📸 One Light Headshot Setup for a Clean White Background (No Studio Needed!)
Vanessa Joy is a wedding photographer and educator helping photographers grow profitable businesses and elevate their photography skills.
This guide is for photographers who want to deliver clean, professional white-background headshots without needing a studio. Whether you’re photographing corporate clients in New Jersey, small business owners in Austin, or creatives in New York City, this simple setup is perfect for professional results anywhere.
Why You Don’t Need a Studio for Professional Headshots
A pure white background is timeless and versatile. The good news is, you don’t need an expensive studio or complicated setup to achieve it. With the right one-light arrangement and a little know-how, you can create this look in a client’s office, a rented space, or even your living room.
What You’ll Learn in This Tutorial
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The exact one-light setup I use for white-background headshots
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How to avoid shadows and keep your background evenly lit
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Posing and expression tips to make clients look confident and natural
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Gear placement tricks to keep the subject sharp and the background clean
My Go-To Gear for White-Background Headshots
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Light: One strobe or speedlight with a large softbox
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Background: White wall or collapsible white backdrop
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Camera & Lens: Any DSLR or mirrorless with a medium telephoto lens (I often use my Canon R5 + 85mm)
Tip: The magic is in the technique, not the gear. With practice, you can replicate this look almost anywhere.
Why This Setup Works
This headshot method is:
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Portable: Ideal for on-location sessions and travel shoots
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Polished: Produces bright, clean, professional results
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Client-Approved: Works perfectly for LinkedIn profiles, press kits, brand photography, and online profiles
I’ve used this approach from editorial shoots in NYC to branding sessions in Austin to corporate jobs in New Jersey - and the results are consistently high-end.
Ready to Try It?
🎥 Watch the full behind-the-scenes tutorial on YouTube to see my exact setup and process in action.
