How to Light Fashion Editorials with Holly McCandless-Desmond | Continuous Lighting Set-Ups

[@dangerruss5]

Love the shoutout to the cinematographers of the world! We really do be dedicating our whole lives to complex lighting.

[@SophiaCarey]

Heroes!

[@edpaxton5609]

This is genuinely brilliant, I couldn’t agree more with her final comments about finding amazing work but virtually all content on KZbin being very traditional and not representing what is leading in the industry! Appreciate you both for sharing this knowledge and improving everyone’s understanding/photography skills :))) keep up the awesome content Sophia! :)

[@SophiaCarey]

Thanks for watching Ed! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@andrefelixstudio2833]

Nice video, Here’s my advice, if you wanna learn anything about photography become an assistant first and learn the craft from a season professional and then branch out on your own!

[@elreaseo]

Why wasting time become an assistant? Just watch youtube behind the scenes hahhahaa and replicate.. become assistant we have no time to make our own project

[@kevinroyceho]

That’s not a waste of time at all. The internet is amazing but it’s not a replacement or substitute for everything. The amazing photographer in the video literally got to where she is today BECAUSE she was an assistant first.

[@flproductions90]

amazing video! i never thought about using 'film lighting tricks' on photography so this has been insightful. I agree with holly that there are nooooo videos going over this process or they are super outdated so this has been extremely insightful for someone like me who wants to do more creative lighting work.

[@SophiaCarey]

So glad you enjoyed it! I’d really recommend following Holly on TikTok because she shares great videos about her lighting techniques!

[@peaceisnice]

Fantastically talented photographer. Love her creative approach and I learned a lot. My one question... is it my imagination or does nobody use a clip mic as a clip mic anymore? It’s such a weird affectation. A bit like plugging our phones in and only using them while they're tethered to the wall. 😜

[@SophiaCarey]

Hahah I honestly think it’s a TikTok thing! I’ve noticed a lot of creators on TikTok using a lav mic as a handheld mic. Presumably because of the time you save (even if minimal) from clipping it under clothing.

[@peaceisnice]

@@SophiaCarey Hahah! (Yes I am old! 😀... And I do know I'm maybe focused on the wrong thing here!) Only fully coming into my own creative voice a bit later in life it is SOOO inspiring to see younger people who are experimenting and doing interesting creative things. And I'm really grateful to you Sophia for sharing your creative insights and inspiration on this channel.

[@SophiaCarey]

@@peaceisnice thanks so much for watching!! So glad that you’re enjoying the content!

[@mathieurabary]

Loved this video, thank you for taking the time to make that one Sophia! I completely agree with Holly: after working on so many video production sets, I've realized how inexperienced I was with artificial lighting haha. Will definitely give Holly a follow to hopefully learn faster ✨

[@SophiaCarey]

So glad you enjoyed it! Definitely give Holly a follow because she shares such amazing gems on her TikTok! ✏️

[@faithfulaxel]

super inspiring video sophia!! i'm super excited to play around with some of my lights at home after work now haha

[@SophiaCarey]

Thanks for watching! That sounds great, enjoy! Holly definitely also inspired my to shoot some more with continuous lighting (I've been in the studio shooting with it all day today!)

[@beatriceonfilm]

Loved this! Thank you so much for sharing your process. Beautiful photos

[@samanthacorcoran]

Really love this!!

[@SophiaCarey]

Glad you enjoyed!!

[@루블-j8z]

I'm from Korea! I watched the video so impressively. It helped me a lot and I was able to overcome my fear of using the lights. I have one question. When I see the video, it looks a little blue-toned in the studio, but I wonder if the blue light was shot by turning on the color filter or controlled the color temperature.

[@SophiaCarey]

Hi, it was using an RGB constant light. Hope that that helps!

[@gaztykephotography]

Artificial studio lighting is hands down the most difficult thing I’ve tried so far, when it’s done well like in this video it’s phenomenal

[@SophiaCarey]

Absolutely agree! I’m loving watching photographers like Holly who are so brilliant at it work recently because there’s so much to learn and get creative with!

[@gaztykephotography]

@@SophiaCarey Its something I want to get better at this year, I’m not a fan of comfort zones & this area is probably the most out of my comfort zone so it’s a fear I want to conquer

[@yoitmeree]

Video is well made. Thank you for making this

[@oxiary]

holly is fire !! & she uses a Fuji which is barely used for Fashion Editorials these days.

[@SophiaCarey]

She does! Although I think she's recently (since this video) switched over to Nikon!

[@oxiary]

​@@SophiaCarey SWEET !! thanks again for this content u rock sophia !!

[@bluepainting]

Such bad taste.

[@ArchiesLens]

As a photographer with the goal of doing more editorial in studio work this video was really inspiring to watch. I also really loved all of the experimentation with light and texture. 💮✨

[@SophiaCarey]

I'm so glad! If you haven't already checked out Holly's work, be sure to head over to her Instagram and TikTok. She shares so much knowledge on her TikTok that I know would be really helpful to so many photographers! Thanks for watching!

[@ArchiesLens]

@@SophiaCarey amazing! I will absolutely give her a follow. And of course, thank you for putting out such inspiring content!

[@do_it_like_rei]

She looks like Brittney Spears 😍

[@adwjpeg]

You are soooo right! There's not a lot of information out there about creative fashion photography because the genre is so very experimental! Anything goes. There's not much of a formalized process that allows others to follow behind you and learn. So freaking true. Everything on KZbin is either old af information, the look isn't right or "classic" like you said

[@Blackmind0]

..the last month i am thinking about continuous light...i use flash since many years....at the moment i don`t find the right light to make me happy....when u use more than 200w the model gets blind, on the other hand i do not like more than 400iso.... how can i get 100iso and 5.6 ??? greets BM

[@SophiaCarey]

It's tough to get that balance right with continuous lights! I think a lot of ensuring that scenes are bright enough is by using multiple lights if possible and also by bouncing lights off of white or reflective surfaces. Shooting with flash is of course a much easier way to ensure you can still shoot at low ISOs but I'm sure if you play around with a few different continuous set-ups you'll be able to find something you like.

[@timiikene4063]

She mentioned for accessible versions of the lights she used, do you have a link for those?

[@neriahmcbain3098]

I really enjoyed how she experiments with light modifying. This gave me a whole lot of ideas to play with this week, truly appreciate this kind of behind of scenes

[@SophiaCarey]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@onQQuincy]

She look a lot like young Britney Spears

[@AChengPhotos]

Holly's photos are always so amazing. This explains so much of her process.

[@SophiaCarey]

She's really brilliant, isn't she!

[@solazetti4243]

What camera do you use?

[@harddriverecordingandfilmsNY]

what are the floor brackets for the vertical boards

[@BANNERWORX]

Nice one Sophia, I love seeing more U.K. based photographers on YT. Looking forward to anymore photographers you feature on your channel.

[@SophiaCarey]

I'm glad you enjoyed! I've got plenty more features on other photographers coming soon so can't wait to share it all! Thanks for watching!

[@Mav540i]

I love the creative direction this video took! It gives a different perspective on “taking a picture”! 👏🔥🤗

[@SophiaCarey]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@allanfocus2705]

hey ! what kind of paper do you use in the video to reflect the light? thank's

[@SophiaCarey]

It’s like a reflective wrapping paper!

[@spaceyaliens]

what camera she using??

[@UtaDaniel]

great images. great work. why is she holding the lav?

[@SophiaCarey]

Answered this in another comment, but we were filming the talking heads in between set changes and very quickly at that. Most likely because it was the most comfortable way for her to do so quickly.

[@andrewthompson5609]

This is great. Very hard to find videos on well done continuous lighting.

[@SophiaCarey]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

[@nigelianzamora]

Thank you so much! This was great to see, and Holly's photos are GORGEOUS! Respect, by the way, for the way she pointed to everyone on set doing great work too. They crushed this shoot! God bless!

[@SophiaCarey]

Thanks so much for watching! So glad you enjoyed it. Holly is amazing and so was the entire team on this project. It was such a blessing to watch them all work so I'm just glad that I could share that with you all!

[@x75life77]

I just fell in love w/u

[@theboofin]

Holding a lav mic??

[@jaym5938]

I'd say 95% of photography channels are pointless parroting for novices and beginners. Just a handful are interesting, informative, educational and inspiring.

[@Digmen1]

I will watch this. i have never liked flash and for about 30 years have tried continuous lighting. Now with todays LED lights its much easier

[@SophiaCarey]

Absolutely, there are loads of great (and powerful) continuous lights available that makes shooting stills with continuous much easier.

[@zaneberry]

thank u!

[@shotbytasnim]

this video was really nicely done! holly is so humble for this i respect her so much, i’m glad your account popped up on my feed because as a female in the photography student it’s so refreshing to see other women’s journeys , makes me not want to give up haha

[@SophiaCarey]

Thanks so much for watching! Definitely drop Holly a follow - she's such an amazing photographer and shares so much knowledge over on her TikTok. And that's amazing - definitely don't give up! Excited for your journey, good luck!

[@FernandoDominguezReyes]

I LOVED THE VIDEO! Definitely will try to play with lighting that way, how can you achieve that soft pastel look?

[@paulchoccyt1303]

Fuji tethered to capture one?

[@SophiaCarey]

Yes!

[@AhmedTaher100]

The result Which one you happy with continue light or flashing light ?

[@SophiaCarey]

All of these images were shot with constant lights. Hope that helps!

[@AhmedTaher100]

@@SophiaCarey Yeah I see but the question is which better for you ?

[@SophiaCarey]

@@AhmedTaher100 for me, personally, it depends on what I’m shooting and the intended outcome. I often like to shoot with a mixture of flash and continuous for this reason. For Holly, I believe she often does the same, mixing the two modes of lighting.

[@nocturnaphotography279]

Amazing...I've been looking at how cinematographers use lighting, it is so much better than classic studio lighting...this is what I needed! Thank you for sharing this video and experience.

[@SophiaCarey]

Absolutely! It’s so much more dynamic. Thanks for watching!

[@bethanrosekelly]

Oh my god dream team and location!!!

[@JeremyTalksWitU]

Omg I absolutely love her tiktok and i wanted to learn more about continuous lighting this video came at a perfect time!!

[@SophiaCarey]

Ah I’m so glad! Holly is amazing!

[@iaincphotography6051]

Studio lighting at its best, great creative team effort all round Bravo.

[@richardomar6820]

She's amazing funny down to earth....she talks from her heart ...so beyond real....god bless her

[@dymcozzy]

New Subscriber From South Africa!

[@thankjeb]

you're super dope!! definitely got some great take aways from this video. amazing work Sophia

[@tommyfoolery]

The photos looked so cool I love it

[@taniaFlores95]

incredible! so much information and Holly looks so chill and down to earth! If i were to meet her in person I feel like we could be friends lol

[@herndoninc.55]

this was some amazing footage. Y'all get all the hearts for a amazing job

[@SophiaCarey]

So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!

[@pain6154]

Brilliant photos!

[@Luttinio]

Amazing video. Thank you both for sharing

[@dbrown13]

One of the best modern tutorials I've seen. Thank you!!

[@SophiaCarey]

I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Holly is amazing. Thanks for watching.

[@chrisdunnink]

AWESOME. Thank you.

[@SophiaCarey]

Thank you for watching!

[@zturm_]

amazing content. Thank you

[@SophiaCarey]

Thanks for watching!

[@fergusgriffin2655]

this was super helpful thank you

[@SophiaCarey]

I’m so glad! Thanks for watching!

[@ComptonHarry]

Loved this 🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@SophiaCarey]

Thanks Compton!

[@carmenblasco8450]

Thank you for explaining it so naturally and for your message at the end of the video about women assistants ❤

[@bala1000mina]

Thank you so much Sophia for the very informative video! God bless you and good luck!

[@elainethi]

this is so helpful and inspiring. thank you for sharing!

[@jinner2005]

awesome video

[@SophiaCarey]

Thank you for watching! So glad you enjoyed it!

[@surajnongmaithem5427]

Thank you for this. KZbin on photography lighting is so outdated and shitty.

[@SophiaCarey]

Thanks for watching! I’ve got a few videos up on photography lighting so hopefully you find them useful!!

[@joshuatsang3036]

Favorite video on studio portraits! Never figured out how to make those spotlight shapes, ever since I tried years ago in highschool! so geeked that there is a space for swanky editorial shit

[@SophiaCarey]

Ah I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

[@kubelklote4067]

great video, love from germany

[@emily-jaynenolan5652]

LOOOVE this!!!

[@SophiaCarey]

I'm so glad! Thanks for watching!

[@BrandonColePhotography]

Good job

[@SophiaCarey]

Thank you for watching!

[@chengxie6139]

Thanks!

[@nelaazv7478]

Soooo good

[@lucassiqueirahonorato7936]

where to start: continuous light or flash?

[@SophiaCarey]

Personally, I think continuous is a great place to start, especially if you've come from a background of understanding natural light. It's a little easier to craft as you can see the effects in realtime.

[@vegetarianlegend]

Love Holly, that first image of hers you showed was actually styled and art directed by me haha. She’s amazing, one of the most talented photographers I’ve worked with

[@SophiaCarey]

Ah, amazing work! And yes, she’s truly brilliant at what she does.

[@kevinroyceho]

OH MY GOD I LOVE HOLLY. She’s literally the only photographer on social media who actually teaches people step by step instructions on how to take high fashion editorials. im sorry but everyone else just gives boring commercial or tacky content.

[@SophiaCarey]

She's amazing isn't she!

[@aranu157]

Did you just compare a skypanel to getting something from aperture? Sorry, that lights output makes it incredibly hard to replicate without spending the money for an actual skypanel. I extremely doubt you could replicate a Sky panel for half the price, anything more then you may as well by a sky panel.

[@NickDelDuca]

The Aputure Nova P600C would get you pretty close to the same results as the Sky Panel.

[@SarahHosseini009]

What's Holly's instagram?

[@SophiaCarey]

It’s @hmdfilm - everyone is tagged in the description

[@SarahHosseini009]

@@SophiaCarey Thank you ☺

[@Magdalenaxxx]

How much time took this photoshoot?

[@SophiaCarey]

It was a full day photoshoot :)