Lighting is one of the most fundamental aspects of a successful portrait, and while we most often focus on getting the key light just right, the accessory lights can be what take a portrait from good to great. This excellent video will show you how simply adding a kicker light can make your portraits better. 

Coming to you from Mark Wallace with Adorama TV, this great video will show you how adding a kicker light to a portrait can make a huge difference in the final result. If you have not worked with a multi-light setup before, a kicker light is a backlight that fires off-axis (but generally back toward the camera). This provides a rim of light around the edge of the subject. Not only can this extra rim of light provide an elegant accent on your subject, it serves to separate them more clearly from the backdrop, which is especially important if your subject’s hair, skin, or clothing are close in color to the backdrop. Of course, it is important to be comfortable with one-light setups first. However, once you are comfortable with a single light, try adding a kicker to take your portraits to the next level. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Wallace.