A practical lighting guide with repeatable setups used in real commercial shoots.
Perfect for portrait, fashion, and editorial photographers — from beginners to advanced.
Created by Gosha Pavlenko
All images were created using the lighting setups included in the guide.
https://goshapavlenko.euGosha Pavlenko is a portrait and fashion photographer whose work blends soft precision with a restrained, cinematic minimalism. For over 15 years, he has been exploring light — its structure, rhythm, and emotional weight — both in controlled studio environments and in natural, unpredictable spaces.
For the past 8 years, Gosha has been teaching photographers how to build light with intention.He has led masterclasses, private mentoring sessions, and lectures, including teaching photography at the British Higher School of Design.
His approach is rooted in clarity: simple tools, purposeful decisions, and lighting that elevates the subject without calling attention to itself.
The Lighting Guide began as an internal resource for his students — a way to translate the logic of light into practical, repeatable setups. Today it is a concise system for photographers who want to create clean, structured, editorial-quality light without unnecessary complexity.
Every lighting setup in this guide has been used in real assignments —refined, tested, and built around a simple idea: light should feel effortless, yet intentional.
Daylight imitation using a single flash.
“Window light” simulation using wall bounce.
On-camera flash with controlled ambient light.
Glowing white background using stripboxes.
Deep portrait volume using two stripboxes + lantern.
Perfect black background using foam walls.
Shooting in harsh midday sun with large diffusers.
Using diffusion frames for cinematic softness.
Double diffusion technique for extremely soft shadows.
Outdoor reflector-frame backlight technique.
Indoor continuous-light diffusion setups (HMI example).
Exposure Guide — Included Free
How exposure really works (aperture, shutter speed, ISO — without guesswork)
When to use incident vs reflected metering
How to meter complex scenes with multiple light sources
How to control highlights and shadows using Ansel Adams’ Zone System
Practical exposure strategies for studio, daylight, and film photography
When you control light, you must also control exposure.
This guide ensures that every lighting setup produces predictable, repeatable results — especially when working with flash or film.
Real setups from real shoots — not generic textbook diagrams
Beginner-friendly, professional-grade results
Low equipment requirements — many setups use just a single flash or natural light
Portrait photographers
Fashion & editorial photographers
Beginners who want reliable, beautiful light
Film photographers
Studio photographers
Content creators and social media creatives
Lighting Guide: Studio & Outside
13 lighting setups, diagrams, and practical notes.
Bonus:
Exposure Guide — a practical manual on metering, flash exposure, and tonal control.
Created by a working photographer Gosha Pavlenko with years of commercial experience.
All setups are used in real client shoots such as: Vogue Italia, Glamour Italia, Elle Russia, Vogue Russia, Vogue Portugal, L’Officiel UA, Harpers Bazaar Russia, Trussardi, Adidas Originals, AVAVAV, Apple Inc., Yandex.
Q1: Is this guide suitable for beginners?
Yes. All setups are easy to follow and can be recreated even with minimal gear.
Q2: Do I need expensive lighting equipment?
No. Many setups use a single flash, bounce, or natural light.Professional setups (like double diffusion) can be done with inexpensive frames.
Q3: Can I use these setups for film photography?
Absolutely. Many examples in the guide were shot on film.
Q4: How is the guide delivered?
Immediately after purchase you’ll receive a downloadable PDF.
Q5: How many pages / setups are inside?
25 pages containing 13 lighting setups with diagrams, explanations, and image examples.+ 24 pages Exposure Guide.
If you have any question left feel free to contact me by email: gopavlenko@gmail.com