Recent Portraits Articles

A Beginner's Guide to Selecting the Right Aperture for Photos

In tandem with shutter speed and ISO, aperture is one of three fundamental exposure parameters that grant you the technical and creative control over your images that you bought a specialized camera for in the first place. If you are new to photography and wondering what aperture is and how it works, check out this great video tutorial that will give you a practical guide to using it for taking better control of your photos.

4 Lighting Secrets for Better Portraits

Creating successful portraits is a complex task that requires a lot of specialized knowledge and techniques, but just like any other genre of photography, having a complete mastery of lighting is near the top of the list of requirements. If you would like to improve your portraits, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you four lighting secrets that will put you on the right track.

Is a Beauty Dish or Octabox Better for Portraits?

Beauty dishes and octaboxes are two of the most common lighting modifiers out there, with almost every portrait studio in existence owning at least one of the two, if not both. They are not identical, though, and each renders your subject in a unique way, which is why it is important to understand the differences so you can pick the proper one for your style and clients' needs. This great video tutorial will show you a deep look at the two options, how they differ, and which is appropriate for different situations.

Learn How This Marilyn Monroe Inspired Nude Portrait Was Lit and Photographed

Few photographic subjects are iconic than Marilyn Monroe, and even today, decades later, images of her capture viewers' eyes and photographers' imaginations. This awesome video tutorial will take you behind the scenes of a fine art nude portrait inspired by Marilyn Monroe and show you how it was lit, photographed, and edited.

How to Shoot and Edit Portraits in Direct Sunlight

We are often taught that when it comes to portraits, soft light is the most flattering, while hard light, which introduces stark shadows and emphasizes skin texture, is to be avoided. While it is true that softer light is considered more flattering, that does not mean you should never use hard light; in fact, it can be fantastic for the right look and scenario. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to shoot and edit a portrait shot in hard, direct sunlight.

Three Powerful Natural Light Portrait Scenarios

There is sometimes the misconception that natural light only offers one look, but it can be a lot more versatile than you might think. If you know how to read the light, you can create a wide variety of looks suitable for many different applications. This excellent video tutorial will show you three different natural light scenarios, how to find them, and how to use them for shooting photos.

Here's Why You Should Never Use the LCD Screen to Compose Headshots and Portraits

Using the LCD screen to compose images has become very common in the age of mirrorless cameras. Holding the camera away from your face is convenient when photographing a subject from difficult to reach angles. In some ways, I consider this an excellent advantage that mirrorless cameras have over DSLRs, but in my latest video, I give three reasons why I never use the LCD screen to compose headshots and portraits.

Composition and Editing Techniques for Showcasing Your Subject

Part of the challenge of environmental portrait photography is giving your subject the context around them to make the image compelling, but still bringing the viewer's eye to them first and foremost. There are many ways to emphasize your subject, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to do it using two of the most powerful methods: composition and post-processing.

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.

What's the Best Aperture for Headshots and Portraits?

Although depth of field is often discussed in portrait photography, the conversation tends to center around background bokeh. In this article and the accompanying video, however, I would like to address depth of field as it relates to the face itself and attempt to answer the question as to which aperture is best for photographing faces.

What Focal Length Should You Use for Portrait Photography?

In order to create great portraits, you need to have a lot of great components: lighting, composition, as well as camera and lens choice. Deciding what focal length to use for portraiture can be difficult, so in this article, I will make a few suggestions on lenses you should use for your next portrait photoshoot.

New Blur Filter in Photoshop Works Incredibly on Portraits

Some of Photoshop's most recent updates have added some incredibly powerful editing tools. This new blur filter not only works amazingly well on landscapes images, it is stunning on portraits as well. See how to use it here.

Easily Create Dramatic Portraits on a Budget

We photographers love gear. If you're like me, you probably have a corner (or a basement) filled with modifiers, filters, lenses, lights, and more. The truth is that we don't need a ton of expensive gear to create dramatic results, and in my latest video, I will show you how to create a Rembrant-style portraits using one off-brand flash in a small modifier.

Learn How This Vintage Nude Pin-up Portrait Was Lit and Photographed

The pin-up model was one of the most iconic styles of the 20th century, and even today, decades after its heyday, it is still a very recognizable and eye-catching look that makes for great portraits. In this great video tutorial, you will learn how a vintage nude pin-up portrait was conceptualized, lit, and photographed.

3 Portrait Photography Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Portrait photography is a popular genre that challenges a variety of skills, both with technical skills like your handling your camera and lighting and with more subjective skills like working with subjects. If you would like to improve your portraiture, check out this fantastic video tutorial that discusses three common mistakes and what you can do to fix them or avoid them in the first place.

How to Avoid the Top Four Complaints Models Have With Their Photographers

"Collabs" are the new currency between aspirant photographers and content-pressured models. Both parties are looking for scroll-stopping images to gain attention as they rise up in their respective industries. What happens when the images don't measure up to the expectations? Are models expecting too much from growing photographers who are shooting for free, or are photographers hyping up their skills and not delivering?

Which Fresnel Is Right for Your Portrait Photography

Should you add a Fresnel-type light to your collection of gear for portrait photography? Besides looking like a great prop in your shot, is it a light you can use as your main source for photos?

3 Great Poses for Photographing Women

In some sense, the objective, quantifiable nature of things like exposure settings and lighting ratios makes them a little easier to learn than something more subjective like posing, which is why a lot of photographers struggle with it. If you would like to improve your portrait posing, check out this great video tutorial that will show you three surefire poses for photographing women.

Behind the Scenes: Check Out This Golden and Blue Hour Portrait Shoot

Finding the best light to bathe our subjects can be one of the most challenging parts of planning a photoshoot. We strive for those beautiful golden hour photos and sometimes completely dismiss other parts of the day. Harsh sunlight can be difficult and cloudy can be flat, but what about blue hour?

How to Create Your Own Golden Hour

For years, photographers have understood that creating the best photograph possible means shooting in the best possible light. For natural light shooters, the best light often comes at a time known as the golden hour. This occurs when the sun is setting and the angle of the sun to the earth causes the light to travel through clouds and air pollution creating soft, diffused light. The color of this light is warm and the look is beautiful on all skin tones.

Four Steps to Creating Better Natural Light Portrait Compositions

Natural light portraiture is a great way to stay versatile and able to move through a variety of locations and poses quickly without having to deal with the logistics and interruption to your creative workflow presented by lugging around a bunch of lights and modifiers. However, because you can’t control the light, you need to consider your compositions a bit differently. This excellent video tutorial will show you a four-step process for creating better natural light portrait compositions.

Our First Look at Luminar Neo Noiseless AI

I've had a preview release of the Noiseless AI extension that will be offered for Luminar Neo users on August 30. It's not quite finished it terms of GUI, but basic functionality is there. My copy only runs under Rosetta on my Mac Studio, but at release, it will be Apple Silicon Native.

How to Create Eye-Catching Window Light With Only One Speedlight

Even to the non-photographer, the look of light through a window is quite recognizable, and as such, it is an excellent way to give your portraits an elegant and timeless look. Of course, we do not always have the ability to just use a window with natural sunlight streaming through, and as such, knowing how to create it in studio is a useful skill. Thankfully, it is not that difficult, nor does it require a lot of equipment. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to do it with just a single speedlight.

Mentorship and the Illusion of Originality: An Interview With Portrait Master Ivan Weiss

I had the fortune to sit down recently with London-based photographer Ivan Weiss, whom I consider one of the great portrait artists of our time. Weiss’ unique body of work has been featured by Canon UK, Affinity Photo, Vogue, BBC, and Forbes, among others, and he also leads the Portrait Track in Peter Hurley’s Headshot Crew, where he mentors other photographers. Our conversation focused on the illusion of originality in art, mentorship, and why you need to “stay on the bus” in order to reach your full potential.

Learn How These Pin-up Portraits Were Lit and Shot

Shooting portraits on location is a fantastic way to add some drama to your shots or to use the surrounding environment to complement your subject and to tell a story. If you would like to improve your lighting and portraiture, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how one photographer lit, posed, and shot a series of pin-up portraits using four different lighting setups.

How to Create Three Distinctive Looks Using One Octabox

The octabox is one of the most fundamental and useful lighting modifiers out there, able to provide a wide variety of looks for portraiture while remaining relatively easy to set up and master, making it an ideal first choice for anyone working on learning artificial lighting. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to take one octabox and get three distinctive lighting styles from it, giving you a lot of versatility without a lot of work.

An Easy and Effective Trick for Natural Light Portraits

Shooting natural light portraits does not mean you are stuck using the sunlight exactly as it is without any modification. You can use modifiers to shape the sunlight to be more flattering, and this great video tutorial will show you an effective way to create such illumination.

How to Light and Capture Nighttime Portraits

Nighttime portraits can be a highly effective way to add a bit of drama to your images and open up entirely new creative avenues. If you are interested in learning how to shoot portraits after dark, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show what you need to know to get up and running.

A Simple and Effective Two-Light Location Portrait Setup

When you are working in a studio, you can enjoy all the equipment you own without having to worry about how to carry it all along with you. When you work on location, however, you need to balance the complexity of your creative setups with how easily you can transport all your equipment. This helpful video tutorial will show you an effective two-light setup for on-location portraits that will yield compelling images.

How to Add Depth to a Portrait

A photograph is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional world, and as such, part of the challenge to the photographer is to recreate a sense of depth in the image. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to use lighting and other techniques to create a deep sense of depth in a portrait for a more compelling overall image.

How to Properly Use a Light Meter

Back in the days of film, where there were no image previews and every frame cost money to take, light meters allowed you to ensure that an image would be properly lit and the results would be what you expected. With digital, you can now check the results instantly and make adjustments right away with no penalty. So, while light meters are not necessary anymore, they can still be quite useful. This great video tutorial will show you how to use one properly.

Are Prime or Zoom Lenses Better for Portrait Photography?

One of the most fundamental choices you can make is whether to use a prime or a zoom lens. For portraiture, there are benefits and drawbacks to each option. If you are new to portrait photography and wondering which is right for you, check out this great video tutorial that will show you the pros and cons of both to help you make the right choice.

How to Retouch a Portrait Using Frequency Separation in Photoshop

There are many different techniques you can use to retouch a portrait, and one of the more advanced and powerful out there is frequency separation. This helpful video tutorial will show you what frequency separation is and how to use it to edit a photo.

A Portrait Photographer's Basic Editing Workflow

As much as lighting, posing, composition, and settings matter for creating a good portrait image, they are only half of what it takes to create a successful final result. You also need a strong post-processing workflow. If you are new to portrait work, check out this great video tutorial that will show you a basic editing workflow for creating polished final images.

Headshot Photographers: Your Personality Is Everything

One of the most overlooked yet crucial aspects of becoming a successful headshot and portrait photographer is the photographer’s personality. In fact, I would argue that your personality as a photographer can be the determining factor in success when working with clients.

How to Run a Successful Portrait Session

Running a successful portrait session can be a daunting task, especially for photographers who are new to working in a studio. The myriad of options can easily become overwhelming. There are endless choices for light modifiers, backdrops, props, clothing, poses, and all the rest, but I have found that having a consistent plan and process is the key to success.

How to Balance Flash and Ambient Light

Knowing how to balance flash and ambient light is one of the most crucial skills a portrait photographer can have, as it will give you the ability to shoot in just about any environment with full creative and technical control. If you are newer to working with artificial lighting and want to learn this skill, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how to balance flash and ambient light for better images.

Expression Trumps Everything in Portrait Photography

Looking back at my early portraits often makes me cringe. I’m not even afraid to admit it now. It was always a goal of mine to be a competent portrait photographer, but I was incredibly shy and didn’t know how to engage with the people in front of my lens. I was always somehow dissatisfied with my results, as I could never seem to connect with my subjects on a level deep enough for them to let their guard down.

How to Take Better Portraits in Hard Light

Like it or not, hard light happens a lot outside, and if you are a portrait or wedding photographer, you can't just reschedule the ceremony or session every time you don't have clouds to give you soft light. So, what can you do to still create flattering images? This excellent video tutorial will show you how adding a bit of flash to the scene can be just the solution you are looking for.

How to Precisely Control Soft Light for a Portrait

Soft light is generally the preferred style for portraits, as it is more flattering on the subject. However, soft light produces more gradual transitions and requires relatively larger sources, which can make it more difficult to precisely control where it is falling in the frame. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to create a portrait using soft but carefully controlled light using flags and v-flats.

Great Images Don't Require an Expensive Camera

Modern cameras are small marvels of technology, with capabilities that would not have been dreamed of even a decade ago. And while they are wonderful tools to have, it is important to remember that they are still the means, not the end. To help prove that point, this great video shows that you can still create compelling images even with the cheapest cameras.

How to Correctly Place a Softbox When Lighting a Portrait

When it comes to portrait photography, the softbox is one of the most fundamental and versatile tools you can have in your kit. If you are new to working with artificial lighting, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how to properly place a softbox to get the best results.

5 Steps to Building a Portrait Photo Composition

We spend a lot of time talking about elements of shooting a portrait that revolve around the subject, such as posing and retouching, but of course, a good image has to have a well-balanced composition. This great video tutorial will show you five steps for creating a compelling portrait composition that stands above those we are used to seeing these days.

A Guide to Retouching a Portrait Using Lightroom and Photoshop

Knowing how to light, compose, and pose a portrait is only half of what it takes to create a finished image. The other half is retouching, and it takes a variety of techniques and a delicate touch to create a compelling result. This excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to edit a portrait using both Lightroom and Photoshop.

Continuous Lights Versus Flash for Portrait Photography

It used to be that continuous lighting was either way too hot or simply not powerful enough for lighting portraits, but LEDs have come quite a long way in recent years, and they are now a viable alternative to strobes in certain situations. This great video examines the two options while showing off a unique light that can do both.