Recent Lighting Articles

We Are Lady Parts: A New Way to Tell Stories About Bands

We Are Lady Parts, the story of an all-Muslim-female punk band in London, is a groundbreaking collaboration between creator Nida Manzoor and cinematographer Diana Olifirova. Not only is the plot compelling and refreshing, but Olifirova and Manzoor also use a variety of filmmaking techniques to develop character, move the story along, and visually excite their audience. I had a chance to speak with Olifirova about putting Manzoor’s project on screen.

Why Mistakes Are Such an Important Part of the Photography Process

When you are new to photography, it can feel like professionals know exactly what they want and how to achieve it, but that is how social media can be quite misleading. The truth is that professionals make mistakes all the time; in fact, they embrace them. This excellent video tutorial will take you behind the scenes of a photographer's portrait lighting process and show you how mistakes can lead you to a great final image.

Learn How These Cinematic Magazine Cover Photos Were Shot

The beauty of artificial lighting is that you can create looks that simply would not be possible using only the sun. One of the greatest technical challenges for a photographer is lighting a group portrait so that every individual is well lit but so the overall look is still sculpted and compelling rather than flat and two-dimensional. If you would like to really take your portrait lighting to the next level, check out this awesome video tutorial that will take you behind the scenes of a cinematic magazine cover photo shoot and show you how to do it yourself.

Reciprocal Gaze: An Exclusive Interview with "Visitors" Director Godfrey Reggio

Thirty years after their original collaboration for Koyaanisqatsi, filmmaker Godfrey Reggio and Philip Glass are at it again with documentary where the audience is placed in an unusual situation: watching the varied expressions of others interacting with technology. This video, an Fstoppers exclusive, gives you a look into the mind of Godfrey Reggio while making the film.

Why You Only Need Two Lights to Start as a Portrait Photographer

Getting started with flash can be both exciting and intimidating; it is an entirely new set of techniques, but it also enables a wide variety of creative opportunities that simply would not be possible otherwise. If you are ready to tackle artificial lighting, it is important to get off on the right foot. This great video tutorial features an experienced beauty and portrait photographer discussing why it is best to start your lighting journey with no more than two lights.

We Review the Genaray Portabright COB LED

It seems more and more, competitors are showing up in the COB LED lighting world, and this is no exception. This is the Genaray Portabright, and here's what it’s like to shoot with and ultimately who it could be for.

2 Easy and Cinematic Lighting Setups From Music Videos

Music videos have been some of the most condensed displays of cinematic creativity for decades now, and there is a lot that can be learned. Here is a breakdown of some excellent lighting used in a music video.

A Beginner's Guide to Using Lighting Modifiers for Video

Photography and video have some crucial differences between them, but perhaps the most important similarity between them is that good lighting is crucial to getting the best results. If you are new to video and working on building your skills, check out this great video tutorial that will show you a variety of different lighting modifiers and how to use them to create professional-level results.

Sculpting Style With Light: Unlocking Artistic Vision Through Multi-Flash Setups

Many photographers looking to pursue more conceptual portraiture are intimidated by elaborate lighting configurations required to achieve intensely stylized effects. However, this excellent video tutorial makes the case that venturing beyond single-source illumination opens doors for bringing unique creative visions vibrantly to life.

4 Natural Light Portrait Setups Using Only a Reflector

Shooting outdoor portraits offers a lot of creative opportunities, but it can be a bit of a pain to lug lighting to a location. Knowing how to work with natural light and a reflector can give you a lot of the versatility of an artificial light without all the inconvenience. This fantastic video tutorial will show you four different ways to use a reflector for outdoor portraits.

How to Add Ambiance to an Outdoor Portrait With Artificial Light

Outdoor portrait shoots can be a fantastic way to photograph couples in an organic environment that allows them to convey natural poses and emotion. However, nature does not always cooperate. Adding a smidgen of artificial light can be just what you need to really complete a photo. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to do just that.

How To Light A Dance Music Video

I recently filmed a quick dance music video with famous dancer Marquese Scott. Here's how I pulled it off.

Luminar Neo Adds an Extension With a Christmas Twist

Just in time for holiday photos, Skylum has a new extension for Luminar Neo. It's the seventh extension offered this year, and it's called Magic LightAI. The release is scheduled for December 15.

Sculpting Storytelling Light for Engagement Photos

Capturing the spirit of love’s celebrations demands thoughtful artistry behind the lens. In his latest tutorial, seasoned wedding shooter Pye Jirsa demonstrates essential techniques for intentionally crafting evocative engagement portraits through deliberate light shaping. Through five versatile lighting recipes, Jirsa spotlights how to create desired moods and contexts to transform setups into narrative tools.

What You Need to Know About Negative Fill

When you are creating a lighting setup for a portrait, you probably approach it from the standpoint of adding lights and modifiers until you get the result you want. However, while adding light is, of course, important, it is also crucial to know where to take it away. This is where the idea of negative fill comes in. However, negative fill can sometimes be misunderstood. This great video tutorial will show you how negative fill really works and how to use it for your portrait work.

2 Photographers Go Head-to-Head Shooting With Only Hard Reflectors

Profoto sets a challenge for photographers, Chris Knight and Lindsay Adler, to orchestrate a portrait shoot with some limitations: the color theme of the shoot is the Pantone Color of the Year and although each photographer can use as many lights as they like, they have to use hard reflectors.
Three High-End Maternity Lighting Setups

Maternity photography is a special genre that captures the beauty and significance of motherhood. The right lighting can transform a simple photo into an evocative image that encapsulates the beauty and strength of expectant mothers. This fantastic video tutorial will show you three such lighting setups.

Learn How This Dramatic Sports Portrait Was Created

James Quantz Jr is one of the best out there when it comes to sports portraiture, with his innovative lighting and eye-catching compositions making for dramatic images. If you would like to learn how to create this style of portrait, check out this fantastic video tutorial in which he takes you behind the scenes, breaking down a complex shot into easier chunks to show you how it all came together.

Create Cinematic Lighting With Tube Lights

Lighting equipment can be expensive, confusing, and cumbersome, but it doesn't have to be. Some of the most interesting and enjoyable lights to use are much cheaper than studio strobes and can unlock real creativity.

Simple Outdoor Lighting Setups for Filmmaking

If you create content outdoors, you will know that lighting can feel like a minefield. In this video, Aidin Robbins teams up with Adorama to give you some simple lighting setup options for your next shoot.
Learn How to Create This Four-Light Portrait Yourself

You can create stunning portraits with just a single light, but once you have mastered that, moving into more complex multi-light setups will open up your creative opportunities even more. If you would like to try a challenging but rewarding portrait lighting setup, check out this great video tutorial that will show you a dramatic image shot using a four separate lights.

Strobe or Natural Light? Let the War Begin.

I love watching other photographers at work. In this video, you will see one of my favorite fashion photographs, Lindsay Adler, who is known for studio lighting and Dani Diamond, who prefers natural light. They go head to head on the streets of New York with the same model.
The Photo Creators: A Boutique Conference for Hands-On Learning

Not all conferences are created equal. While I am a big fan of the large conferences, sharing a room with hundreds of people isn't always the best way to learn. So, if you still want to learn from big names such as Lindsey Adler and Joe McNally, but in a small hands-on environment, then The Photo Creators may be what you are looking for.

Could You Save This Messed-up Footage?

No doubt, modern cameras and editing software have allowed us to push edits to extremes we would never have dreamed of previously, but still, to ensure the best image and video quality and significantly reduce our work at the computer, getting things right in camera is best. That being said, there will be times when things need some work in post. This neat video challenges four colorists to correct severely askew footage and will teach you some great methods in the process.

Learn How This Wedding Portrait Was Lit, Shot, and Edited

When it comes to working with artificial lighting, there is sometimes the misconception that professional images require multiple sources, all of which are big, heavy, and expensive. That is not always the case, though. In fact, you can create professional-level shots with just a single speedlight, and this excellent video tutorial will take you through the entire process, from setting up the shot through post-processing.

The Guilty: Making Movies With Intention in the Time of COVID

Intention in filmmaking has the potential to elevate movies. As a photographer, watching a movie with thoughtful cinematography is my favorite way to pass a Friday night. Maz Makhani’s work on The Guilty, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Antoine Fuqua, is an example of realizing this potential.

Copying Roger Deakins' Lighting Style in Your Videos

Lighting your videos — or even cinematic-style portraits — can be a complex affair, with so many different lighting setups available to you. One potential solution is to take cues from brilliant cinematographers.
Using a Mood Board for Fashion Shoots

In this video, Lindsay Adler walks through her pre-planning, shooting, and post-processing of a themed photo shoot and explains from start to finish how to recreate this image.

Why You Should Always Watch the Light When Shooting Wide Angle Portraits Outside

When you think of a portrait, you probably think of focal lengths mostly between 85mm and 135mm, but, of course, that does not mean you can't use wider focal lengths. A wide angle portrait outside can be a great way to add a sense of drama and adventure to the frame, but you need to ensure you are carefully balancing the light. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to read the light and ensure you get the best possible images.

The Wild and Dangerous History of Flash Photography

Photography has evolved from a labor-intensive craft to a ubiquitous part of our daily lives, thanks in part to technological advancements. One particularly fascinating aspect of this evolution is the history of flash photography, which introduced significant challenges and costs to capturing images in low-light conditions, with sometimes explosive results.

Improvised Cinematic B-Roll With Available Lighting

Cinematic footage is a great way to showcase a product and add a level of professionalism to your video work. However, it can be daunting to know where to start, and the options can get expensive. If you want simple and effective ways to up your video b-Roll game without breaking the bank, look no further than this accessible tutorial.

How to Light a Fashion and Hair Competition Portrait

Lighting can make or break a portrait, and sometimes, you will be asked by a client to tailor your lighting design to accentuate specific characteristics or features of your subject. In this great video tutorial, you will see a photographer team up with a world-class barber to create images for a hairstyling competition and learn how a combination of lighting and editing came together to create the final images.

How to Create Fake Fire Through Creative Lighting

Fire will always be something that evokes feelings of excitement, dread, and more, making it a fantastic dramatic tool in short films, wedding videos, and more. But of course, you can't just go around lighting fires wherever and whenever you want, so this great video will show you how you can convincingly fake it with your lighting.

The Godox V1Pro Review: The Best On-Camera Flash Finally Gets Updates

Recently, Godox launched the V1Pro, an upgrade to the popular V1 flash. But with the V1 already at the top of the pack, was there much to improve? In this review, I’ll be comparing the Godox V1 and V1Pro to determine which you should consider adding to your flash photography kit.

Enhancing Your Portraits With Shadow Boards

Mastering lighting techniques is a cornerstone of creating compelling compositions, allowing for the manipulation of mood, texture, and depth in an image. The helpful video tutorial will show you how to use shadows to create more pleasing images.

Using High Speed Sync to Take Your Action Photography to the Next Level

In certain scenarios, such as photographing action outdoors, it’s all too easy to find yourself needing to work at shutter speeds that exceed the flash sync speed of your camera. This is where high speed sync comes into its own, expanding your creative possibilities beyond the limitations of conventional flash.

How Fill Light Transforms Your Images

Understanding fill light and its influence on portraits is a cornerstone for mastering off-camera flash techniques. This helpful video tutorial will show you how fill light can elevate a portrait from good to great.

Transform Your Photos With Only One or Two Lights

Mastering light in photography is essential, whether one is working with the natural glow of the sun or artificial studio setups. Understanding how to manipulate light with just one or two sources can transform the quality of your work, making the subject stand out in ways that are both subtle and profound.

Different Key Light Modifiers and How I Use Them for Portraits

Big softbox, little softbox, umbrella, or beauty dish? When choosing a key light modifier for your portraits, it can be daunting to decide which one is the best for the job. I've been working as a portrait photographer for 19 years, so in this article, I'll take you through the modifiers I grab most often for shoots and explain what each one does and the best scenarios to use them.

Demystifying Three-Point Lighting: A Practical Guide for Photographers

Understanding and effectively utilizing light is fundamental to creating compelling and impactful portraits. This is where the concept of three-point lighting comes into play, offering a versatile and powerful technique for achieving professional-looking results.

Unlocking the Secrets of Natural Light

Natural light is often touted as the photographer's best friend, yet many struggle to harness its full potential. This disconnect stems from the oversimplification of natural light usage and the expectation that it should automatically enhance photographs.

Fine Art Portraits With One Light

Fine art portraits often evoke a sense of emotion and tell a story through careful composition, lighting, and posing. While achieving this style might seem complex, it can be done with minimal equipment, even in a small home studio. Let's explore how you can create stunning fine art portraits using just a single light, a backdrop, and some basic modifiers.