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Lighting Fundamentals – Improve Your Portraits with Light
When Ellie asked me to write for the annual “Lighting” issue, she suggested “Lighting Patterns.” My first thought was dark, gloomy closeups with sad people and of course Rembrandt.
When Ellie asked me to write for the annual “Lighting” issue, she suggested “Lighting Patterns.” My first thought was dark, gloomy closeups with sad people and of course Rembrandt.
As someone who shoots with any kind of light available to me, I’m pretty resourceful when it comes to incorporating external lighting within my shoots. A lot of my photoshoots are spontaneous, so I don’t like to weigh myself down with heavy gear or props.
Photography is an expensive undertaking, whether it’s your hobby or your career. From the hardware (camera and lenses) to the software (Capture One/Lightroom/Photoshop) and all the little things in between, the costs add up.
We know that weddings can be extremely unpredictable. You can do all of the preparation in the world, but as the famed fighter Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Inspiration can come when you least expect it. As photographers, we are visual artists. We express ourselves through our camera and the images we create.
Over the years, some of my favorite tricks in Lightroom Classic have saved me seconds per image, minutes per job and hours in a week. Saving time is vital for my workflow and sanity when I have dozens of jobs piling up.
What a year it has been. It’s still hard to wrap our minds around everything that has happened in the last year and a half. It’s been an up and down emotional roller coaster. Even now, as a business owner, Im struggling to find my rhythm again. Do you find yourself feeling the same way?
There are two main approaches you can take in the studio or on location. And which lane you choose will have a huge impact on the outcome of your images. You could choose to emulate window light, or you could choose to simulate sunlight.
As both a fashion and portrait photographer, I photograph a wide variety of posing styles. I photograph models in back-breaking avant garde positions and portrait clients who would prefer to remain seated, thank you very much (not that I let them). And it’s my job to coach them all.
Instagram Reels launched in August of 2020 in 50 countries worldwide. Since then, photographers everywhere went scrambling to learn yet another social media trend—all while trying to keep their businesses open during the corona crisis and homeschool their kids. Who needs sleep, right?
In today’s competitive landscape, quality online photography training and education is priceless to your growth. Unfortunately, most publications contain a ton of fluff. No real meat to their content. Not at Behind the Shutter. We are committed to the photography community and improving professional photography by providing current, insightful, and in-depth educational content.
Training topics include photography lighting techniques, photography off-camera flash tips, photography posing guides, photography business concepts and marketing strategies, Facebook for photographers, boudoir and glamour photography training, high-school senior photography concepts, IPS (In-Person Sales) strategies, family photography, Lightroom tutorials, Photoshop how-tos, and much, much more.