Hong Kong-based sports and portrait shooter C.Y. Fan was looking to expand his portfolio when he set up this basketball-themed test shoot at a nearby studio. Of particular importance to Fan was using light to help elevate the mood created by the subject, and to do this he employed a rather elaborate lighting setup.

On camera right, Fan placed one beauty dish with a CTO gel positioned slightly higher than the subject. He also added one octa softbox to provide fill for the subject’s body. On camera left, Fan again placed one strip light with a CTO gel positioned higher than the subject in order to add highlights to the player’s body. To add highlights to the back legs and shoes, Fan added a beauty dish as well. Lastly, he placed an octa softbox behind himself to provide additional fill light.

With the lighting setup in place, Fan’s next challenge was to get the timing just right. “Time control was the biggest challenge,” he says. “We have to achieve the desired pose, emotion, and lighting all at once.”

(Captured using a Nikon D810 with a Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD lens. For the lights, Fan used five Phottix Indra500’s with Odin II triggers.)

Photo © C.Y. Fan Photography

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