Shooting with one light

A single source forces decisions. You cannot fix a weak composition by adding a rim light, so you move the subject, the camera, or the source until the frame works on its own.

Our default is a large soft source slightly above and to the side, feathered so the brightest part of the beam misses the face. Negative fill on the opposite side does most of the shaping.

The result looks like a window on an overcast day, which is the light most people already find beautiful without being told to.