Photography Lighting

There is a common misconception about strobe lighting that might be holding back your images, and it's an easy one to make. Here is a concise and clear explanation of the problem.

Lighting holds the keys to the overall feel of an image for the most part, particularly with portraiture. In this video, you will see behind-the-scenes of a dramatic, moody portrait shoot with some tips on how to replicate the style yourself.

Great portraiture can be created with anything from natural light to a studio full of the most expensive equipment, but if you — like most photographers — are closer to the natural light setup than a high-end studio, perhaps this video might show you just what you can produce with one, cheap light.

There are few types of video more valuable than a good behind-the-scenes, particularly when it walks you through the process. Jump backstage in this tutorial to see how this beautiful, fine art portrait was taken with four lights and a purpose-built set.

How do you know if an umbrella costing $100 is any better than the $5 one? It's quite hard to tell the difference in terms of light quality, especially if you're a beginner. But I assure you, expensive light modifiers are quite different from the regular cheap ones. That difference is noticeable only after you've used them for some time.

How do you position your artificial light sources?

Portrait lighting does not always have to be expensive or overly complicated. This excellent video tutorial will show you a professional portrait lighting setup that only requires two speedlights, two shoot-through umbrellas, and a reflector.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to completely change an image and make it more memorable is to add a flash. 

The Godox ML60 light gives you a whole lot of features that can really improve your lighting when you’re a run and gun type of shooter, or want constant light on location. I mean, it can run on a battery, and has a handle.

We're being treated to another short-form behind the scenes tutorial from Nathan Elson. This time, Elson is taking us into the studio to show us his techniques for using a single light to create soft even light across a subject.

My favorite light for shooting landscapes is definitely sidelight. Still, I won’t let the position of the sun stop me from photographing great locations. You shouldn’t, too. There are plenty of options to become creative.

The number of affordable lighting products available from Godox has exploded in the last few years. If you’re not sure which modifier will best suit your work, check out this in-depth video to help you make your choice.

Photography, like most crafts, has a number of strands to it. To become a master of the craft, there is a lot of ground to cover, but there are certain skills that will pay dividends for the rest of your career.

Soft lighting is often more flattering, but if you are new to working with strobes, it can be a bit tricky to create it in a natural way. This excellent video tutorial will show you a one-light setup that will help you create soft light that is flattering and suitable for a range of portraits. 

There are few times more enjoyable to shoot during than golden hours, but the lighting can be tricky too. This video will help you with some important tips for using a flash and balancing it perfectly during a sunset.

On Saturdays and Tuesdays, live photography streams broadcast on Olympus U.K.'s Facebook page. This week’s Tuesday video, a High Key photography tutorial, was presented by Gavin Hoey and is now available as a video.

Aputure has released a number of cost-effective and innovative lights for photographers and videographers in the last few years. Now, one of their most popular lights (and most innovative for that matter) can come as a complete solution.

Given the global pandemic of COVID-19 (and the year that shall not be named), I very quickly found out that I am indeed, contrary to previously held opinions, an extrovert (and not an introvert). But given the situation, I wasn’t photographing people. What could I make that would work well with the images I already create? I do quite a bit of fashion and beauty work, so why not products that go with those?

Photographers generally avoid on-camera flash whenever they can, but there are situations in which you will not have another option. For those situations, there are certain things you can do to make the light look more natural, and this helpful video tutorial will show you what they are. 

Lighting modifiers are a necessary tool for working with artificial light, but they can be quite expensive, and building a library can quickly drain your wallet. However, the humble umbrella is highly affordable, and you might be surprised by the shots you can create with them. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create professional profits using an umbrella. 

Learn how to create a sun ray effect in Adobe Photoshop in this brief but effective tutorial.

Roberto Valenzuela is a Canon Explorer of Light and is constantly pushing himself and others to learn the possibilities of light. In a recent project, he set out to take images of a single model with three different types of light (natural, flash, and strobe), and I asked him to talk us through the results.

A little different from the last handful of episodes, Nathan Elson’s How I Got the Shot, Episode 7, moves into a darker-toned portrait set marked by its emphasis on moody overhead lighting.

Nathan Elson is back with another installment of his "How I Got the Shot" short-form tutorials. This time, Elson is sharing his process for creating an image using light reflected from his seamless as his key. 

One area of photography that seems to be avoided by many newcomers is the use of a flash or strobe. I believe this is partially due to the additional cost of equipment and the learning curve involved; I know it was for me. Flash photography is undoubtedly one of those areas that require experience to be good at it.

Strobe lighting can seem quite daunting for the uninitiated, but once you get past any fear you might have and just dive into it, it really isn't that complicated. This straight-to-the-point introduction to strobe lighting is a great place to start.

You can do quite a lot with natural light, but if you want to truly take full control of your photos, learning how to work with artificial light is the way to go. If you are wondering how to get started, this excellent video tutorial will guide you through the process of shooting outdoor portraits using a speedlight and affordable shoot-through umbrella. 

The high-key look is quite popular in a variety of applications, as it produces a bright, punchy image that instantly draws the viewer's eye to the subject. You do not always need powerful strobes to achieve it, however. In fact, you can do it with nothing more than natural light from a window and a constant LED source, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how it is done. 

Soft light is great for portraiture, offering a flattering rendering of your subject's features. This great video tutorial will show you how to create ultra-soft light for portraits.

A lot of photographers struggle when they first start working with off-camera flash. One of the most fundamental and crucial techniques you will need to master is balancing your strobes and ambient light. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to do just that.

Whether you’re a photographer or videographer, you know the difference lighting can make in creating a compelling shot. While there are dozens of tools and techniques you can leverage in your next shoot, the Godox TL60 tube light might offer the creative possibilities you’re looking for, particularly for video work. Want to see what makes it so special?

Reception lighting is where most photographers struggle the most. The chaos of the dance floor mixed with low-light shooting conditions make for a constant struggle. But these six lighting setups will help you take your reception images to the next level. 

Using multiple lights can enable complex and innovative creative opportunities that simply would not be possible with just a single light or natural light. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how this dramatic nighttime portrait was lit with three lights. 

YouTube filmmaking has become more common and easier nowadays, but can you make your videos stand out by making them more “cinematic?”

Automotive photography is attractive to us petrol-heads, but it's not the easiest genre to get into. Here are ten tips for taking better pictures of cars and motorbikes.

Though many shots are properly exposed from corner to corner, there are times where you want a darker scene, particularly if you're simulating nighttime. Here are five techniques for doing just that.

When it comes to portraits, one of the most important decisions you can make is the choice of modifier. This great video will show you three common modifiers (softbox, parabolic umbrella, and umbrella) along with a lot of helpful example photos to show you how they will render your subject. 

Flashguns and strobe lights aren't just for capturing perfectly exposed subjects, they can be valuable as creative assets too.

If you study the work of professional portrait photographers, you will probably notice a lot of them use rather complex multi-light setups, but you will also find plenty of fantastic images created with only a single light. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create eye-catching portraits using no more than a single light. 

Lights and modifiers for them can quickly add up in cost, but one of the most useful lighting tools a studio can have is surprisingly cheap and low-tech. This excellent video tutorial will show you why v-flats are so useful and how to incorporate them into your own work. 

Creating great work on every shoot you arrange is a tall order and the hallmark of an established and experienced photographer. But what areas have the most impact on the shoot's outcome?

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

When you look at the work of professional portrait photographers, you might notice that it often employs two- or three-light setups. And while those certainly have their place, you might be surprised by just how versatile a single light and a bit of know-how can be. This fantastic video tutorial will show you five useful single-light setups for portraiture work. 

Godox’s line of flashes, including the incredibly popular AD200 and V1, have become a mainstay of the on and off-camera lighting market. They’ve become so popular, in part, thanks to the surprising value and feature set offered at each price point. As a result, the AD100Pro, a new addition to the line, has quite the legacy to live up to. Has it earned a place in photographer’s bags?

A lot of photographers like to use a shallow depth of field for portraiture; however, if you are lighting your subject with flash, you will be limited by the flash sync speed of your camera. There are ways around this, however: high-speed sync and ND filters. Both come with their own pros and cons, and this excellent video discusses which is better for your work.

Nathan Elson is back with another installment of his How I Got the Shot. As always, it's the little details he shares about his process that makes tuning in so valuable.

A lot of the time, you will see professionals use two- or three-light setups for portraiture, but you might be surprised by the professional results you can get from just a single light. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to master both the technical and creative aspects of a single-light setup for portraiture. 

What happens when you take a shot and you just love the expression of your subject, but the light lets you down? You take it into Lightroom and sprinkle some magic dust all over it, and in this tutorial, I'll show you exactly how I do that.

Good communication with your subject, posing, and post-processing are all crucial skills as a headshot photographer, but you also need to have a strong grasp of lighting to make great images. This comprehensive video tutorial will show you how to create lighting setups for portraits and headshots. 

Broncolor makes some of the best lights and modifiers out there, and the Siros L adds a battery-powered design, allowing you to take them on the go. This awesome video review takes a long-term look at the Siros L and how they hold up after a lot of usage.