DIY Portable Headshot Lighting Setup Project

Whether you’re trying to save a few dollars or just enjoy building your own equipment, you may like the following video, which shows us how professional portrait photographer Tristan Penner (tristanshea dot com) built his own portable portrait studio with supplies that can be found at most hardware stores. The setup consists of three panels, each of which is adorned with multiple florescent light fixtures that create a very well-lit frame around the subject, giving the portraits a bright white background without blowing out skin tones:

Penner tested the setup with a local actress during a headshot shoot. Penner says he wanted to see how well the lights would travel and the overall convenience of the rig. Overall, Penner says he was happy with the setup, but it could use a few minor tweaks.

headshot photography
diy photography lights

“The idea started with wanting to emulate Peter Hurley. I really like his style and the use of negative space, which was something I was already doing in my work, but I love the quality of lights he had. I thought, how can I duplicate that to give the same sort of feel, but on a budget?”

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