How to create dramatic pictures - 5 easy lighting setups

This week we are talking dramatic lighting! An approach I love and use a lot in my work. And since I am in a good mood, I will also share 5 easy lighting setups that I rely on every time I have to work fast for a client.

First things first, a few words on how to actually achieve the dark contrasted look that now has become a part of my style, a technique I used very early in my career with Speedlites:

Marlo Fisken was captured in 2013 with a 5D Mark III and a single Canon 600ex-rt + deep silver umbrella.

All the following pictures were shot with a 5D Mark III and the Broncolor 1200l move and Para 88:

I really hope I will meet Vanesa Garcia again somewhere somehow! This was captured in Montreal back in 2015 and you can still see the complete gallery and story here: My first shoot in Montreal.

My wife and I met fantastic artists in Montreal... Eva Kolarova is one of them! Check out the full gallery and complete story here: A ballerina on top of Montréal.

You can achieve the look with a wide variety of lights. I made a few of these dramatic shots when I had my hands on the ELB400 by Elinchrom. The picture below was created with Fanny George in Strasbourg back in 2015. The ELB400 was used with The Rotalux deep 70. Full gallery and story here: Testing the Skyport HS and the ELB400.