My SECRET Sauce! Portrait Lighting (2025)

My SECRET Sauce! (LED vs Flash for Portraits)

Sharing my secret sauce! Today I explain my portrait lighting and compare the benefits of LED vs flash for portraits. Coming up, full res photos, YouTube videos and hopefully everything you need to know! (Grab a chair + Links to lighting equipment included).

A decade of learning

Before I share what portrait lighting best works for me, let’s recap. I used to have an office job and now I’m a full time YouTuber and teach workshops to help students with their portraits, lighting and Leica cameras.

Over the last decade/ 1500+ photoshoots I taught myself portrait lighting by accident and experimentation. Here on the blog I share as I learn plus YouTube, Patreon and my eBooks. The latest release is my full Model Photography A-Z guide eBook (*Get 12.5% off with code BLOG5 – Expires 31 Oct-2024) and the next book will be “Mastering Portrait Lighting”.

Following my progress

This article is laid out in sequential order explaining different lighting scenarios as both me and technology advanced. If you’re not interested in the back story jump to the end to see my recommended lighting kits that I use today.

Pre-LED era

I’m a London based model photographer that started with available light only for my portraits. Living in the UK, we are not blessed with California sunshine so eventually I had to teach myself how to use lights.

In the pre-LED light era the options were speedlights for portable lighting or hot lights/ tungsten lights and strobes in the studio. I tried all of them. This old video shows me working with a mix of hot lights, studio modelling lights and LED lights.

LED lights for portraits

When LED lights arrived portrait photography got much easier as unlike flash, what you see is what you get. Being a keen cyclist, I was an early adopter and used LED lights well before they were being designed for photography. In the early days I repurposed my bike LED lights to light my models. This old video shows me using a running head torch LED as my light source. I love to get creative with lighting!

Daylight + LED for portraits

I often work with models overseas so I need a compact light setup for by carry-on bag. Small LED panels fit into my backpack easily and I these in conjunction with daylight, often to fake daylight. My minimal kit was a small panel LED + lightweight light stand. Most of my photos for the last 3+ years or so were lit like this. See this video using the Boling BL-P1 RGB LED.

LED replaced flash (for me)

LED is so easy, it’s the same as working with sunlight/ available light. You just need the vision and creativity as to where to place the lights for the look you want. LED has lots of benefits so let’s list them.

Reasons to use LED lights for portraits

• Compact and portable panel LEDs
• WYSIWYG (no test shots required)
• No triggers or wires to connect to camera
• Work with every camera (vintage and modern)
• Bi-colour + RGB options (no colour gels needed)
• High power “COB” LED lights available
• Main powered options so can run them all day
• Built-in batteries with easy USB-C charging
• Bowen-S mount options for light modifiers

Is this the end of flash?

From that long list, LED lights seem to do it all (and both easier and smaller than flash). Is this the end of speedlights and strobes? Well not quite. Most LED lights lack one key ingredient. Power output. This may not be the case for long as at the time of writing you can already buy compact 100W+ COB lights. See the recent video of me using a Colbor 100W LED light for photoshoots.

Flash wins in bright conditions but..

LED lights have been my choice for low light indoor portraits but when outside I tend to use daylight only. Most of my LED lights in the past were not bright enough for daytime use outside with models. Higher power LED lights can work If you have them really close to the models face but you need them close to max power so the batteries don’t last long.

Flash is king outside and you can match the power of the sun on blue sky days. Here are example of both on camera flash and off camera flash –

Bare LED without modifiers

Small LED lights are great but they are best used “bare” due to lack of power. If you add a light modifier or diffusion layer too much power is lost. This means compact LED lights can be great to light faces or head and shoulders portrait but they are less suited to lighting a full body images. If you saw my video using this 60W LED light on location I used a studio reflector head (to concentrate the beam) and had the light in close to the models.

Big light modifiers

If you want to use big light modifiers such as standard and parabolic umbrellas or softboxes, flash has enough power to light through the diffusion layers and create a big soft even light source.

For completeness, if you buy a high power LED light you can do the same with LED but for me they are better suited to indoor use. These photos were shot during a workshop I was teaching in the Netherlands and my student used high power LED lights plus big mods. On a grey day these LED lights work great to emulate low sunlight. See this lens video to see me using the lights and how I created these images.

Shaping light from small LED

One limitation of generic compact LED light panels is you can’t shape the light. For this reason I preferred a larger COB light attached to a Bowen S light modifier such as a grid or more often barn doors.

Thankfully a new LED light from Zhiyun now comes with a grid and barn doors. This little M20C RGB light does pretty much everything you need for a low light photoshoot. I love the blind light effect I realised when playing with the light. See this YouTube video to see how I created the following images.

My camera settings with LED lights

If I use the above 20W LED light as an example, I used around ISO 400, f2 at 1/60. As you can see this isn’t a lot of light but if you love using fast glass and shoot indoor in low light it works fine. For my film images I often use ISO 400 film for these types of session. For 35mm I often use Kodak Double-X which has been a favourite of mine for some years for low light.

Daylight only portraits

When shooting on a brighter day I used daylight only and found locations to shape the daylight. I need shadows so I look for structures to create directional daylight. This is commonly seen when I teach my London Leica workshops. All these photos are daylight only and this is me shooting in my comfort zone and showing my students how to do the same.

Diffused non-directional light

If I had a situation where I couldn’t control the flat diffused light (say in an open space) then I felt I lose my secret sauce. Lighting! In such situation I feel my portraits would become more generic and less to my liking.

On a bright day compact LED lights don’t really help either. Keep that thought.

New camera needs new lighting

Buying the medium format digital Hasselblad H3D-39 camera has forced me to shoot differently. With a base ISO of 50 (and best results) and ideal max ISO of 100 I suddenly needed a lot more light. Low power portable LEDs no longer cut it so I needed to dust off my speedlights/ flash units once more.

Instant improvement in my photography

As soon as I started sharing photos from the Hasselblad digital camera I started to receive comments like, “Matt, these are your best photos to date”. (If you’re new here it’s worth noting that I normally shoot with nice Leica cameras). The old Hasselblad is a great camera no question but I feel it’s the “new lighting” that is giving me these “improved” results.

So what changed?

With the Hasselblad I try to shoot at ISO 50 for the best results so I need more light. I use strobes for almost all photos with this camera and I think it’s the additional lighting that is helping to create the magic.

What makes the Hasselblad special?

A big advantage with the Hasselblad H3D-39 is it uses leaf shutter lenses (Hasselblad HC lenses). This means I can sync flash up to 1/800 and thereby “dim” / control available light/ daylight easier.

Leica cameras + flash

With a Leica M digital cameras the max flash sync is 1/180 and 1/250 on the Leica SL series. The Leica Q and the new Leica Q3 43 both have leaf shutter lenses too so they have the same advantage as the Hasselblad but sync up to 1/2000. See this video for example photos. (The two images below were from the same trip but captured with the Leica SL*)

Best portrait lights in 2024?

Like cameras, I’ve collected a lot of different lights over the years as technology advanced. I was an early adopter of Godox back in the day when they had the half car battery size power packs and later their 180 and 360 units with the smaller power packs. Next came their Godox AD200 and various speedlights.

For me, the sweetspot is their Godox AD100Pro unit. Compact yet high output and with a small USB-C charger. See my videos shared below using the Godox AD100Pro on location and in the studio.

Godox AD100Pro location shoot

If you’re looking for a high power portable off camera flash the Godox AD100Pro ticks the box. Here is a video of me using the light on location in midday sun for a bodypaint event. All photos are lit with a bare Godox AD100Pro (meaning no light modifiers used).

Godox AD100Pro studio portraits

If you’re a studio photographer or you prefer your work indoors here are some Godox AD100Pro studio portraits. Watch this video to see my lighting setup in my home studio.

Good value, but bigger – AD200

If you want the most light for the money the Godox AD200 flash are now a similar price to the newer smaller AD100 lights. The big advantage of the Godox AD200 vs AD100 Pro is you can use it in bare bulb mode to evenly fill a large light modifier. You can also fit the round head kit and a speed light head.

The Godox AD200 is a great light if you say always shoot in your home studio but for travel I now appreciate the smaller size of the Godox AD100 Pro. Here are some photos with the Godox AD200 before the AD100 was released.

Godox flash triggers

As with Godox lights, I’ve also enjoyed using their different flash triggers over the years. I used to use the legacy Godox FT16 and then until very recently the legacy Godox XT16 triggers. I tried the Godox X1T/ X2T triggers but they are too big for Leica M cameras and blocks the shutter dial. The professional XPro II trigger is great if you use lots of lights and don’t mind a bigger trigger unit but I prefer something smaller.

Best Godox trigger for Leica

My favourite Godox flash trigger for Leica cameras (and any small camera) is their latest Godox X3 Nano. It’s more compact than the Godox XT16 triggers but more importantly it has a built in lithium-ion battery so I don’t need to carry additional AA batteries.

The X3 Nano looks great on both my small Leica cameras and the Hasselblad. It’s very easy to use, especially if you often use just one or two lights. I will buy a second unit as I often work with two cameras at once. The Godox X3 Nano also charges via a USB-C cable so that’s the icing on the cake, as they say. Perfect. (Gear links at the end of this article).

Ultra compact quality softbox

So I have my compact Godox AD100Pro + Godox X3 Nano trigger. All I needed now was a compact softbox that would fit in a carry on luggage for overseas photoshoots. I spend hours scrolling online searching. The problem with most softboxes is they come with a metal speedring for Bowen S mount and that adds a lot of size and weight. If you use a Godox AD100Pro you then need to buy a Godox S2 bracket to mount the light into the softbox. This is yet more weight and bulk to carry. Great at home but I needed a more portable solution for travel.

Simple studio umbrella with flash

Normal studio umbrellas are too long to fit into a backpack for travel. In my pre LED light days I invested in compact umbrellas with telescopic shafts so they pack down much smaller. I have both white shoot through style and silver reflective umbrellas.

After getting the Hasselblad I wanted to try to carry a compact lighting setup so I took the Godox AD100 + silver umbrella to a photoshoot. What I found was silver umbrellas are not kind to skin. You see every little detail and imperfection, especially with a 39MP digital back.

I also tried studio umbrellas outside and soon remember why I stopped doing this. They blow over within 5 mins of setting them up if you don’t carry sandbags or weigh them down. Fail. I needed something else.

Speedbox/ rapid softbox

My research finally lead me to the rapid softbox (or speedbox) which comes in a few different sizes and brands. These things are just brilliant. If you buy the smallest diameter version the length is short enough to fit into a standard backpack to use for carry-on luggage.

The pop up design means the unit folds down flat when not is use and it sets up in seconds. On top of that it has a quick release strong magnet design so the Godox AD100Pro light just clicks into place without needing big heavy adapters. These things are not cheap but worth every penny.

Note – you can buy different adapters to use the softbox with different light such as the Godox AD100 Pro or speedlights. The unit comes with a permanent double diffusion layer stitched in and you can buy an additional grid to control light spill.

2024 portrait light travel setup

So after much research my much refined travel portrait light setup includes a Godox AD100 Pro, Godox X3 Nano trigger and the new speedbox softbox. (I’ll list everything properly at the end). You will of course need more than just lights for your planned photoshoot. Check out chapter 11 of my new eBook for preparing all your camera gear ahead of a photoshoot.

Now I have the advantage

Compared to my previous work, or at least in recent times I now have the advantage. When I shot with available light only I was restricted to where the nice light was (which wasn’t always the most photogenic location). Now I can make perfect direction light whenever and wherever I want. This means regardless of what camera I use I should be able to step up my portrait game.

Czech girls photo trip

If you saw my recent video when I interviewed Tobi on YouTube, we were both in the Czech Republic for photoshoots. Tobi drove to meet me from Germany so brought his Godox AD100 Pro and Godox V1 lights + big stands and softboxes. This was the first time I was using a big softbox on a location setup overseas with the Hasselblad and the results were noticeably better than my previous work (I think). Still work in progress but good light makes such a difference.

Leica workshops in New York 2024

For my latest New York Leica workshops I packed both my Leica cameras and the Hasselblad plus my new lighting setup (details at the end of this article). My goal was to demonstrate to students what I see as the ultimate professional yet portable light setup. Students often ask me to teach them available light photography but it’s nice to then show what is possible by adding an extra light(s).

When flying half way around the world for photoshoots it’s also really important for me to bring my best kit so I can try to create my best possible images to date. (For me and for the models I work with). Here a few examples from the latest workshops using the Hasselblad H3D-39 + Godox AD100Pro flash.

NYC Leica workshops with available light only

Taking lights to New York for the model shoots was a nice contrast to my previous NYC workshop trip earlier this year. Last time I was teaching available light only. Below you can see a few examples. They are nice but you are always limited to the light on the day (and the location).

If you are planning to work with available light make sure you scout your location in advance so you know how the lighting will be. See chapter 8 of my new eBook for tips on scouting a location before a photoshoot.

Flash + Film in New York

When I was first teaching in New York back in 2015 and 2016 I was using my Hasselblad 501C with flash. (This was pre-LED lights). Below you can see a few images showing what is possible with bare flash (no light modifier). Bare flash perfect for the smallest lighting setup and on sunny days but it’s nice to carry a softbox for when it will benefit the model.

Leica SL flash portraits

My goal is to build the Leica SL back into my current workflow and use it with flash. For my latest photoshoot I was testing the new TTArtisan 75mm f1.5 (see video). I had my usual Hasselblad H3D-39 and lighting setup with me so this image is Leica SL + flash. It worked OK but I did need to use a variable ND filter with the Leica SL setup (to dim daylight).

ND filters for Leica

I’ve shot Leica cameras since the Leica M9 days so I’ve got used to shooting at the 1/180 max flash sync speed. (This is the same for the M240, M10, M11 etc too). When working with flash I add a ND filters to my lenses to obtain the correct exposure. In the past small speedlights had less power so stacking ND filters on fast glass meant it flattened the batteries faster. Now with lights like the Godox AD100 Pro it is less of an issue.

Lithium battery vs AA batteries

With the Godox AD100 Pro the lithium battery lasts seemingly all day so using ND filters and a higher flash output is not a problem. I just bought a second Godox AD100 flash yesterday ahead of my next trip to give me a high power yet compact kit. In the past I used smaller flash that take AA batteries so then I needed to carry a pile of batteries and/ or a charger.

Leica film cameras + Flash

Most 35mm film rangefinder film cameras are not great with flash. Leica M film cameras have a max flash sync speed of 1/50 which isn’t great. Some of the screw mount Leica iii cameras also offer 1/50 such as the Leica iiif and Leica iiig. Leica R film cameras like the Leica R6 have a max flash sync of 1/100 so worse than Nikon SLR cameras I use. (Nikon FE2 and Nikon FM3A = 1/250). The Leica R8 and R9 offer 1/250 too but those are bigger cameras.

Medium format film cameras + Flash

Medium format film cameras with leaf shutter lenses often give you 1/400 – 1/500 flash sync. Lots of examples such as Hasselblad 500 series, Mamiya RZ67, Mamiya 6, Mamiya 7, Fuji GF670. See my full A-Z film camera review list.

When I use my Hasselblad H2 or H3D with the 6×4.5 film back I can sync up to 1/800 with the older HC lenses so this is my current go to setup. Here are some older flash portraits captured on 120 film.

Leica Q3 43 with flash

If you love Leica and want a camera for flash portraits I think the new Leica Q3 43 is a great option. The Leica Q/Q2/Q3 cameras are nice but 28mm can be a little wide for model photography. As with other Leica Q cameras the Leica Q3 43 offers 1/2000 flash sync meaning no ND filters are required. The drawback is you are limited to a fixed modern lens.

The Leica Q3 43 43mm f2 APO lens might be a little too sharp for some faces so perhaps implement some of the lens hacks shared in chapter 13 of my new eBook.

Good lighting = Less editing

Regardless of what lighting you use, good lighting will result in a lot less editing. Learning how to light can save you hours of pain and suffering at the computer once you get home. For all my images I capture photos in RAW and then apply my usual MrLeica LR presets. If the lighting looks good in camera that’s my workflow complete and I send all photos to all models. See my full digital workflow (and film workflow) in chapters 42 and 43 of my Model Photography eBook.

Bad light = Fix in post

If you are a fix it in post kinda guy/gal and pay less attention to lighting, this means you need to retouch the skin of every image you want to use or send. That’s a huge amount of unnecessary work that can be avoided plus the poor models only get perhaps 5-10 images from perhaps 300+.

As noted in my new eBook, this is an annoyance for models as they often remember seeing a nice photo on the back of your camera but never receive it (or they receive photos that are so edited they no longer recognise themselves).

To understand how to keep your models happy, read chapters 48 and 49 from my book. I share the top 10 answers received from experienced photo models – what models appreciate plus what to avoid if you want to work with them again.

(Chapters 23 and 33 list general dos and don’t for models photography to help guide you through a successful photoshoot).

Avoid the risk

Photos needing a lot of editing mean you run the risk making photos look worse during the editing process. (This is by far the most common way to make a bad image when it comes to portraits). I rather aim to get my lighting dialled in first and then spend more time shooting than editing.

The end of LED lights?

So to go full circle and back to the start of this article, will I still use LED lights? The answer is yes, it’s just too easy not to. For indoor low light sessions especially, LED lights are still king I think. I will use my smaller LED panels on max power and in close to the model when using the Hasselblad (ideally running off mains power via a USB-C cable). I can use the COB 60W and 100W LED lights with the Hasselblad for more power.

My current kit for portraits

Once I can get a similar look (hopefully) with my Leica SL vs the Hasselblad, I can keep the Hasselblad for sunny days and use the Leica SL (or Leica M cameras for low light). Until then, I’m now travelling with an additional bag to allow me to carry the Hasselblad H3D-39 + lights for photoshoots.

For Leica cameras I use the 18L Wotancraft Pilot bag (with the Wotancraft 3L Pilot bag inside for travel). To fit the Hasselblad H3D-39 I now use their 7L Pilot bag + the 18L Pilot backpack for a 2-bag flight carry-on setup. This is what I used for my US trip workshops. See the camera bag article for more info.

Planning a photoshoot?

If you enjoy similar cameras (or lighting to me) perhaps organise a photoshoot to put your ideas into practice. Love the idea of model photography but don’t know where to start? Download my Model Photography Handbook, A-Z Guide eBook. The book provides a simple framework with quick tips and an easy to read check lists. Everything you need for a successful photoshoot and you can keep it on your phone to reference at any stage.

Recommended lighting setups

As promised here are 5 lighting setups to cover 5 scenarios –

1. Compact LED light panel + self stick stand
2. COB LED light + stand
3. COB LED light + bigger stand + softbox
4. Godox AD100 + speedbox + stand
5. 2 Flash + bigger light mod + 2 stands

1 – Ultra compact for low light

My smallest most portable setup for small indoor spaces with fast aperture lenses. Ideal for overseas photoshoots/ when you need to travel light.

• Mini light stand extension pole – https://geni.us/5ZH27Z
• Mini light stand base – https://geni.us/fucoY0
• 1 mini ball head – https://geni.us/IjjOKe8
• Zhiyun M20C LED light – https://geni.us/ouz55Yp
• (or) Boling BL-P1 LED light – https://geni.us/tRUemNM

2 – More power, more size

I use this setup for lighting a larger inside space and where carrying a full height travel light stand.

• 1 mini ball head – https://geni.us/IjjOKe8
• Compact Light Stand – https://geni.us/CC7G
• 60W COB LED – https://geni.us/V9ovj
• (or) 100W COB LED – https://geni.us/TyAam

3 – High power LED + big light mod

Non-travel LED setup if you are traveling by car or as a home studio setup. You can double up on this setup for a 2 light kit. (Similar to the Netherlands indoor setup shared above).

• 100W COB LED – https://geni.us/TyAam
• Heavy Duty Stand – https://geni.us/Eeqx
• Beauty Dish (Bowen S) – https://geni.us/4fhF
• Parabolic Softbox (Bowen S) – https://geni.us/D8Ao

4 – Compact high power kit

This is my latest setup built for travel with my Hasselblad H3D-39 camera. I need high power plus a super compact soft box (when folded). This is the smallest flash trigger and a full height light stand strong enough for this setup. This was my main light kit used in the latest TTArtisan 75mm f1.5 video.

• Godox AD100Pro Flash – https://geni.us/UQMO
• Speedbox/ Rapidbox Softbox – https://geni.us/GFITcc
• Godox Mini Flash Trigger – https://geni.us/EDp03m
• Variable ND Filter – https://geni.us/QDC8
• Compact Light Stand – https://geni.us/CC7G

5 – Two light setup + big light mod

For the latest trip to the Czech Republic this was my kit (kindly brought by car by my Patreon friend Tobi as it’s too big to fly with). Normally I will use for UK shoots if driving or for home studio photoshoots. I use one light inside a big modifier and a second light bare (no mod).

• Godox AD100Pro – https://geni.us/UQMO
• (or) Godox AD200 – https://geni.us/xoun8Z
• Godox S2 Bracket (Bowen S) – https://geni.us/v1qfGrs
• Godox Mini Flash Trigger – https://geni.us/EDp03m
• Variable ND Filter – https://geni.us/QDC8
• Compact Light Stand x1 – https://geni.us/CC7G
• Heavy Duty Stand x1 – https://geni.us/Eeqx
• Beauty Dish (Bowen S) – https://geni.us/4fhF
• Parabolic Softbox (Bowen S) – https://geni.us/D8Ao

Minimal daylight setup

If you live somewhere with lots of sunshine a must have piece of kit is a simple 5-in-1 reflector. You can do so much with these. I’ll write a huge detailed chapter in my Portrait Lighting eBook to follow.

• 5 in 1 Reflector – https://geni.us/23RBoI

Lighting is my Secret Sauce

No matter what camera or lens you use it’s the lighting that makes those wow shots. If you asked me how I achieve the “MrLeica look” I’d say read chapter 47 of my eBook. In brief, I aim to shoot clean so I don’t need to retouch skin and I do this with lighting (mostly). (See chapter 12 of my book for the importance of lens choice too).

When I have access to more lights/ lighting toys the sky is the limit for creativity. In contrast if you asked me to shoot a model on a grey day in flat light I feel my super power is gone and photos lack that secret sauce magic.

Just my 2p worth

All of the information above is of course just my 2p worth (and what has worked well for me over the last decade). Don’t take my word for it, see chapter 50 of my eBook for advice from great model photographers.

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Want to see me working with lights?

If you are not yet in a position to join me for a workshop and have already read my book I recommend Patreon. This where I share additional content including 100+ BTS videos with models. I explain my various lighting setups live on location and show before and after edits. Enjoy weekly posts to help you get more from your model photography and all for the price of a fancy Starbucks coffee!