Learning Portrait Photography

From lighting to posing, learn simple techniques for creating great portraits.

Introduction

• What you’ll learn in this course
• What tools you'll see demonstrated in this course

1. Choosing a Shooting Environment for a Simple Portrait

• How to get great light
• Three places to always find great natural light
• Importance and impact of backgrounds

2. Camera Setup for Simple Portraits

• Camera setup
• Setting depth of field
• Controlling focus
• Choosing a shooting mode
• Using a longer lens

3. Essential Tools for Simple Portraits

• Using a reflector
• Using foam core or pasteboard
• Using practical lights
• Essential tips for speed lights

4. Helping People Look Great

• Tips for helping people look great
• Using shadows to improve a portrait
• Positioning your subject
• The impact of camera height and lens angle
• Directing people for portraits
• Keeping the shoot moving

5. Additional Lighting Strategies

• Using a diffuser in full sun
• Using strobe through diffuser
• Minding the height of the light and its mood
• Adding a rim light

Conclusion

• Summary