MITOYA Challenge - 3 Lighting Setups for a Photo Shoot

For this MITOYA Challenge, we teamed up with Jacek of JacekWPhoto to explore three lighting setups for a photo shoot: creative colour, fashion and portraiture. Working with a mixed kit of MITOYA lights, modifiers and stands, he built each look on set. The resulting film takes a practical look at light placement, mounting options and the adjustments behind the final images.

The shoot was deliberately open-ended. Rather than following a fixed lighting plan, Jacek developed each setup around the equipment available and the results he was seeing. Although he regularly uses a MITOYA ORCA 330 in his own studio, this was his first shoot with the kit we sent him. The film follows that process, including the decisions and changes made along the way.

The kit used on the shoot

Jacek had a selection of LED lights, light modifiers, stands and mounting accessories to work with:

MITOYA MTY288T – a combined camera tripod and light stand,
MITOYA SNAP 65 cm – softbox,
MITOYA SNAP 90 cm – softbox,
MITOYA ORCA 230 RGB – RGB COB LED light,
MITOYA APISTO 100 RGB – RGB LED panel,
MITOYA APISTO 10 RGB – pocket-sized RGB LED light,
MITOYA PIKE 42 RGB – RGB LED tube,
MITOYA PIKE 50 RGB – RGB LED tube,
MITOYA SCARAB – magnetic phone mount,
MITOYA TETRA – focusing LED torch,
MITOYA PUFFIN – light stand,
2 × MITOYA PANDA 330 cm – light stands,
MITOYA HYRAX – mini camera tripod,
an additional compact 150 W light.

Creative colour: a narrow key light with cool fill

The first setup started with the MITOYA TETRA. Its sliding lens adjusts the beam focus, while the supplied masks provide further control over its shape. Jacek chose the slit mask to cast a narrow band of light across the model.

The TETRA offers four colour settings: white, yellow-orange, blue and red. Jacek used the warm setting for his key light, then balanced it with cool fill from a MITOYA ORCA 230 RGB bounced off the studio ceiling. This broad wash of bounced light filled the areas outside the TETRA’s narrow beam, creating a clear contrast between the warm key and cool shadows.

Two RGB LED tubes, the MITOYA PIKE 42 RGB and MITOYA PIKE 50 RGB, completed the setup. Both were set to cool colours and used to add subtle edge lighting to the model’s hair and cheek.

Initially, the TETRA was mounted on the MITOYA MTY288T, using its articulating centre column as a boom. The narrow beam gave the model very little room to move, so Jacek switched to holding the light himself. Its compact size let him shoot with one hand and adjust the lighting angle with the other, following the model’s pose as it changed.

Fashion: lighting the model and a bright backdrop

For the second setup, the aim was to give the model more freedom to move and allow Jacek to switch between tighter portraits, three-quarter shots and full-length images. He needed a fashion lighting setup that could cover these different framings using the varied selection of lights available.

Lighting the background was the main challenge. A matched pair of lights often makes it easier to achieve even coverage, but there were no identical fixtures in this kit. Jacek paired the MITOYA ORCA 230 RGB with the compact 150 W light. The transition between the brighter backdrop and the studio floor was not quite as clean as planned, but the overall look was close to what he had in mind.

A MITOYA APISTO 100 RGB, mounted vertically on the MTY288T, served as the key light. In this particular mounting configuration, the ball head’s quick-release plate prevented Jacek from fitting the supplied softbox. This was a limitation of the way the light was mounted for the shoot.

He therefore worked without the softbox. The more defined shadows suited the look, bringing out the texture of the fabric and the shape of the clothing.

Jacek also used the MITOYA SCARAB magnetic phone mount to record the camera’s viewfinder display, including the shooting settings. This added a behind-the-scenes view of what he was seeing while making the photographs.

Portraits: a soft key with deep shadows

The final setup moved towards a more subdued, high-contrast portrait. With plenty of space in the studio, Jacek could position the model and lights so that the white cyclorama registered as a dark grey gradient. In a smaller space, a dark grey seamless paper backdrop would provide a practical starting point for a similar look.

The key light was a MITOYA ORCA 230 RGB fitted with a MITOYA SNAP 65 cm softbox. Positioned close to the model’s face, it produced soft transitions from light to shadow. The lighting arrangement retained deep facial shadows while limiting spill onto the background.

A battery-powered MITOYA APISTO 10 RGB on a MITOYA HYRAX mini tripod provided a small amount of fill. It gently lifted the shadows and brought more light into the eyes without flattening the contrast.

Finally, a MITOYA PIKE 42 RGB added a subtle rim light to separate the model from the dark background. The resulting portraits had a quieter, moodier feel than the previous two sets.

Watch the shoot and see the final images

These three setups show how the same kit can serve very different purposes, from tightly controlled colour lighting to fashion work and high-contrast portraits. For photographers, studio teams and in-house production crews, the useful detail is in the process: where each light was placed, how it was mounted and what changed as the shoot progressed.

Watch the full MITOYA Challenge video on YouTube for the lighting breakdowns, behind-the-scenes footage and final photographs.

You can find more of Jacek’s work on Instagram at @jacekwphoto.