Lighting Tequniques You Didn't Know for Bold Male Portraits

Male or otherwise, dramatic portraits are my absolute favorite style to capture, and in this video, Karl Taylor takes you behind the scenes of a shoot and shares some great tips on how you get the most out of your next portrait session.

Dramatic, moody portraits are something you either feel compelled to create as much as possible, or they're of no interest. If it's the former — and you clicked to view this video, so it's a safe bet that you are — then you may be aware of how tricky it can be to execute. You will likely already know that it's all in the lighting, but that in itself isn't enough information.

One mistake that I made early on was assuming that because the images tend to be low-key, they must be using fewer lights. So, in my early attempts, I would use just a key light and nothing else. As I practiced, I realized that to get the depth and mood right, it often took three lights to achieve what I wanted (key, rim, and fill) as well as some practicals. Then, I also mistakenly believed that the key light needed to be far away, when in fact, having the key light closer but low power can yield better results.

In this shoot, Taylor pulls off some fantastic shots and walks you through every decision he makes.