White Wall Studio Portraits | Take and Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey

White walls make any room feel light and bright. While that might be the perfect choice for a home or office photographically, it can be a very limiting choice of color, especially if you’re working in a small studio space.
So what can you do with white walls? In this lighting tutorial photographer, Gavin Hoey shares three simple on-light portrait ideas that work perfectly with plain white walls.
Gavin starts by creating a washed-out white look by using a large Glow softbox and carefully overexposing the scene. Next, he spins his Flashpoint XPLOR300 Pro flash to the side to create a drop shadow effect. Finally, he fine-tunes the same look with a grid and adds a subtle textured effect in Adobe Photoshop.
Download Gavin’s free texture www.gavtrain.com/?p=3840
White Wall Studio Portraits
0:00 Intro
0:50 Camera and flash settings for the white wall
3:03 Move your feet for better photos
3:42 Washed out white wall portrait session
4:25 Adding and controlling shadows
5:50 Drop shadow portrait session
6:28 Add even more shadows with a grid
8:10 Textured wall portrait session
9:02 Photoshop tip for adding texture to a portrait
11:14 Conclusions and Subscribe
SUBSCRIBE AND BE PART OF THE ADORAMA FAMILY:
➥ / adoramatv
__________________________________
Be the first to shop our great deals and sales by signing up for emails from Adorama!
www.adorama.com/MyAccount/Login
__________________________________
✘ PRODUCTS USED:
OM SYSTEM OM-1
www.adorama.com/iomom1.html
OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II
www.adorama.com/iom1240pb.html
Lexar Professional 1667x 64GB SDXC UHS-II/U3 Memory Card
www.adorama.com/ilxsd64g1667....
Flashpoint XPLOR 300 Pro
www.adorama.com/fplfx300ptb.html
Flashpoint R2 Pro Transmitter
www.adorama.com/fprrr2proo.html
Flashpoint 10’ C-Stand and Grip Arm
www.adorama.com/fplsc.html
Glow EZ Lock Collapsible Silver Beauty Dish (42")
www.adorama.com/glbdez42s.html
Glow EZ Lock Collapsible Silver Beauty Dish (25")
www.adorama.com/glbdez25s.html
#studiophotography #studioportraits #adorama
__________________________________
❐ LET'S GET SOCIAL ❏
➥ Facebook / adorama
➥ Instagram / adorama
➥ Twitter / adorama
➥ Twitch / adoramaxp
➥ Adorama Music / adoramamusic
❐ MORE ADORAMA ❏
➥ Shop www.adorama.com/
➥ Blog www.adorama.com/alc/
➥ Live Events www.adorama.com/g/42-live
➥ Create No Matter What www.adorama.com/g/create-no-m...
➥ Podcast www.adorama.com/g/adorama-pod...
__________________________________
Follow Gavin on
/ thegavinhoey
Model: Jade Lyon
/ jadelyon
__________________________________
THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!

[@dunnymonster]

Every time I watch one of Gavins tutorials I just want to grab my camera and lights and start shooting too! 😃

[@harshadmokashi9944]

I m learning many things about lighting... From your Videos.. LOVE... FROM..... INDIA.. 🙏🏻

[@jbennett3578]

And our photography coach today is... The Amazing Gavin! I just love these videos.

[@DonaldWMeyers-dwm]

My "Tutorial" list of saved KZbin video is mostly Gavin's work. I've been shooting since I was a teenager, took classes all through high school and in college, and I still learn lots of things from Gavin.

[@corykphotography]

Gavin Hoey ladies and gentlemen. 🙌🙌👏👏👏

[@squarefann]

I love gavin! He is a great discovery by Adorama! In addition to being a wonderful teacher and a very hard worker, he is friendly, funny and pleasant. Thank you very much for all!🙏

[@willemfloris]

Everytime I check on Adorama new vid's if there are any from you Gavin. I follow you at least now 10 years and still enjoy your vids. You explain very clear, even for a Dutchman like me. Thank you and keep up the good work 😊

[@marianodemiguel3442]

very enjoyable as well as instructive

[@Avinoam.Miller]

Absolutely!!

[@BiggieZee]

Love Gav! Cuz of him when I introduce team members to clients on call I started doing, “we’ve got the amazing NAME” 😂

[@GavinHoey]

Amazing 😄

[@cpnoboat7659]

Great video, as it always is with Gavin! Thank you, I learn a lot with you!

[@deenugent473]

I always look forward to Thursday to see what you have in store for us Gavin. Thank you!

[@Adorama]

Awesome, thank you!

[@AllieOnPointe]

I particularly love Gavin’s videos because you don’t see many photographers using Olympus cameras for portraits ♥️

[@robertthomas9043]

I'll probably never use this information but I subscribe for your enthusiasm alone. Makes me want to get out and make my own photos!

[@mimvlog3236]

The one and only Gavin.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Love your videoes, thanks for sharing.

[@johnclay7644]

Great 12mins informative and great imagery Gavin. Engaging content.

[@pattymattes7124]

Another awesome video. It's great to see what one can do with one light. Thank you Gavin!!!

[@GavinHoey]

Thanks Patty 👍

[@allaboutbenedictxix4119]

Thank you master Gavin📸🙏👌💗🍻

[@alanroderick7153]

Super video. Good demonstration of the effect of a grid as well. Well done to Gavin, Sam and Jade. Excellent images with only one flash. Stay safe, everyone

[@GavinHoey]

Thanks Alan 👍

[@lyasilva8424]

I love the way of gavin make the photos , his style is fantastic

[@medievil2]

amazing work Mr Gavin amazing work. thank you.

[@BTcycle]

Always appreciate showing your Photoshop editing process. Simple and easy.

[@drp2792]

What a great teacher. Thank you!

[@deankramerphotography3969]

amazing as always

[@alun7006]

Great stuff, Gav! Thanks for all you do.

[@pathogan4854]

Another great video Gavin Thank you !

[@johnnysimes5082]

The texture technique is brilliant. Thank you.

[@paulbell9957]

Fantastic video as always Gavin. Love the images 😊😊

[@garfield4108]

Brilliant as always

[@mirandavandenberk786]

Love it again. So happy to see every week a new video. You are really the Best

[@jonasforare1191]

Great as usual!

[@Tuttle64]

Another great one!

[@andrefelixstudio2833]

Nicely done! Not just a white wall!

[@MrBanda77]

Another awesome video.🥰

[@conradkelsey5925]

It's always such a pleasure and a learning experience watching your videos, Gavin. Thank you to you and your team for all the effort you make. 👍 Cheers from South Africa.

[@csc-photo]

So helpful and inspiring as always, thanks Gavin!!

[@Adorama]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sharongarrett5945]

Very informative, will be trying this for a photoshoot Wednesday. One of the most down to earth teachers out there 👍🏼

[@canucklehead28]

Great video Gavin!

[@marclabro]

super tuto !

[@johnyoung1606]

Always Inspiring n Very Well Done :) :) ThankYou !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@rickjbradbury]

Great video Gavin as per usual. Plain walls and backgrounds are great as they still provide s ton of options creatively and sometimes make for a stronger portrait as the focus is on the person and moment VS the set.

[@Armago753]

a new chapter where the flash in ttl and the photometer or the exposure meter makes the job easy for the photographer

[@cosmo0080]

thank you Gavin

[@donaldtimme6923]

Love your videos. They are very informative v

[@cjk1943]

love the video great ideas

[@YogaLifeEtc]

awesome!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@tomasvojencak]

Veľmi dobre video. Ďakujem veľmi pekne 👌🍀 Teším sa na ďalšie video. Dobre svetlo. pekný deň ☀️

[@alexandercbaby]

Great video 👍

[@kirstyhepworth7343]

Fantastic video Gavin

[@GavinHoey]

Thanks Kirsty 👍

[@kirstyhepworth7343]

@@GavinHoey your welcome Gavin

[@michaelhull1813]

Too cool when you see people trying stuff I've already been doing for a long time. Irving Penn used a corner too...

[@Hutch400]

Bravo!!!!

[@alanplatt888]

Liked, already subscribed, of course. Excellent video, loads of helpful tips, as usual, thank you.........

[@notallaboutmeministry3285]

Thank you

[@ivedigga]

Awesome

[@rezamohamadi9206]

🔥🔥

[@MikeJamesMedia]

Nice, Gavin and Jade!

[@GavinHoey]

Thanks Mike 👍

[@truongtoan1862]

Thanks

[@promokator]

Super

[@ahmedyassensama]

Thank you for this work, but I would like to ask about the camera used and the size and type of lens

[@truthsayers8725]

love this video. love ALL of your videos. im not subcribed to Adorama but have your work saved. i dont see what tablet your tethered to. im trying to decide to tether to my laptop with LR and C1 or if i should go with a tablet. i like the though of a tablet just because if its damaged or lost/stolen its not got all of my software on it blah blah... you do a great job explaining what youre doing. its way youre so popular!

[@leniehulse1621]

👏👏

[@cuttinbb]

Hi Gavin, in the case that I only have a straight wall without a corner, I can simulate the wall fill effect with a poliboard. White should replicate a wall. But will a silver one (i.e. Brooklyn style covered with aluminum foil) affect the shadows?

[@GavinHoey]

Fake corners is something I've made many, MANY times (including here on Adorama TV). You can use pollyboard, fabric, or pop-up backgrounds. Super tip... with a fake corner you can tighten the angle less than 90 degree's 😉

[@DonaldWMeyers-dwm]

Did you remove the outlets on that side wall? I also noticed the shot of Sophie on the Vespa's now in the studio. Great tutorial.

[@GavinHoey]

Yep, they're properly gone 😀

[@dbj1113]

seth will go bananas if he notices the position of the legs on the c-stand!

[@mhc2b]

Great video. Unrelated question - I'm curious as to why you have the wood floor planks down. I rather like them, but was wondering if there is a specific reason why you use them?

[@GavinHoey]

Hi Michael. Hopefully the answer to your question is in the video (or more accurately the photos) from around 8:40 😉

[@mhc2b]

@@GavinHoey Thanks for responding, but that doesn't answer my question. It shows Jade sitting on the floor, but I thought there might be a specific reason why you have these planks down instead of using whatever flooring is under them. Sorry.

[@GavinHoey]

​@Michael Cothran The studio floor is laminate flooring which is shiny and every third plank is literally identical. Real wood is really random in appearance, has a random texture and is matt.

[@mhc2b]

@@GavinHoey Thank you. That makes a lot of sense. I also have a wood laminate floor in my small home studio that is not the most attractive. Thanks for the idea.

[@HillengaFotografie]

🎥👍

[@knispelwedges427]

Is there anything related to photography Gavin didn't master yet? I do enjoy every single video he has done so far.

[@GavinHoey]

Lots of photo things are beyond me. Street photography, for example!

[@knispelwedges427]

@@GavinHoey Hey Gavin, thank you for your reply. Your videos are not only an inspiration, but also a big help. Now that you say so I realize that indeed I haven't seen a video about street photography by you so far. Well ... I don't think there's a limit as to how many videos Adorama can upload to youtube, so one day maybe? ;-) Have a nice day.

[@ynkkruse]

can you explain how a mirrorless camera is able to see and focus on the model (viewfinder & liveview) when the exposure is set for pure black without flash? wouldn't it always show you the "result" in advance?

[@GavinHoey]

Hi Yannik. What you see in the EVF and what a mirrorless camera records can be two different things. There's usually a live view boost setting (although the name can vary) which is what you see at 1:15 look for the green NightLV which is what I use on my OM SYSTEM OM-1

[@ynkkruse]

@@GavinHoey thanks Gavin!

[@Tuttle64]

One quick question why is the battery symbol on your flash trigger always low or even empty?

[@GavinHoey]

I use Ni-MH rechargeable batteries which output 1.2v rather then the usual 1.5v of disposable batteries. So the transmitter (and pretty much everything else I use) reads them as low even when they are fully charged.

[@XboxIzMyDrug]

Can I get a link to the light meter you use? Thank you!

[@jerold5654]

If I may answer for Gavin, I believe he is using his trusty Sekonic L-308S Flashmate which is no longer in production. The thing about Sekonic meters, they last decades. I have an L-398 that was new in the early eighties, and it still works great. (Batteries not required.) You might consider the L-308X-U or you can pick up a used L-308S. Of course, there are meters that do a lot more such as color metering, flash duration, and highspeed sync as well-for a price.

[@GavinHoey]

Here you go Julio www.adorama.com/sksk401305.html

[@darrenleigh201]

What type of monitor is tethered to your camera @6:34?

[@GavinHoey]

Hi Darren that's my tablet PC. Lots more info on that in my tethering video for late last year here kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGXNmYenqJaWl6s

[@darrenleigh201]

@@GavinHoey Thank you! You’re the best!

[@darrenleigh201]

@@GavinHoey Thank you! You’re the best!

[@DreamClickByRahul]

First liike fis cmnt

[@dattatrayanikam7838]

how to do studio area

[@notallaboutmeministry3285]

Do you prefer white or gray walls?

[@GavinHoey]

Grey walls everyday... apart from white walls work for me... but maybe textured backgrounds are better... I hope that helps 😋

[@notallaboutmeministry3285]

@@GavinHoey Thanks for answering. What color gray. I have white walls in my studio now.

[@HailTheFun]

Photoshop has an auto select subject tool. Please don't waste your time painting her out like the video directs you to.

[@GavinHoey]

Just like photography, Photoshop has many, many ways of doing the same thing. The only right way is the way you like to work and that also gets the job done. So your way is right but my way is the right way for me 😉

[@DonaldWMeyers-dwm]

To paraphrase a famous aphorism, in matters of taste, the photographer is always right.

[@peterpotocki8088]

Dear master! Why do you always have only women as models? Are men not interested in photography?

[@alun7006]

He has shot male models in the past.

[@sylvianosamia2839]

the real picture is the raw not the histogram ! an histogram is a lie.