Beauty photography is all about the details. Great makeup, strong styling, and flattering light all work together to create an image that captures attention. But when you start incorporating colored gels and multiple light sources, you can take a beauty portrait from clean and polished to bold and creative.
In this shoot, portrait photographer Ray Alvarez combines beauty photography and creative lighting techniques to create a colorful portrait using three lights, colored gels, and a simple studio wall. By building the scene one light at a time, he transforms an ordinary space into a custom-designed background that highlights both the model and the makeup artistry.
Building a Colorful Background with Gels
Ray prefers to build complex lighting setups one light at a time, starting with the background before lighting the subject. He begins with an FJ400 II strobe fitted with a blue FlexiGel inside a ClickBox 1x3 softbox. After taking a few test shots and adjusting the placement, he establishes a blue wash across the wall behind the model.
Next, he adds an FJ80 II fitted with orange gels from the FJ80 Creative Pack. As the blue and orange colors overlap, they create a smooth transition from purple to orange. Rather than relying on a backdrop, Ray uses the gels to completely transform the look of the wall, creating a vibrant, custom background entirely with light.
During the shoot, he realized he had forgotten a grid for the ClickBox 1x3. Without it, the blue light spread farther than intended and began overpowering the orange side of the background. To compensate, he feathered the light slightly away from the wall, reducing spill and creating a more balanced blend between the two colors. It’s a great reminder that small adjustments in light placement can make a significant difference in the final image.
Creating Soft Beauty Lighting
Once the background was complete, Ray introduced his key light using an FJ250 strobe paired with a Rapid Box Switch Octa-L softbox. The large modifier creates soft, even light that wraps around the face and helps reveal the details of the makeup without creating harsh shadows.
Beauty photography often benefits from larger light sources because they produce smooth transitions between highlights and shadows, creating soft, flattering skin tones. The soft key light helps keep the portrait clean and polished while allowing the colorful background to remain a strong part of the image.
Using a Reflector Instead of Another Light
To add more detail to the portrait, Ray positioned an Eyelighter 3 beneath the subject. Rather than adding another flash, he used the reflector to bounce light from the key light back into the face.
This reflective fill helps brighten the eyes, reduce shadows, and bring out more detail in the makeup. It’s a simple technique that can dramatically improve a beauty portrait while keeping your lighting setup efficient and easy to manage.
Experimenting with Color in Creative Portrait Photography
One of Ray’s biggest takeaways from this shoot is the importance of experimentation. Creative portraits rarely come together perfectly on the first attempt. Throughout the session, he adjusted light placement, gel combinations, and power levels until everything worked together the way he envisioned. The willingness to test new ideas and make small changes is often what transforms a good portrait into something truly unique.
Ray also encourages photographers to collaborate with local makeup artists to explore new concepts and push their creativity further. As those relationships grow, communication becomes easier and ideas begin to flow naturally. This shoot is a perfect reminder that you don’t need an elaborate set to create something dramatic. With a few lights, some colored gels, and a willingness to experiment, you can transform a simple wall into a vibrant beauty portrait.
Want to See More Creative Lighting Techniques?
Check out How to Capture Senior Portraits Using Off-Camera Flash where Ray Alvarez demonstrates how to use multiple strobes, colored gels, and creative lighting techniques to transform ordinary locations into dramatic portraits.
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