Portrait editing is about guiding the viewer's attention directly to the subject’s face, and Lightroom Classic has powerful tools specifically designed for this purpose. Learning how to subtly enhance facial features and manipulate backgrounds can significantly elevate the visual impact of your portraits.
People may be scrambling to find the automated AI holy grail of one-touch, realistic, high-end skin retouching, but you can have my dodge and burn technique when you pry it from my cold, dead Wacom tablet.
Creating professional headshots doesn't mean you need expensive or complex lighting setups. Umbrellas, though often overlooked, can deliver beautifully flattering light with simplicity and versatility.
As the wedding industry continues to evolve, so too does the art of wedding photography. From paparazzi style to classic portraits and true colors, top photographers share their key insights on trends shaping wedding photography in the upcoming year.
I had an incredibly important photoshoot recently, and I made a rookie mistake that could have spelled disaster.
A beauty dish offers ways to elevate portrait photography through dramatic and defined illumination. Mastering this modifier unlocks fresh creative options, particularly if you've typically relied on softer lighting.
Editing portraits is about more than adjusting sliders—it's understanding how subtle choices shape your final image. Getting comfortable with Lightroom can make your portraits look more intentional and polished.
Photography sometimes requires us to embrace the apparent contradiction that life can be beautiful even when it isn’t pretty. This is something that Serbian-born photographer Boogie understands all too well and is reflected in his raw and unflinching photographic style.
The romance of a beach wedding is undeniable, but so are the obstacles photographers face. Whether it’s harsh lighting, strong winds, or unexpected crowds, mastering beach wedding photography requires skill and adaptability.
Mastery of the camera, a keen photographic eye, and excellent timing are all prerequisites for being a good portrait photographer. But there’s another quality that is much harder to come by and less often talked about, yet it can distinguish a great portrait photographer from a good one.
Getting consistent results in headshots can be a challenge, especially when you're shooting in different locations with varying lighting conditions. If you've ever had to match headshots taken in different offices or on different days, you know how tricky it can be. The right approach ensures your clients get the consistency they expect without unnecessary stress.
I recently had the chance to get a personalized tour of Ajani Charles' solo hip-hop photography show being hosted at Toronto's City Centre Airport. Charles' exhibit is the result of a lifelong passion that has turned into a massive personal and professional adventure: Project T-Dot. I thought I was going to get a straightforward gallery tour from one of Canon Canada's Ambassadors, but I walked away with a whole lot more. Due to its popularity, the exhibit has just been extended to July 24, 2025.
Sometimes, improving your studio portraits isn’t about adding more lights—it’s about making better use of the ones you already have. This highly useful tutorial covers five essential lighting patterns in portraiture and compares the setups. In this in-depth yet quick guide, Pye Jirsa delivers clear and practical demonstrations designed to produce bold, impactful results without overcomplicating your workflow.
Less can often be more when it comes to creating stunning portraits in Lightroom. If you’re relatively new to it or you’re somebody who prefers a minimalist but effective approach to portrait editing over going crazy in post with loads of effects, then this tutorial is definitely going to help you.
When it comes to improving your portrait photography, having the right tools can make all the difference. The right gear can elevate the quality of your images, improve your workflow, and help you experiment with techniques that refine your craft and creativity.
Handheld smoke machines have changed the way you can create dramatic, cinematic portraits. They give you the ability to add depth, texture, and atmosphere to your images with ease. It’s a powerful tool to elevate the storytelling in your portraits.
No two photographers see the same scene the same way. This video captures the creative process of three photographers with different styles, each interpreting the same model and locations through their own distinct lens.
It’s easy to feel nervous about the logistics of a corporate team shoot—what will the space be like? How do you light each person consistently? The reality is that the lighting in an office can be harsh and unflattering—overhead strip lighting is no one’s friend! And space can be really tight. So, I always bring some extra lighting in case we can’t use window light and some compact equipment. Versatile and portable kit is handy here, so I leave my large lights at home and pack light.
Portrait posing can feel tricky. A poorly executed pose risks creating images that look stiff or awkward, while successful posing brings energy and variety, making your work stand out. This process can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
Thoughtful posing, combined with attention to emotion and movement, creates images that feel genuine. Here is a range of poses sure to help you improve your images.
Light can transform a portrait from ordinary to stunning. Using modifiers and positioning effectively allows you to create drama, texture, and depth.
Lighting can make or break your photos. It’s one of the most important elements to get right, yet it’s also one of the most common areas where mistakes happen. By understanding a few key missteps, you can improve your results quickly and avoid some of the pitfalls that hold many people back.
Natural light portrait photography demands a nuanced understanding of how light interacts with the environment. By learning to read and work with available light, you can transform challenging conditions into opportunities for creating captivating portraits that stand out from the crowd.
Professional-looking portraits often seem out of reach when you have limited equipment. Yet, with just a single light, you can create striking images. Learning simple, effective lighting setups can transform your work and allow you to create polished results without an elaborate studio.
High-speed sync (HSS) is a game-changing tool for mastering flash photography in challenging lighting situations. If you’ve ever struggled with motion blur or overexposure outdoors, this technique offers a solution to take control of your images.
Lighting is the backbone of portrait photography. Whether you’re shooting beauty headshots or more dramatic portraits, understanding how to manipulate light can make all the difference. The best part? You don’t need a complicated setup to achieve professional results.
Finding the right location and light for portraits can transform a photo shoot. Coastal settings, with their natural backdrops and dynamic lighting, are especially versatile. Knowing how to work with these elements effectively ensures your images feel both natural and romantic.
Whether it’s direct light, backlighting, or the often-overlooked blue hour lighting, understanding how to use these natural light effectively is a key skill.
When shooting portraits on location, you are dependent on the ambient light—unless you bring your own lights. I decided to use flash to overpower the ambient light. This approach allowed for more variation during this portrait session. Let me explain how.
Bodyscape photography is a unique way to transform the human form into abstract, artistic expressions. By focusing on contours, lighting, and subtle details, you can create striking images that blend mystery and art with minimal equipment.
Capturing authentic moments with couples can be challenging, especially when you’re managing lighting, posing, and making them feel at ease. A few simple adjustments to your technique can help you create beautiful, natural images that resonate.
Creating clean, natural-looking portraits that stand out often depends on mastering a few simple but effective techniques.
Portrait photography demands a thoughtful approach to composition, not just for aesthetic appeal but also to ensure your images are technically sound and emotionally impactful. Whether you’re shooting headshots, full-body portraits, or mid-body images, understanding how to frame your subject is key.
Portrait photography in natural settings can teach you a lot about controlling light, managing backgrounds, and focusing attention on your subject. A dynamic environment, like a field of Japan’s red spider lilies, pushes these skills to their limit while offering rewarding results for those who know how to work the scene.
Creating believable light and shadow effects in Photoshop is both an art and a science. Knowing how to manipulate these elements gives you the power to transform ordinary images into visually striking compositions.
Many portrait photographers miss opportunities to elevate their work by sticking to the same techniques. Exploring creative lighting, framing, and color choices can make your portraits distinctive and more engaging.
Leading lines aren’t just a technique; they’re a way to guide the viewer’s eye and add depth to your work. Straight, diagonal, or curved, they can shape how someone interacts with your image. When used effectively, they create focus and transform a composition from good to striking.
Shooting fall portraits outdoors comes with its challenges, from managing shifting light to balancing the subject against vibrant backgrounds. Using high-speed sync and thoughtful lighting techniques, you can isolate your subject while keeping the rich details of the season intact.
By combining a strong theme, careful lighting, and complementary styling, you can produce photographs that are dramatic and memorable. The process involves creativity and precision, but the results can elevate your work to new levels.
Lighting full-length or three-quarter body shots can be tricky but is essential for creating polished portraits, whether for business or creative use. These setups need to balance even illumination across the subject while preserving depth and natural shadows. Achieving this doesn’t always require expensive equipment, and understanding how to adapt based on your resources can help you create stunning results.
Lighting is the backbone of photography. It determines mood, color, and texture in your images. Without the right lighting, even the best model and location won’t translate into the shot you envision. Learning to control and experiment with light is one of the most impactful ways to elevate your work.
Overcast skies create soft, diffused light that’s great for portraits but often lacks contrast. To overcome this, a smart mix of lighting techniques and gear choices can transform your shots.
Photographing in snow presents unique challenges. The light is harsh, reflections are intense, and the cold can affect your equipment. But with the right techniques, you can transform a snowy scene into a beautifully lit portrait. This video focuses on using light direction, ambient light, and composition to elevate your snowy portraits, offering practical tips for handling these tricky conditions.
Lighting plays a crucial role in shaping a portrait, and sometimes, it’s worth bending the rules to capture a unique shot. When you’re working in a stunning location, balancing ideal lighting techniques with the composition can push you to make creative decisions that break away from the norm.
Using natural light effectively can make or break a shot, especially in outdoor portraiture where the light source and your subject’s position work together to create the image’s mood. Understanding how to position yourself and control lighting lets you create depth and definition without overwhelming your subject with artificial light.
While tools like Adobe Photoshop and Affinity Photo are great Swiss Army knives for photographers, sometimes a more specialized tool is called for. In this artificial intelligence-driven age, two new tools on the block, Aperty and Evoto, leverage this technology and aim it squarely at portrait photographers. Which one is better?
When it’s cloudy, you might think it’s the worst time to take portraits. The light is often flat, and contrast is missing, but those clouds are actually providing you with a soft, even light that’s ideal for bringing out natural skin tones. This approach can open up new creative possibilities when you learn how to make the most of that natural light.
Understanding how to control your camera settings can make a big difference in portrait photography. The right combination of ISO, shutter speed, and aperture helps you capture well-exposed, sharp images.
