Brandon Barnard | Profoto Light Shaper
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Brandon Barnard professional photographer knows how crucial the correct lighting is to get the best photograph.
Brandon shares a behind-the-scenes look at eight unique setups, each captured using Profoto’s industry-leading lighting tools.
Ocean Blue Eyes
Her delicate beauty is beyond measure. 8-year-old Olu is one in 6 million with a rare gene that gives her blue eyes. Her mom has the same gene, but in her case, it is combined with deafness.
Lighting Diagram
How I got the Shot
I worked with the lights I had in my bag. I used a B10 with a 2-foot octa, an A1 light with a blue gel wrapped around it, and another A1 on the floor to project a blue tint onto the background. I wanted a crisp, clean key light as the side light, with a hint of blue to make her eyes pop.
Behind the Scenes
King David
I wanted to create a Men’s Vogue Cover image using gel lights, a solid male image with a softer, delicate feel, a photograph that is fashion and fine art. And here you have him, King David.
Lighting Diagram
How I got the Shot
This was a six-light setup: a blue key light in a 3-foot octa box, a green gel for the side light, a back side light, a pink gel overhead light, another blue gel, and a green gel on the right-side light.
Behind the Scenes
Grace Jones
I was inspired by Grace Jones, the ultimate female 80s icon in the fashion, music and modelling world. She broke so many stereotypes, the golden age of glitter and disco lights.
Lighting Diagram
How I got the Shot
This was a four-light setup. The key light was a B1, with a 3-foot octa soft light. Back left and back lights had red gels, and a blue gel light was positioned camera left — all using B1 lights and a zoom reflector to give more punch to the lighting.
Behind the Scenes
Urban Fashion
I did this urban fashion shoot in Johannesburg, South Africa. I found this fantastic graffiti wall and asked the models to jump up and off the wall to complement the concept of public self-expression.
Lighting Diagram
How I got the Shot
This was a three-light setup. My main key light was a B1 with a magnum modifier placed about 3 to 4 metres behind me. I used two strip lights on the left and right, with red and blue gels. I wanted to reflect the colours of the graffiti wall onto the model’s body and skin. The lights were set to freeze mode, as I was only shooting at 1/250 sec.
Behind the Scenes
Grill Power
Introducing Mogua. I saw him walking in the mall and asked if he would let me take his portrait. We dyed his hair blonde and bought cheap grills; I used wood leftovers from a kitchen as the backdrop.
Lighting Diagram
How I got the Shot
The key light was a B1 with a white beauty dish and a white scrim sock. I used my 3-foot octa to bounce some light off the right side of the face, though it remained turned off.
Behind the Scenes
Butterfly Effect
This series is called “The Butterfly Effect”. It depicts the ripple effect that arises from one small act. I have interviewed each muse to find out which small action has impacted their life.
Lighting Diagram
How I got the Shot
My key light was a white beauty dish with a scrim sock over the light shaper. I used a B10 on both the left and right to blow out the back wall and overexpose the hair. Constant lighting was used to contract the pupils, allowing more of the eye colour to be visible.
Behind the Scenes
Michael, The Performer
In South Africa, on the Durban Beach front, there are many beach performers. I asked this performer, Michael, to throw sand over his head. Using light, the beach became his stage.
Lighting Diagram
How I got the Shot
This was a straightforward lighting setup. A B1 light was bounced back out of a small umbrella, mounted high up on a light stand — higher than in the reference image. The trick was timing the sand being thrown into the air over his head and using the light to freeze the moment.
Behind the Scenes
Flower Mask
Our primary mode of self-expression was hiding in public; this is the face we are talking about. Some might say that wearing a mask can make you feel silent or invisible – Not Shae; she always shines.
Lighting Diagram
How I got the Shot
I used a four-light Profoto setup: two blue/teal gels on the left and right as side/strip lights, a 3-foot octa as the key light in front of the model to counter the sunlight, and a hard zoom light with a warm gel from behind to mimic the sun once it had set. I only have a photo of the male model, but the lighting setup was identical for the female model, Shae.
Behind the Scenes
Profoto Products I have used:
