Three Tips for Better Portraits

Here are 10 tips covering topics you should get familiar with when it comes to flash photography. I realize how frustrating flash can be; many of the concepts can be hard to get your head around. But the challenge is worth it. Take a look at this video and use it as a roadmap to…

Here’s a quick demonstration of how to achieve so-called, soft light for portraits, still life, and other types of photography.  In previous tutorials, we’ve used real people, as well as mannequins to show how to create different levels of contrast using one or more lights and/or reflectors.  Here, we’ll use simple 3D shapes on a…

In a portrait photography lighting setup, the key light is the foundation. This is the primary source of illumination for your subject. The “key” is also the light that provides the most information about your subject’s features and shape. It’s the way the key light casts illumination AND shadows across your subject’s face that gives…

This is the follow up video to my Two-Light Flash Portrait tips. Here, we discuss three ways to use two flash units for outdoor photos.   In the first demo, we’re using flash to replicate backlighting produced by sunset.  Next, we’ll talk about using flash to add dimension to the background environment.  And finally, we’ll use…

Bodyscape photography is one of those genres that often looks far more complicated than it really is. When you see a finished image with strong contours, deep shadows, or soft luminous highlights, it’s easy to assume the photographer was working with complex lighting setups and a lot of specialized gear. In reality, you can create…

You can really make your portraits stand out by adding just one additional light to your setup.  In this video, I’ll give you tips for two-light flash portraiture.  Specifically, we’ll cover how to: Separate your subject from the background.  For those times when part of your subject is disappearing into darkness on one side of…