Lighting How To

Photographers inexperienced at portraiture often shy away from the task, with the mistaken notion that it requires specialized skill and sophisticated equipment to capture beautiful images. In the video below, a top pro refutes that myth by demonstrating how to make striking portraits outdoors under available light with a minimum of gear.

It’s nice when you can make something yourself, save a bit of cash, and end up with more creative photos as a result. That’s exactly what’s going on in the five-minute video below, demonstrating seven DIY light modifiers for creative portraiture.

Yesterday we demonstrated how to make better outdoor portraits by balancing ambient light with flash. Today’s lighting tutorial takes a different approach, explaining how to shoot indoor group portraits with a simple on-camera flash technique.

On-camera flash tends to get a bum rap, especially for portrait photography. But if you want to shoot stunning people pictures at night, unencumbered by flash brackets, light modifiers, or other flash attachments, all you have to do is watch the quick tutorial below. 

I’ve known John Hartman for many years. He is regarded in the industry as not only an outstanding photographer but also one of the hardest working and most successful photographers in the portrait world.

I doubt anyone could foresee the rapid changes digital technology has brought to photography. As a veteran of the business (40+ years), we have come a long way from the match-needle metering and manual flash units of the past. Heck, I can remember when thyristor circuits were a big deal because they could help us automate flash exposures.

We’re all familiar with the notion that the camera adds 10 pounds to people in our photos. Rather than debating the veracity of that claim, we’d thought we’d share the following video from SLR Lounge, describing a simple lighting technique for making portrait subjects appear thinner.