I had been wanting to try portraits with one flash head for a while, I decided to make use of my sister for a little practise!

I experimented with a few angles but found this was the best result for the feminine face.
 

50mm@f/2.8, 1/60sec, ISO100. Single flash head with softbox to model’s immediate right.
 
I really like this portrait but perhaps I would choose a smaller aperture for next time so both eyes were in focus, probably around f/3.5-f/5.0.
This does mean however, that any skin will start to show glare with increased flash power and thus the light needs to be further away: quite a stuggle in my living room!
 
Plus points with the single light technique are that the lighting is more moody and increases contrast, adding definition to the model and making them look more ‘real’. In this case the left of Jess’ face is shadowed but not completely underexposed, showing detail in the area and highlighting her cheekbones and dimples.
 
I’m going to include more of this style in my work and use some male models in the near future. Watch this space!