Captivating Portraits: RGB Lighting at Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral Portraits

This series marks another step forward in my portrait work — not a first attempt with RGB, but the first time using a background as part of the light itself. Winchester Cathedral became the stage, its stone arches acting like giant reflectors, bouncing red, magenta, and violet back into the frame. The space wasn’t just scenery; it shaped the portraits.

The idea was simple: explore how presence changes when colour reshapes mood. With the walls carrying the light, every arch became part of the performance.

But this session wasn’t just about RGB experiments. I also spent time working with natural light and flash — practice I badly needed after a run of frustrations earlier this year with unreliable triggers. Switching to a wired setup finally gave me the consistency I’d been chasing. With a diffuser softening the burst, the flash didn’t overwhelm; it carved shape into the shadows, adding dynamic definition to Andreea’s face while keeping her presence natural.

It reminded me why these practice runs matter. Flash has a reputation for being harsh, but when it works properly it can elevate an image — brightening what needs to be seen while leaving room for atmosphere. Getting past those technical problems and seeing it actually work was a breakthrough moment for me.

And of course, none of this would have been possible without Andreea. She’s not only a willing model but a consistently brilliant one. She photographs beautifully, and she has this rare quality of making even an experimental setup feel effortless in front of the camera. It’s always a pleasure to capture her, and her patience lets me test new ideas without pressure.

Where Shadows Stand Tall

Arches behind, shadows ahead — poised between stone and silence.

Poised between stone and silence, presence steady in the glow.

The arches of the cathedral corridor stretch behind her, while red light cuts across the stone. The symmetry frames her stance — calm, strong, untouchable.

Electric Poise

Lit in magenta, poised against the dark, silence humming with voltage.

Head tilted back, presence radiant — magenta light tracing quiet confidence.

Magenta light glows against the dark, hair rimmed in neon. Her gaze steady, still, electric. Quiet doesn’t feel quiet at all.

Resting in Colour

Caught between two worlds — red fire and green shadow shaping her calm presence.

Leaning into the silence, magenta shadows holding her in place.

In these final portraits, the tone shifts. Instead of standing tall or holding a charged gaze, Andreea leans into the cathedral wall, letting the magenta light wrap around her. It is a more intimate moment — less about outward presence, more about inward pause. The hand against the stone, the turned face, the softened posture: they suggest reflection rather than performance. Here, colour doesn’t just illuminate, it encloses — creating a space where strength folds into stillness, and the viewer is invited to linger in the quiet tension.

Why It Matters

For me, this shoot wasn’t just about portraiture. It was about control — bending light into narrative, whether with RGB bouncing from the walls or a carefully diffused flash. It was about turning technical setbacks into lessons. And it was about collaboration — the trust between photographer and model that makes experimentation possible.

I always aim for 30–40 final images in a session, but these three stood out as portfolio pieces, each one representing a different face of the theme.

👉 Interested in collaborating?

Get in touch via the contact page — let’s create something together.