Group Portraits

Video Tutorials

How to Light and Control a Group Portrait Using Profoto Flashes and Umbrellas

Group portraits are where lighting setups go to die. You dial in a beautiful exposure for one face and suddenly the person on the far left looks like they’re standing in a cave. Add a reflective surface anywhere in the frame and you’re fighting hot spots all afternoon. I’ve had editorial shoots derailed by exactly this problem, and I still keep a sketch of every group setup I do in my lighting journal because the variables multiply fast.

August 20, 2026

Lighting

Group Lighting: The Only Setup You Actually Need

Group Lighting: The Only Setup You Actually Need I’ve lit hundreds of group portraits, and I can tell you with certainty: most photographers overcomplicate this. They add lights like they’re seasoning a dish without tasting it first. The result is muddy, unflattering light that makes everyone look tired. The truth is simpler. You need three lights. Not five. Not seven. Three. The Core Formula: Key, Fill, Separation I treat group lighting like a recipe because it is one.

February 6, 2026

Studio Lighting

Group Lighting: The Four-Light System That Works Every Time

Group Lighting: The Four-Light System That Works Every Time I’ve lit hundreds of group portraits, and I can tell you this: most photographers overcomplicate it. They chase trendy modifiers, obsess over brand names, and abandon their setup the moment something feels “off.” Then they blame the lighting. I don’t work that way. I use the same four-light system for nearly every group shoot, from five people to twenty. It’s not sexy.

February 5, 2026