Which Side Should Your Flash Go On?

I once heard a famous portrait photographer say he always positions his light on his left side, because back in his days as a news photographer, he used to hold his flash in his outstretched left hand, so he could hold the camera and press the shutter button with his right hand. He’s so used to seeing his light from the left, that now, even in the studio, he puts his studio strobe on the left side. I usually light subjects from the left side, too (but I have no idea why—I guess I’m just used to it that way). However, if I’m on location and can’t light from the left side, I just move the light to the right side. Not everything to do with lighting has to be complicated. (See page 220 for the final image and recipe for the shoot shown here.)