January 2025

“It’s not the camera. It’s the artist behind it.” - Rich Taylor Lighting Setup Rim Lights (PRimaRy Lights): I started by positioning two primary lights, one in front and onebehind themodel, parallel towhere shewas kneeling. For these, I used Grid Strip Softboxes with Beehive Honeycomb Strips (indicated by the green arrows). Their purpose was to create a rim light effect, wrapping around her body and hair for a striking outline. FRont FiLL Light: Next, I added a fill light using a large octagon diffuser, positioned high and angled downward toward the model (shown with red arrows). This provided a softer, even illumination to complement the rim lights. Light PoweR settings: On a scale of 1–10: Back grid light (left): 7, Front grid light (right): 6, Octagon light (fill): 3 Adjust these settings depending on your strobe power and proximity to the model. The goal is for the grid strip lights to serve as the primary light sources, with the octagon acting as a subtle fill. Setting up the MODeL To ensure comfort and ease during the shoot, I asked the model to kneel. This position made it easier for her to execute the hair flip. PRePaRation: The model leaned her head down (see Example #1), and I sprinkled a safe pink-colored powder evenly through her hair, ensuring full coverage. Capturing the ShOt Once everything was set, I positionedmyself with the camera, counted to three, and had the model flip her hair back sharply. At that moment, I took the shot (see Example #2). Timing is critical to freeze the motion perfectly, so be prepared for a few trial runs. equipMent anD CaMera SettingS Camera: Nikon D750, Lens: Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8, Lighting: Promaster SM300, Settings: 1/160 sec at f/9.0, ISO 125 www.richtaylorphotography.com FB: richtaylorphotography 17