Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you’re after a sense of mood and drama in your studio portraits you’ll need to get the both the styling and lighting right. But there’s more to moody lighting then just shadows and contrast, color plays a big part too.
Taking back to basics, photographer Gavin Hoey starts by showing how the direction of light is the building block of all good cinematic lighting. But then Gavin brings in the color thanks to a Litemons LA300R RGB LED light.
As Gavin explains, simply changing from white light to red, green or blue light instantly adds drama that’s driven by the color. By adding in a second RGB LED Gavin takes this even further by mixing the colors that light his model.
Final Gavin completes the dramatic look by adding some smoke to the scene but once again the color of the smoke adds to the sense of mood and drama to create an amazing set of cinematic portraits in a small home studio.
Timestamps and Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:53 Front vs side light
1:53 Edge lighting and feathering
3:33 How color affects the mood
5:12 Adding a 2nd RGB light
6:19 2 color studio portraits
6:52 Black background look
7:36 Smoke in the scene
8:35 Create colored smoke
9:21 Cinematic colorful portrait session
10:02 Conclusions and Subscribe
SUBSCRIBE AND BE PART OF THE ADORAMA FAMILY:
➥ youtube.com/user/adoramaTV
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Be the first to shop our great deals and sales by signing up for emails from Adorama! adorama.com/MyAccount/Login
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Save 5% Every Day† or Special Financing* On purchases of $199+ with the Adorama Edge Credit Card. Learn More: adorama.com/g/adorama-credit.
__________________________________
✘ GEAR USED:
Godox Litemons LA300R RGB LED
adorama.com/godox-litemons-la300r-rgb-led-video-light-330w/p/gola300r
Godox Litemons LA150R RGB LED
adorama.com/godox-litemons-la150r-rgb-led-video-light-165w/p/gola150r
Godox ML100Bi Bi-Color Portable
LED adorama.com/godox-ml100bi-bi-color-led-light-v-mount-kit/p/goml100bik2
Godox mount to Bowens mount adaper
adorama.com/godox-mount-bowens-adapter-ml60iibi-ml100iibi/p/gomlgb
PMI SmokeNINJA Pro
adorama.com/pmi-smokeninja-pro-wireless-handheld-mini-smoke-machine-hazer-kit/p/sgninjaprohk
OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark ii
adorama.com/om-system-om-1-mark-ii-mirrorless-camera-body-only/p/iomom1m2
OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II
adorama.com/om-system-m-zuiko-12-40-mm-f-2-8-pro-ii-lens/p/iom1240pb
Flashpoint 10’ C-Stand and Grip Arm
adorama.com/flashpoint-10-foot-c-stand-turtle-base-kit-grip-arm-chrome/p/fplsc
Glow EZ Lock 12x36" Quick Strip Softbox
adorama.com/glow-ez-lock-12-x-36-inch-quick-strip-bowens-softbox/p/glsbez1236
Tether Tools TetherPro Optima 10G 15' USB-C
adorama.com/tether-tools-tetherpro-optima-10g-15-ft-usb-c-right-angle-cable/p/ttcuc15rtg2o
Tether Tools AeroTrac
adorama.com/tether-tools-aerotrac-workstation-system-mounting-hardware/p/ttatws
#beginnerphotography #photographytips #adorama
__________________________________
❐ LET'S GET SOCIAL ❏
➥ TikTok tiktok.com/@adoramanyc
➥ Facebook facebook.com/adorama
➥ Instagram instagram.com/adorama
➥ X https://x.com/adorama
➥ Discord adorama.com/discord
❐ MORE ADORAMA ❏
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__________________________________
Follow Gavin Hoey on
instagram.com/thegavinhoey
Model: Rob on
instagram.com/modelretrorob
__________________________________
THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!
If you’re after a sense of mood and drama in your studio portraits you’ll need to get the both the styling and lighting right. But there’s more to moody lighting then just shadows and contrast, color plays a big part too.
Taking back to basics, photographer Gavin Hoey starts by showing how the direction of light is the building block of all good cinematic lighting. But then Gavin brings in the color thanks to a Litemons LA300R RGB LED light.
As Gavin explains, simply changing from white light to red, green or blue light instantly adds drama that’s driven by the color. By adding in a second RGB LED Gavin takes this even further by mixing the colors that light his model.
Final Gavin completes the dramatic look by adding some smoke to the scene but once again the color of the smoke adds to the sense of mood and drama to create an amazing set of cinematic portraits in a small home studio.
Timestamps and Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:53 Front vs side light
1:53 Edge lighting and feathering
3:33 How color affects the mood
5:12 Adding a 2nd RGB light
6:19 2 color studio portraits
6:52 Black background look
7:36 Smoke in the scene
8:35 Create colored smoke
9:21 Cinematic colorful portrait session
10:02 Conclusions and Subscribe
SUBSCRIBE AND BE PART OF THE ADORAMA FAMILY:
➥ youtube.com/user/adoramaTV
__________________________________
Be the first to shop our great deals and sales by signing up for emails from Adorama! adorama.com/MyAccount/Login
🔷
Save 5% Every Day† or Special Financing* On purchases of $199+ with the Adorama Edge Credit Card. Learn More: adorama.com/g/adorama-credit.
__________________________________
✘ GEAR USED:
Godox Litemons LA300R RGB LED
adorama.com/godox-litemons-la300r-rgb-led-video-light-330w/p/gola300r
Godox Litemons LA150R RGB LED
adorama.com/godox-litemons-la150r-rgb-led-video-light-165w/p/gola150r
Godox ML100Bi Bi-Color Portable
LED adorama.com/godox-ml100bi-bi-color-led-light-v-mount-kit/p/goml100bik2
Godox mount to Bowens mount adaper
adorama.com/godox-mount-bowens-adapter-ml60iibi-ml100iibi/p/gomlgb
PMI SmokeNINJA Pro
adorama.com/pmi-smokeninja-pro-wireless-handheld-mini-smoke-machine-hazer-kit/p/sgninjaprohk
OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark ii
adorama.com/om-system-om-1-mark-ii-mirrorless-camera-body-only/p/iomom1m2
OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II
adorama.com/om-system-m-zuiko-12-40-mm-f-2-8-pro-ii-lens/p/iom1240pb
Flashpoint 10’ C-Stand and Grip Arm
adorama.com/flashpoint-10-foot-c-stand-turtle-base-kit-grip-arm-chrome/p/fplsc
Glow EZ Lock 12x36" Quick Strip Softbox
adorama.com/glow-ez-lock-12-x-36-inch-quick-strip-bowens-softbox/p/glsbez1236
Tether Tools TetherPro Optima 10G 15' USB-C
adorama.com/tether-tools-tetherpro-optima-10g-15-ft-usb-c-right-angle-cable/p/ttcuc15rtg2o
Tether Tools AeroTrac
adorama.com/tether-tools-aerotrac-workstation-system-mounting-hardware/p/ttatws
#beginnerphotography #photographytips #adorama
__________________________________
❐ LET'S GET SOCIAL ❏
➥ TikTok tiktok.com/@adoramanyc
➥ Facebook facebook.com/adorama
➥ Instagram instagram.com/adorama
➥ X https://x.com/adorama
➥ Discord adorama.com/discord
❐ MORE ADORAMA ❏
➥ Shop adorama.com
➥ Blog adorama.com/alc
➥ Adorama Events youtube.com/@AdoramaEvents
__________________________________
Follow Gavin Hoey on
instagram.com/thegavinhoey
Model: Rob on
instagram.com/modelretrorob
__________________________________
THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!
