Light It Like Jeff: 3 Light Setup with Gels & V-Flats | EP 11

Breaking Down the Lights

Jeff’s approach starts with one neutral base and builds into something much more dramatic.

The Key Light

The foundation is a 3-foot octa, feathered almost completely away from Bonnie, the model, and toward the camera. Jeff keeps it at the lowest power, so instead of blasting her with light, it just kisses her face with a touch of neutral tone. By itself, it looks underexposed, but that’s intentional. It’s the balancing act that makes the rest of the setup work.

The Snoot with Red Gel

Next up is the fun, playful piece: an optical snoot fitted with a red gel and a blinds pattern. From a distance, it looks like window blinds spilling stripes across Bonnie, but Jeff keeps it close, so the lines become abstract streaks instead of sharp shadows. The red alone would be harsh, but when combined with that subtle neutral base light, it softens into something much more dynamic.

The Teal Rim Light with a V-Flat

Now for the third light. Jeff points a B10 light with a teal gel straight into a white V-Flat. The bounce wraps the color around Bonnie as a rim light, but it also spreads into the frame as an overall teal wash. On its own, it might feel strange for a standard portrait, but paired with Bonnie’s magenta hair and the red gel, it transforms into a vibrant, sci-fi vibe.

Jeff even uses camera framing to his advantage. By cropping right at the edge of the V-Flat, he lets some of that teal light spill directly into the lens, creating a soft glow along one side of the frame. It’s a small detail, but it adds atmosphere that takes the shot beyond a simple three-light setup.

When the Colors Collide

When Jeff switches all three lights on, the look comes alive. The octa adds a neutral base, the snoot projects its red-striped texture, and the teal bounce wraps and glows in a way that feels cinematic. He finishes it off with a black V-Flat as the backdrop, keeping the background solid so the color play stays front and center.

The final result: a bold, colorful portrait where red, teal, and magenta blend in a way that’s electric without being overwhelming. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best lighting setups aren’t about more gear or bigger modifiers – they’re about stacking creative choices until everything clicks.