How to Create Soft Cross-Light for Portraits with Joel Grimes

To create super soft lighting for portraits, many studio photographers use a cross-lighting pattern. To do this, Joel Grimes uses a large 7' Parabolic Umbrella with a diffusion sock to modify his strobe.



Joel faces this large light source toward a large white wall. He places his model between the wall and the umbrella. The wall reflects the broad light output back onto his model, creating a very soft and bright image.

Text, video and images via fjwestcott.com