In this series, I wanted to explore what strength looks like when the adrenaline settles, when fight becomes focus, breath, and quiet determination. “Fight Like a Girl” isn’t about impact; it’s about intention. It’s about the still moments between rounds where resilience is built. Light would be my storytelling tool.

Reading the Room — And the Fighter

Stepping into the boxing gym, I was drawn to the contrast: bright overhead training lights fading into pockets of darkness around the ring. That tension between visibility and shadow, power and pause became the foundation for this portrait.

In boxing, every move is deliberate. I wanted the lighting to reflect that same discipline.

The moment captured here isn’t explosive, it’s reflective. Gloves wrapped, posture calm but ready, eyes focused. Strength doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it breathes.

Sculpting With Shadows

To create shape and emotional depth, I worked with a controlled low-key lighting setup. The goal was contrast, but not harshness, power, but with grace.

Lighting Setup:

  • Elinchrom THREE as my key light, positioned slightly above and angled to create a carved highlight across the face and shoulder.
  • Elinchrom ONE used as a subtle fill from the opposite side, just enough to preserve detail without flattening the mood.
  • Barndoors to keep the light focused and cinematic, controlling spill and isolating the subject from the background.
  • Rotalux Octa 100 Deep for a soft yet directional beam — the kind that wraps the skin while preserving definition in muscle tone and texture.

I wanted shadows you could almost feel — shadows that carried tension, discipline, and quiet confidence.

Why This Light

Soft but directional light allowed me to:

  • Reveal strength without over-dramatising it
  • Draw the eye to expression, posture, and intent
  • Keep the environment honest — gritty, real, unpolished in the best way

The fight isn’t always in motion. Sometimes it’s in stillness. Lighting becomes the breath before the punch — the internal dialogue of a fighter who refuses to break.

For me, this image is a reminder that controlled lighting can become a narrative tool in its own right. By shaping the frame with intention, every shadow and highlight contributes to the rhythm of the scene. When the light is disciplined, the story becomes clear. That is the power of a well built lighting setup: it allows the photograph to speak for itself.

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