I am in The Netherlands, and in the past two days, I taught some workshops. Flash workshops. Reason to remind you of how much you can do with simple means: one or two flash units. As in… one: a low key “split lighting” shot.

A flash fitted with a grid on the left; with the camera on manual with “studio settings”: 1/125th sec, f/8, 200 ISO.

Or with two:

Similar setting on the camera; now one additional flash with a snoot and a gel. The colours are complementary.

And finally, a shot with three flashes: the first has a softbox, on our left; the second is a hair light, behind, aimed forward; and the third is a background light with a gel.

In that last picture, the ambient light is exposed properly (I.e. this does not use “studio settings”).

The key here is: keep it simple. All shots were set up in no time: minutes, with simple equipment. If you learn to use flash you can do this and much, much more.