Below you will see a basic lighting diagram.

Here we have 4 Studio lights, two to light the back ground and two for the subject.

A baffle screen is placed between the backdrop and the subject to prevent overspill of light onto the subject.

A french Flag or Gobo can be used between the main light and the subject if you need to reduce glare, of a bare sholder or bald head for example.

How to set up:

Layout

• Place out your lights and baffles as per the lighting diagram (you dont need the gobo)
• Know where you are going to place your subject, imagine an axis line down the middle
• either to the left or right, place the main light at 45 degrees to the camera.
• place the fill light above and behind the camera
• with both lights raise them above the headhieght of the subject and tilt forward, remember to adjust hieght and tilt angle each time the head hieght of the subject changes(standing to sitting, new model)
• The background lights should be placed at shoulder hieght the same distance from the axis(so it is a mirror image) with no tilt.
• Point the lights not at the centre but approx 18 inches before the centre on each side, this should give even lighting of the background as the light will spill over into the centre from both lights

Readings

• All lights should be the same power rating, if you have two diffrent sets, i.e two 500watt and two 250watt group them together (one set for the back ground, one for the subject light)
• Now it is trial and error for the power setting on the lights.
• Start with the plan of f8 for the main light, f 5,6 for the fill light (one stop under) and f16 for the background lights(two stops over)
• If you are unable to achive a reading due to lack of power from the light, distance etc, start again with a lower apeture reading for the main light. Dont worry it will make sence in a minute.
• Use your light meter for each individual light, for talking sake we are aiming at f8 on the main light, this should give enough DOF for our portrait.
• Adjust the power on the main light until the reading is f8 (remember to fire off the flash between adjustments of the power other wise you will be reading the charge from the previous setting)
• Once you have the main light reading at f8, move onto the fill light(switching of the main light) and complete the same procedure.
• The back ground lights are the same, aiming for 2 stops over, you dont need to be exactly on the button, but you do need an even light, with each light giving the same reading, in this case f16, we then take a reading with both lights on.
• For this we are looking to take five readings (in the shape of the points on a dice for the number 5)
• 
• Each spot should read f16, swivel the heads of the flash towards or away from the axis line to compensate for over under exposre.

You are now ready to switch on all the lights and start shooting.

For different effects you can switch off individual lights

• Switch of the background lights and the background will be black tather than white
• Switch off the fill light for more shadow,