How to Use Lens Flare for Sexy Portrait Photography (VIDEO)

A "mistake" in photography is something to be avoided, right? That's not always the case and in the below tutorial, pro photographer and educator Karl Taylor explains how a lighting error can sometimes add sex appeal to a portrait.

"Lens flare is generally something that's avoided in photography, but, as we know, rules are made to be broken," Taylor says. "In this sexy portraiture lighting setup tutorial, I explain how I deliberately used flare for creative effect when photographing this angelic portrait of a model."

But that doesn't mean lens flare is all it takes to give your portraits sensuality. In fact, that's often not the case. However, if you watch Taylor's image breakdown below, he'll show you exactly how he uses it and a few other lighting techniques to create the head-turning shot you see at the top of this story.

"There were three distinct lighting aspects to this portrait shot: the light for the white background, the wrap-around light on the model, and the fill-in light from the front," Taylor explains.

"You’ll see the full lighting diagram for this shoot as I explain the lighting setup used to create the shot, as well as other considerations such as background choice and shooting angle."

In the video, Taylor first shares some behind-the-scenes information about the shot and then leads a discussion of why one should use lens flare in portraits. Then he breaks down his lighting set-up and explains why you should also use fill lighting. Finally, Taylor shares a lighting diagram of how he shot the image so you can try the same techniques yourself.

After you watch Taylor's tutorial, go visit and subscribe to his YouTube channel. He is truly a master of lighting and shares clear tips so even novice photographers can understand how to illuminate their portraits to make them special.

X