It doesn’t matter if you shoot weddings, portraits, or work in the commercial world. With the smallest about of kit and a little bit of knowledge you really can dramatically improve the quality of your images. The guys over at Westcott have produced a fascinating video with Chicago-based photographer and educator Bob Davis. This demonstration is focused on how to enhance the look of your groom preparation shots, but I actually think these tips can be used in various genres of photography.

Davis shows how the Westcott Halo and a medium Apollo can be used together to help shape the environment and enhance the existing light which was already there. It’s great to see such strong images being made with some basic light modifiers and a few speedlights. I can see this setup being really handy when there is not much space for kit or you don’t want lots of trailing electrical cables lay around which is always the downside of studio lights.

After these more traditional shots have been made by Davis we see a really effective creative setup with the use of an orange gel to help mimic the late afternoon sun. It really does go to show how a little understanding of light and a small piece of colored plastic can transform an image into something quite special.