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.

If you’re a bit envious of the beautiful portraits made by pros with well-equipped studios, this tutorial is a must-see. That’s because in just six minutes you’ll learn how to make stunning portraits of your own, in a home studio with just one flash and a simple background.

Watch this helpful simple lighting tip from photographer Michael Sasser in two steps. It deals with how to shoot portraits in natural light, which makes it perfect for just about any photographer, whether you’re shooting photos of friends and family on vacation, or capturing models in a professional fashion shoot outdoors in sunlight.

Unless you’re a professional portrait photographer with a well-equipped studio, the best way to make pleasing people pictures is to keep things simple and either shoot outdoors under good light, or use a basic indoor setup at home. In this tutorial, you’ll see how to do the latter with a technique that delivers dramatic results.

The video below provides a rare opportunity to pick up several valuable tips from one of the world’s preeminent nature and wildlife photographers. In less than four minutes, Frans Lanting explains how to shoot great landscape photographs any time of day, as the quality of light changes from dawn to dusk.

Whether you’re shooting indoor portraits by window light or using available light outdoors, an inexpensive reflector is one of best tools for dramatically improving your results. In the five-minute video below, photographer Mark Cleghorn demonstrates everything you need to know to get the job done.

The eye-opening video below is the latest in a series of tutorials by a British pro, demonstrating how to recognize good light and use it to create dynamic imagery. In this episode, photographer Sean Tucker explains how to use reflected light when shooting on the street.