How to Use a Strip Softbox

One of the most important decisions you’ll make when lighting a portrait is where you place your key light. Even if you’re only using one light, that key light is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. It’s shaping your subject’s features, setting the mood of the image, and even affecting how the background looks….

Beginner portrait photographers often freeze when the photo shoot is supposed to begin. If you get stuck wondering where to start with your lighting setup, here are a few things to keep in mind. And remember, we always want to start with the key light in a common sense placement.

If you’re shooting weddings, engagements, or portraits and considering boudoir photography, you’re probably wondering: Where do I even start? And do I need expensive equipment? I get these questions all the time, so I put together two videos that answer them directly. These videos have been pretty popular over the last year or so. I…

In the ever-evolving world of photography, certain lighting gear has gradually faded from use, a couple of examples: the optical sync slave attachment and the PC cord/cable for flash sync. These tools have been overshadowed by advancements in flash technology and wireless connectivity. Optical Sync Device Let’s start with the optical sync slave attachment. About…

There’s a lot of doom-and-gloom talk out there about the future of portrait photography. People saying AI is about to make us all obsolete, that soon clients will be able to “shoot” an entire wedding or portrait session with nothing but a few selfies and a prompt. Yeah, the tech is moving fast. But before…

As photographers, we all reach a point where it’s not just about mastering the techniques but understanding when to apply them. One question I recently received is about when to use the different traditional portrait lighting setups. You’ve probably practiced broad lighting, short lighting, Rembrandt, butterfly, and split lighting—so when exactly should you use each…