Brandon Woelfel is a New York based photographer that has taken the photography world by storm. His unique style and has inspired many photographers to explore their own styles and light integration in their own work.
If you’re looking to recreate and try your hand at getting similar results to Brandon Woelfel, check out the list and tips below!
1. Fairy Lights
Taking photos at night (or in near darkness) while playing with and integrating fairy lights at different depths is a staple of Woelfel’s photos. He typically has the model hold one end of the string lights while he holds the opposite end at different angles in the frame. We recommend getting a longer set of lights so your poses aren’t limited.
Fairy Lights on Amazon for $10.99
2. Oversized Glasses
Woelfel often has his female models wearing aviator or oversized glasses. They add another layer of dimension with the light reflecting off the glasses.
3. Prism or CD/DVD
A glass prism can create amazing light effects and opens up a whole new world of creative possibilities. If you’d rather work with an item you probably have around your house, try the reflective bottom of a CD or DVD.
4. Sparklers, Smoke Grenades, or Confetti
These aren’t necessary but they do add an extra special touch to your pictures. Don’t use them all in one shot!
5. A “Brandon Woelfel Look” Lightroom Preset
The Cotton Candy Lightroom Preset does an amazing job of transforming RAW and JPEG photos into vibrant and fun images. Blues are pushed toward teal and yellow is pushed toward orange all while preserving skin tones.
This preset will really give your images the "Brandon Woelfel" look. It works best on photos taken at golden hour and at night that have colorful bokeh. The Cotton Candy Lightroom Preset includes 12 preset variations for ‘as shot’ white balance and 12 for ‘auto’ for a total of 24 presets.
Here’s a quick video of us applying the preset on a photo of our baby girl playing with fairy lights in a dark room.
Check out the Cotton Candy Lightroom Preset page for more tips and before and after photos.