In this article, we step into the nostalgic glamour of the golden age of Hollywood and explore how to blend modern fashion photography with the timeless elegance of Old Hollywood. Drawing on fashion photographer Lindsay Adler's expertise, we guide you through techniques to achieve this iconic lighting look without needing specialty modifiers.
Tip 1 - Use hard light
Hard light, characterized by its ability to create sharp contrast and dramatic shadows, is a cornerstone of the Old Hollywood aesthetic. Traditionally, a Fresnel was often used, but a Zoom Reflector or a bare strobe can also achieve hard light results. In this image, Lindsay utilized the Profoto Magnum Reflector with a grid, offering a slightly smoother quality to the light compared to other metallic reflectors, while still creating defined shadow edges and contrast.
Tip 2 - Create a background halo
In many Old Hollywood photos, a distinct light on the background separates the subject, often forming an oval shape, a faded gradient, or a halo effect behind the subject’s head. To achieve a gradient or halo effect, position a light on a floor stand behind the model, and add a 20-degree grid for precision. Here you can see the "glow" of light behind the subject from the Profoto D2 and the attached grid's narrow area of illumination.
Tip 3 - Use bright rim lights
Bright and defined rim lights are another hallmark of this genre. For this look, Lindsay added two RFi Softboxes 1x4', adjusting their positions to optimally highlight the model’s hair without impacting the light on their face.
Tip 4 - Lift the shadows
Placing the Magnum Reflector at a paramount high angle will create deep shadows on the model. Introducing another light source reduces these shadows and adds a catchlight to the eyes. Lindsay used a Softlight Reflector with a grid as a fill light for this effect, and you can see a similar technique in many images of that time.
