From advertising to editorial, Michael Grecco’s work is continually raising the photographic bar. He is known for dynamic portraiture and capturing the essence of his subjects. Grecco works with an unrivaled technical ability and a rare sensitivity. The image he has created for himself is authentic, composed and always striking.

You can read a fascinating article by Michael Grecco here:

Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait by Michael Grecco

I’ve bought his book, but I haven’t had chance to read it yet.

This guy breaks all the rules, he does crazy things you aren’t supposed to do with light, he doesn’t produce well exposed sharp images. He produces edgy art, images that show the essence of the person.

He also teaches you how to deal with people, great portraits are not taken - they are GIVEN.

You can find his site here:

Michael Grecco

Many people have often approached me and asked me how I do my product and close-up studio shots. In actuality, I use a very simple DIY solution…

You can put one or two layers of tracing paper on the cartons and also line the insides of it with foil. For light source, you can use strong daylight (4200K) lamps or flashguns (if you have the budget). I use 2 flashguns commanded wirelessly via an infrared commander which I can control the lighting ratio. For backdrops, you can buy fancy artboards from the artshops or use satin from Kamdar. The white board on top is to ensure there are no light leaks through and from above.

Some results with this setup (with some variations)…