Light Modifiers for an Old Hollywood Look | Inside Fashion and Beauty Photography with Lindsay Adler

There is something timeless about Old Hollywood imagery. When you photograph your subjects with the same quality of light and styling as the Golden Age of Hollywood, they instantly are imbued with a feeling of elegance and class.
A study of Old Hollywood lighting techniques will reveal that the masters were generally using Tungsten hot lights much like
Mole Richardsons. Today, however, we are more likely to use studio strobes and constant LED light sources.
In this video, I will take you through my three favorite light modifiers when emulating the Old Hollywood look. If you’d like to go a lot more in-depth into this concept, be sure to check out my lighting recipe guide with 20+ setups! lindsayadler.photo/oldhollywood
These three light modifiers are Fresnel, Optical Spot, and Magnum Reflector. Let’s take a look!
#1 Fresnel: Fresnel modifiers focus light and were extremely common in glamour portraits of the 1930/s40s movie studios. Hurrell commonly used this modifier (with a lens similar to what is found in lighthouses) in his portraits for a hard yet smooth quality of light. Today’s version of this modifier is the Nanlite Fresnel attachment for the Nanlite Forza 500. When combined with several Nanlite Pavotubes for hair lights, you can see that even using modern LED light sources we can achieve a striking look of the Old Hollywood masters.
#2 Optical Spot: An Optical Spot uses a lens to create a crisp quality of light with very defined edges. Another benefit of the Westcott Optical Spot is that you can create a spotlight effect on your subject or the background. If you study Horst and Hurrell, at times you will see oval-shaped highlights on the background to create visual interest. While they were using other spotlight modifiers, our modern-day equivalent is an optical spot. In this setup, I used a Westcott Optical Spot on the background (for the oval-shaped highlight) as well as on the face to create a beautiful, crisp light source.
#3 Magnum Reflector: A Magnum reflector is a hard light modifier with a finish that gives a slightly smoother result to the skin. To decrease the specularity even more you can add a soft (diffusion) to the front of the modifier. At Magnum reflector is similar to a light (focusing or fixed focus scoop) used in Old Hollywood setups. Using just this single light modifier with the right set (here are the curtains) helps to achieve that timeless look with just a simple set.
Of course, you can light like Old Hollywood but until you have the styling, hair, and makeup right, you won’t be able to believable achieve the look. All of the elements must work together!
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✘ PRODUCTS USED:
Westcott Optical Spot
adorama.rfvk.net/GjqeJn
Canon R5
adorama.rfvk.net/JxzdE
Canon RF 85mm 1.2
adorama.rfvk.net/Rk5Qy
Canon RF 70-200mm 2.8
adorama.rfvk.net/Jrr6q2
Profoto D2
adorama.rfvk.net/qvB7y
Profoto Magnum Reflector
adorama.rfvk.net/mvmbO
Westcott Optical Spot
adorama.rfvk.net/GjqeJn
Profoto 1x4ft Strip Softbox
adorama.rfvk.net/4AdQn
Nanlite Forza 500
adorama.rfvk.net/6bA0yb
Nanlite Fresnel
adorama.rfvk.net/LPgXK3
Nanlite Pavotubes
www.adorama.com/nnpt30x.html
adorama.rfvk.net/JrVx9q
#lightmodifiers #portraitlighting #adorama
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Photographer: Lindsay Adler
learnwithlindsay.com
Videographer - Samuel Bouret
/ samuelbouret
Makeup: Joanne Gair
Hair: Linh Nguyen
Styling: Raytell Bridges
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THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!

[@alexanderpons9246]

Truly a beautiful tutorial Lindsay Adler, hooray for Old Hollywood! All the modifyers you used were great can't say one is better than the other. Thank you ADORAMA for having someone of the level of Lindsay Adler on your channel.

[@tomronollo9411]

i am more of a landscape/nature photographer, but these videos capture the glorious days of classic portrait photography using modern equipment. and techniques Always a takeaway from these- Thank you Lindsay- You gotta love it.

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

Lindsay Adler is such a good teacher!

[@barkyvonschnauzer2188]

I absolutely love experimenting with Old Hollywood style lighting. Absolutely loved what you accomplished and shared with us. Absolutely beautiful. Thank you.

[@JamesBoyer-plus]

Thank you, Lindsay. The incredible amounts of thought and hard work that you and your team put in to make this come together are really evident in the finished images (and the production video). You're a generous teacher and an amazing photographer. 😍

[@Joizygyrl926]

I concur!

[@EricMuranoAU]

No one explains things better than Lindsay Adler!

[@Eric_de_Keizer]

My dad was photographer and I knew that he was always trying to create Hollywood style beauty portraits (and family pictures). I inherited several old fresnel lights from him which I have been using in lighting on stage. So I know the lights and their use on stage, but I was not aware of the subtle effects which are so important when photographing people. Thank you for explaining and showing the effects in the Old Hollywood Look!

[@oliviakiernan3215]

I have also been obsessed with this lighting lately!!! You nailed it!!!!

[@DynamicRockers]

The results are stunning! Thanks for the tips Lindsay Adler.

[@ManmadeMartin]

Fantastic tutorial! Beautiful model! Stunning results!! Thank you for this, Lindsay 🙌

[@shawnvine4918]

Beautiful shots. And a great explanation of how you created the atmosphere with the lights. Thank you.

[@millreef63]

This was excellent - thank you for sharing! I have a couple of Lupo fresnels and they really produce such a wonderfully different look than the myriad of soft modifiers that are so common these days for portraiture. Great to see other options for creating similar looks. Super impressive!

[@613dawn]

Thank you so much for the inspiration Lindsay! I tried it last week with the light modifiers I have. I'm happy with the results.

[@anasedano5586]

Great explained tutorial and amazing results. Thanks Lindsay and Adorama!

[@DyablommeHaywood]

Great vid Lindsay! Vintage Hollywood is an awesome look.

[@visionz_n_media]

Love this tutorial. I may try my hand at this style of lighting. Great video as always Lindsay. 🔥🔥

[@Snapit551]

Stunning images by a true professional 👌

[@sonnenfeldsebastian]

Thank you for this tutorial. The photos you created with this setup are stunning! 🤩

[@maryschroeder5893]

Thank you for being so professional and helpful. Thank you for all your hard work!

[@Mowikan]

Nice video Lindsey! I learned this kind of lighting in photography school(1995 NL) as glamour portraits. It’s old style but still very attractive! Thx!

[@Nicosalgadophotography]

BEAUTIFUL technique ! love it thanks for always inspiring me

[@MikeJamesMedia]

Authentic, and beautiful, Lindsay! I was reminded of a similar photo of my favorite dancer from those days, Eleanor Powell. Really nice.

[@marcelmarcoshierro6438]

When we decide to study the masters, you must necessarily be at the top of our list... Thanks!!!

[@mariaklaus5220]

Love that! Can't wait to try a Fresnel myself. Thank you!

[@josephchan4198]

Loved the styling of clothes, lighting, and suggestions. Hardly wait for your next video.

[@aujax1]

incredible tutorial. so well done, so clearly explained. lindsay has such a great eye and a talent for teaching!

[@andyraeber6044]

Lindsay, thanks so much for sharing. Captivating lessons.

[@rdavidmarks5326]

Absolutely wonderful tutorial! Thanks so much!

[@gregpantelides1355]

Lindsay thank you so much!

[@parttimephotographer3384]

Absolutely love this video and the lighting!

[@asarz92]

Thanks a lot. Practical setups to test. I love that glamorous style. Keep it up with great videos

[@Lunarmage]

This popped up on my FB feed a few days ago, I was thinking of picking up the guide, now I most certainly will. Thank you for this!

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

Glad to hear it. I hope you enjoy it! :)

[@bregbarega3717]

Elegant and beautiful! *chef's kiss* Thank you for the insights and inspiration!

[@johnhilliard4498]

Lindsey is one of my favorite photographers but I would love her to do the same video, using her equipment, and then show how you can recreate the same look with basic equipment. As someone on a low budget, the equipment in this video is right out of my reach

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

Buy vintage/used constant lights! Best bet!

[@jenniferculipher4058]

Same here

[@brentm9848]

Old school,used fresnels will do a better job than this. The falloff and shadow/highlight transitions here look digital and modern, not vintage

[@Chromedbustop]

Don't really need a video showing cheaper equipment because this already explains what you need to do. 3 light angles (key, hair, and background light), and then just a modifier to sculpt the light. Will the results be as good with cheaper equipment? Meh, probably not. There's a reason that people invest the kind of money they do to buy quality equipment. But can you get pretty good results by understanding the techniques more-so than having the matching gear? Certainly.

[@rafograph854]

Great images and insights. Kudos Lindsay.

[@PrestigePhotog]

Lots of love! Well done!

[@JohanSchmidt]

You're such a clear and giving educator! 😘

[@cjsSeidel.and.art.]

the best instructional video I've seen on the subject so far, just great

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

Thanks so much!

[@hajmanek]

Lovely vintage look, I love it 🥰

[@lubovhysa]

Incredible tutorial, thank you!

[@rosanchezphoto]

Hermosa luz , lovely light 👏 Lindsey 📸

[@jonasforare1191]

Great lesson! ❤️

[@freddensing1224]

Awesome as usual

[@MarcusPocus]

i'm always under the charm of your beautiful videos!!!

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

Thanks for the kind words Marc. :)

[@Goldmangun]

Fabulous, thank you!

[@tylou4479]

Best content on YT for me

[@tomaurnhammer7597]

Thank you Lindsay. Wonderful video, inspiring. Greetz from Germany.

[@steevewhitehead1416]

Very nice, liked the use of single strips to highlight the model hair from above and side. All good, thanks.

[@jpdj2715]

Whole lotta love to you Lindsay! Oh, I would have placed the model farther away from the curtain in the magnificent Magnum shots in order to reduce the specular highlight bands on it, but that's a matter of personal taste. I would not have thought of the flag - keep forgetting these and that worked really well.

[@ianbell4816]

Excellent!

[@josephchan4198]

Thank you. Will study my posing books.

[@donaldmfalls]

Queen Lindsay!! I Salute!!

[@blanked3]

5:36 wow....this shot is solid! 🔥🔥🔥

[@RalfWeyer]

Stunning 👍👍👍

[@agneldsouza8484]

Awesome teacher!

[@theapocalypsechronicles3]

Brilliant, thank you for this invaluable lesson.

[@RA-mg3ue]

Good work kid. Great lighting tips. Thx big time !

[@valdemarcaballero5298]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!! BLESSINGS

[@JennySimon206]

Wow this makes me want to get into photography. Great.

[@russellallan8564]

fantastic video - what a stunning look - and great advice re being careful about settings - in particular shutter speed without the strobe to freeze the action.

[@BillsAtomicGarage]

That was fun I think, with the equiptment I have I might be able to pull this off!

[@ridderus]

Great video Thanks!

[@doekoet]

Wonderful

[@markparris5255]

Amazing

[@kavanlake871]

Damn! I mean…I don’t have the words to express how amazing this is 😃! This is some gangsta, old school, and simple sh#t! Those final images 😊👌🏾, just perfect.

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

Aw thanks so much!

[@AdaCinematic]

Excellent video Thanks you for sharing

[@richy4930]

Amazing 😻

[@LucioBusaPhotography]

Ever amazing videos and... Photos. 😄

[@pepetrueno8722]

The hair style sells it

[@suzetteanthony5181]

Thank you

[@kelliehoward8060]

Awesome tutorial Lindsay thank you. How do you mount two tubes to one stand?

[@manueldominguezfotografo]

Beautiful ❤…. happy Day

[@jesusgjchuza6491]

Very cool 🤟🏼😎

[@jamilgotcher5456]

Love the drama of the lighting from the golden era of Hollywood, the best era of Hollywood. Favorite light was at 7:31, I like the way the light was on her face and fell off when it got to her arm, was the light controlled with a flag to achieve that?

[@KeithCasper]

You're lit perfectly too :)

[@mikaelholmerin8439]

Every time I watch one of these videos I need to shop more gear..when will it end! :D

[@kingmuhu]

I have the guide, awesome. But i cant find a big reflector with a bowens mount!

[@bernardchampeau225]

Thanks Lindsay, beautiful pictures as usual and very helpful video. One question, in you first setup, was the Forza 500 at full power ? Do you think a Forza 300 will be sufficient (with the Fresnel lens) for such a light scheme ?

[@tararakeane]

You inspire me to try XXX

[@Gisimaru]

👍Like for beauty, master of photography

[@josephchan4198]

This be good for special event or cosmetic add. Thanks.

[@hcmanagerexcellency7330]

Dear lindsay, One question, don't the nanlite pavotubes, spread light everywhere? Are they controllable in terms of light spill? Thank you so much. You are always amazing, great tutorial, and I loved it.

[@karlshikles]

I love Lindsay as an educator and all of these videos, but I have to talk myself out of spending like $5k on more lighting equipment every time I watch one. So...'Mission Accomplished', Adorama!

[@jarnix2]

Amazing vid. The linked product in the video's description should link to the Pavotube 30X and not the 15X though :)

[@Adorama]

Thank you! Both are now listed.

[@sols9449]

one question that have is what black and white editing did you use was it a preset because its very good and just as important as everything else. you are amazing Lindsay. thank you

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

I do the edits on camera raw mostly, adjusting contrast etc.

[@sols9449]

@@lindsayadlerphoto can you leave a link to the Fresnel modifier. Loved that one

[@JohnCBurzynski]

Very cool and Lindsay’s work is as epic as ever. It doesn’t really help me because I can’t afford all the new light modifiers. Great commercial for Adorama.

[@edo27]

Regarding the optical spot modifier, how do you attach it to a profoto light? What kind of adapter would one need and does it come with it when you buy it or do you have to purchase it separately?

[@tfinneman]

You select the mount type (Profoto, Broncolor, Elinchrom, etc.) when purchasing it from Adorama. Here, she's using the Profoto mount, which is similar to any other Profoto light modifier mounts.

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

Like Trevor said, you select the mount that you want and there is a specific attachment. You might want to check out my explainer video on the optical spot as well: lindsayadler.photo/opticalspotexplainer

[@Mienien]

Love this look, but I cannot effort to buy all this gear.

[@stephenban]

One shot, $4,000+ of lighting gear. Sure, I'll get right on that!

[@hawg427]

Can you post the Models social media info? Thanks. Great video.

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

I post this type of info on my instagram.

[@javinunezperu]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🥵🥵🥵🥵

[@tonyantoine5823]

Thanks for sharing! I’m getting Greta Garbo vibes.

[@AceRamone]

WOW! $$$$$$$$$$$$$ How about something like this for us poor photographers?

[@gillesmatheronpro]

The black-and-white high-contrast portrait was not born in Hollywood, for this place is not the center of the World ! Just an exemple, among hundreds of similar ones... The story of Studio Harcourt began in 1930 when Cosette Harcourt ("koh-zet ar-koor") started to learn photography and snapped her first images. Then, early 1934, she opened her own photo-studio with Robert Ricci (son of fashion stylist then perfume creator Nina Ricci) as her associate. She eventually passed away in 1976 and her studio shut doors four years later. Only to re-open in 2007 and rekindle the thing it has done best : its eternal signature, fully devoted to the art of B&W portrait. Just have a look at what Studio Harcourt creates today, and has been publishing for nearly 80 years. All the Studio archives are publicly owned by the country and kept as a treasure. In Harcourt, no photographer is a star to get all the attention. The place is one for collaboration, and all talents move forward in the name of the Studio. Same thing holds true for most filming techniques, not invented in Hollywood but claimed intensively as "local products". The "mother concept", which real name is cinematographe, being the first one. PS1 : Horst Paul Albert Bormann, know as "Horst P. Horst", lived in Paris (until 1940, when WWII had him leaving France), where he began his career and made himself famous. PS2 : Augustin Fresnel was a French engineer and physicist, who stated light was an undulation and not a ballistic phenomenon, and the lens he invented served the purpose of proving his theory.

[@mjeffn2]

Model needs finger waves for the old Hollywood look.

[@hideweapon1361]

hello, who is this woman ?

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

The model?

[@hideweapon1361]

@@lindsayadlerphoto YEP THX

[@IlyaShilov]

Yes, what is the name of the model ? Instagram link ? Thanks.

[@user-rc5yg1ey3x]

maybe she need pair of sunglasses

[@magicrodger1]

pronounce fresnel lens in english

[@nufoto4225]

i know it's beautiful but too much money :))

[@derxphoto]

is not hollywood style photo/ too soft

[@lindsayadlerphoto]

Your opinion.