Katherine: Curls, Coat & Catchlights

The Story

This was part of a commission for the Sassy hair styling team. The brief was to create images for PR, advertising and salon artwork. The only time the team could step away from clients was after closing, so we worked late, laughed a lot and survived on pizza and crisps. Not exactly athlete fuel, but perfect for a creative sprint.

Katherine is one of the stylists and also a natural in front of the camera. This image happened after the shoot had technically finished. She pulled on her coat to leave and the colour against her silver curls stopped everything. 

What I love is how the whole thing came together. The single light. The connection. The coat’s deep tone with the cool hair. Even the black paper backdrop contributes a little glow because black paper reflects just enough. The white studio walls add a little bounce, so the shadows are gentle without extra kit.

The Finished Image

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How It Was Lit

  • One light: Elinchrom FX500 into a 1m x 1m Rotalux softbox.
  • No fill, no flags, no gobos, no rim lights.
  • Black paper backdrop with subtle tone from controlled spill.
  • White studio walls provided enough light bounce. No V-flats were used.
  • The key light was positioned to place the right amount of light on hair and face, with falloff keeping the coat rich.

Camera & Settings

Pose & Direction

Katherine was asked to turn away and look back over her shoulder. She is completely at ease in front of the lens, so that was all the direction needed. The turn shapes the coat and the look-back gives the picture heart.

Problems I Hit (and Fixes)

  • Background tone: Black paper needs light. Time was spent adjusting the single softbox so it lit Katherine first and allowed just enough spill to reach the backdrop. The goal was to get just enough separation between the coat and the backdrop.
  • A raw edge to the image: The picture needed a touch of movement and immediacy. We ran the action a few times to find the point where the coat fell naturally and the expression landed. When it did, the shutter was already halfway down.

Post-Production Notes

  • Processed in Adobe Lightroom.
  • Global adjustments were gentle: contrast managed so skin stayed clean, with exposure lifted slightly for a bright, smooth finish.
  • A light vignette was added to support the natural falloff.
  • Retouching was minimal: a little dodge and burn on the face. Makeup was excellent.

Judge’s Eye: (What Would I Do Differently Next Time?)

  • Light ratio: With portraits like this, keep the current key and consider a flagged white card or a low-power stripbox camera right. Lifting the coat by around one to one and a half stops helps avoid blocked blacks while preserving mood.
  • Exposure discipline:Meter the coat to a solid mid-tone and protect highlights with a controlled curve…