One-Light Bodyscapes

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…

Learning any new photography skill can be challenging, but there are strategies you can use to make it easier (and more effective). Here’s a good strategy for mastering new lighting techniques: Set aside time to practice regularly. Experiment with different lighting setups, try new techniques, and see how changes in angle and distance affect your…

In this Flash Photography for Portraits crash course (updated for 2025), I go over all the important things you’ll need to know to get started. The course will teach you about flash photography for portraits. Learn about different flash gear options (speedlites and strobes), flash synchronization, lighting modifiers, how to take advantage of TTL and…

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…

Beginner portrait photographers should understand how even small changes in the distance from the light to the subject can have major effects. This video also discusses how to control exposure on the background in basic portrait lighting setups.

In this video, you’ll get an overview of the basics of flash photography portraiture using two lights. Two-light flash photography is commonly used in portraiture, where the key light is the main light and the second serves as fill flash. We’ll cover several different roles your second light can play, including fill light, hair light,…