How to Light Your Subjects at Night with the Ice Light

If you like drama and intense light, try using a Westcott Ice Light in combination with off camera flash at night to achieve this contrast-filled look.

Many of our high school seniors are looking for something “different.”  Some want “artsy in the meadow” and some want “suave in the city.”  Others want to push it even further and have their photo session at night.  This was always a possibility but until we got the Ice Light (which we affectionately call “The Light Saber”) it was just a tad more difficult.  The Ice Light has enabled us to create some unforgettable images for our seniors.

This senior guy wanted his photo in his football uniform.  We headed out and found some bleachers at one of the local high school stadiums.  It was definitely dark, so we knew that we were going to need to use our off camera flash.  For info on OCF, check out this article.

The Ice Light was perfect for this shot!  When it is dark, it is hard to get a meter reading, so we first used the Ice Light to get a meter reading for our our off-camera flash. Then we used it to fill the shadows behind him as well as give some depth to the bleachers, while lighting the other side with the off-camera flash.

Photographed with the Canon 5D MKII, ISO 200, f/5.6, SS 1/100. OCF (Canon 580 EXII) camera right – TTL

The Ice Light is perfect because we can either hand hold the light for the most control over where the light is going, or if it’s just me on the session, there are threads at either end of it so it can be used on a light stand.  My husband Doug is usually with me on photo sessions (that’s him holding the Ice Light), so for these examples, Doug was holding the light.  But if there’s a need (and there often is) for a reflector, we can set up our light on the stand and Doug can hold the reflector on the other side of the subject to bounce the light back onto him or her.

For our next model, we were at a really pretty river’s edge that had some really cool foliage around it.  This girl was more of an edgy senior and wanted some images that she’d be able to use for her comp card.  Again, our Ice Light came in handy.  We were using off camera flash again which was set up camera right (you can see it in the photo below).  The Ice Light was held up over her head and angled towards her hair to provide separation, as well as a little bit of back light.   The power on this almost weightless little light is incredible!  The light on Courtney’s hair and on her left shoulder is amazing.  It adds definition to her arms and gives me the separation that I needed for her hair and the background.

Photographed with the Canon 5D MKII, ISO 400, f/6.3, SS 1/100. OCF (Canon 580 EXII), camera right

I hope this gives you some ideas for this powerful little light – I highly recommend adding it to your lighting arsenal.  I’ll be doing another tutorial on using the Ice Light soon, so be on the look out.

Ally Cohen is a co-owner of Frameable Faces Photography with her husband Doug in the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, MI.  Ally is the photographer and Doug handles the sales and marketing.  Ally and Doug have been in their retail studio space for almost 5 years and you can follow their blog here.  She lives in suburban Detroit with Doug, their two awesome kids, and their two cats.