1x Godox V860II
• 1x MagSphere 2
• Savage Widetone Seamless Background Paper (#76 Mocha)
Camera Settings:
1/160s
f/6.3
ISO 400
Flash Settings:
A: 1/16 + 0.3
C: 1/8
As a photographer, I was ecstatic to spend the day with Carlos, a master of headshot photography.
Watching him work with the MagBox Pros was a true treat, and I left feeling inspired and ready to take on the business of headshots.
These versatile MagBoxes are a must-have for any photographer looking to up their headshot game, whether you're working in a studio or on location. And let's not forget the added bonus of being able to bring in some extra income with headshot sessions.
Let’s Goooooo!
Overall, it was a fantastic learning experience and I hope you all found it as helpful as I did.