How to Create Artistic Headshots Using Ice Lights

Photography Tips

Fashion photographer Lou Freeman has been a leading figure in the glamour world for nearly three decades. Over the years, she has come up with her own unique way of creating beauty images with what she calls “beauty box perpective.” Watch as Freeman uses four Westcott Ice Lights as a beauty box to create stunning head shots:

During the featured photo shoot, Freeman creates a beauty box by connecting four Ice Lights using small bungee cords and two light stands to form a square. The framed lighting device lets Freeman achieve the look of a ring light with much softer effects.

4 Ice Lights create a ring-like light

Freeman prefers to light her subjects with light from all around. She likes something that has a cool, soft luminescence and often uses Kino Flo panels and Diva-Lites.

She likes the beauty box created out of Ice Lights because it gives her just enough room to shoot through it with her camera. The color temperature is pure daylight and offers a soft, even quality of light.

Freeman’s portrait lighting setup uses four Ice Lights as a beauty box.

Ice Lights create interesting catchlights in the model’s eyes.

Freeman says her beauty box is a little too bizarre if you want to shoot commercial head shots, though. You’ll likely want to keep the catchlights in the eyes more natural looking. But, she says, if you’re going to shoot art, beauty, and fashion, then give this method a try.