The Story

Phil Hitchcock is one of those rare humans with funny bones. He walked into our studio, shook the room with warmth and gags, and promptly reminded me why portraits are my favourite kind of chaos. This was our second session together, part of a fresh publicity set for his cruise ship shows – magician, comedian, singer, old-school cabaret with proper showmanship. He looks terrific in a suit, which helps when the brief is “give me images for posters, leaflets and those ever-present on-board screens.”

The idea here was simple: relaxed but powerful. Phil as the effortlessly in-control entertainer, reclining as if he owns the room – because on stage, he usually does. I wanted a dark, graphic space for designers to drop headlines and tour dates into, while still keeping a human connection through expression and eye contact. A single-light portrait with a subtractor felt like the right kind of theatre.

The Finished Image

A low camera angle, Phil reclined on the studio chaise, shoulders open, expression warm. The light caresses his face with Rembrandt modelling and falls quickly into shadow across the suit and the right hand resting along the seat back. There’s deliberate negative space to camera right for layout flexibility. It’s moody without being miserable; corporate but with a twist.

How It Was Lit

• Key: Elinchrom BL400 with a 1-metre square gridded softbox. The grid keeps the spill under control and lets the fall-off do the mood work. Placed to shape both Phil and a sliver of the background, giving a natural vignette without heavy global darkening.
• Fill / Negative Fill: Black subtractor camera right to deepen shadows and stop our small, white-walled studio from bouncing too much light back.
• Background: Dark grey paper carefully positioned so it reads almost black under this setup. Big, clean dark areas are perfect for white titles and copy.
• Additional lights: None – no extra rim or background lights. The drama is all in the key and the subtractor.

Studio note: the room isn’t huge and the white walls naturally raise the floor of the shadows. That’s why the grid and subtractor are doing the heavy lifting; they keep the contrast honest.

Camera & Settings

• Camera: Nikon D800E
• Lens: 50mm f/1.4
• Exposure: f/5.6, 1/200s, ISO 200
• White Balance: 5600K

Nothing fancy in the menus – straight, considered portrait craft.

Pose & Direction

Brief to Phil: sit back, own the sofa, breathe. I wanted chilled yet confident – the body language of someone who knows he’s about to entertain a theatre full of people. The crossed legs tidy the shape; the left arm over the chair signals ease; the smile is the most important light modifier in the room. He’s friendly and confident, which is exactly the promise his posters need to make.

Problems I Hit (and Fixes)

• Making it feel more theatrical without overcooking it.
  Fix: Dropped the camera to a lower angle. That little lift in Phil’s stature makes…

Fast Takeaways

• A gridded softbox plus negative fill is a powerful combo when your studio walls want to bounce light everywhere.
• If you need poster space, design it in-camera – but be ready to defend it to judges who aren’t thinking like designers.
• A low camera angle adds stage presence without turning the subject into a superhero.
• Aim for a natural vignette using fall-off first; keep post subtle so the frame doesn’t feel tunnelled.
• Watch the edges: hands, shoes and furniture lines near the border will shout louder than you expect.