This week's photo is taken from a series of portraits that my sister Abby requested for use on her website (though she ultimately chose a different shot than this one.) One area I would like to get better at in 2021 is using external flashes for lighting, and while it's not exactly a new concept for me, it's been a while since I've practiced it. That's also the reason it's not exactly the most creative portrait you've ever seen, but I found it a helpful start while getting back into the swing of things and I do like the double catch light you can see in the pupil there.
The lighting setup involves two external flashes on stands, one to the left of the camera with an umbrella for diffusion acting as the main (or key) light, and the other behind her on the right acting as a hair light. I also used a reflector to kick some light from the key back in as a fill, which is why there are two catch lights.
EXIF data:
1/100, f/5.6, ISO 100
50mm focal length
1/100, f/5.6, ISO 100
50mm focal length