Portrait Photography

Portrait photography is deceptively straightforward — point the camera at a person and press the shutter. But creating a portrait that actually captures something true about a person is far more demanding. This section covers the technical craft of portrait lighting and posing alongside the human skills — directing subjects, building rapport, and creating an environment where people feel comfortable enough to reveal something genuine.

3 Surprisingly Great Portrait Lenses By Sony

When you think of portrait lenses, there are many staple focal lengths. However, there are a whole host of great lenses that while may not be intended to be for portraiture, are superb for exactly that. 

Shooting With a Broken Lens: Genius or Giant Mistake?

I was challenged to photograph an entire portrait shoot using a broken lens. Can a consumer-grade camera and a half-broken, old lens from eBay create anything interesting? 

Recently, my husband, David, has been challenging me to use all sorts of crazy camera setups. He really caught me off guard with this one! 

Create Captivating Portraits With an LED Light Wand

Over the past few years, LEDs have become a popular choice for still photographers, and with good reason. Although LED light sources do have limitations, there are many clear benefits to using constant light for portrait photographers. In this article, I will detail five ways I use an LED light wand to create captivating portraits, both in and out of my studio. 

The Power of Flat Light

When you look outside and see a gray sky, it might be tempting to feel discouraged at the uninteresting backdrop and plain light quality, but flat light can actually be some of the best light to work with as a photographer.

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.  

POV Portrait Shoot in the Rain With the Nikon Z8

Manny Ortiz is well known for his urban portraiture on the streets of Chicago, and this time, the windy city becomes the rainy city, as he captures some beautiful portraits of his model, Elizabeth, with the new Nikon Z8. 

Are Strobes or Continuous Lights Better for Portrait Photography?

Even just five years ago, this would not even be a question. However, in recent years, continuous lighting has made some remarkable strides, and it is now a viable alternative to traditional strobes for a lot of work. So, which is right for your portrait photography? This excellent video comparison features an experienced portrait photographer sharing her thoughts.  

5 Photographers Shoot the Same Models at the Same Location

It doesn't matter how many variables you match, when you pit creatives against one another, the results will invariably be distinct. In this video, five photographers all shoot the same models in the same location, and the results are exactly that: distinct. 

How to Retouch Hair in Photoshop

Retouching hair can be a challenging and time-consuming process, but with the right knowledge and carefully practiced technique, you can avoid the frustration and improve the quality of your portraits. If you would like to make your portraits better, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know about retouching hair.  

Leica Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 Versus Sigma 50mm f/2

The 50mm is a staple prime and lives in many photographers' camera bags, but the question is whether there is a vast difference in quality between them. In this video, a Leica and a Sigma are compared to gauge the differences. 

A Guide to Retouching Portraits

Of course, knowing how to light and pose a portrait is essential to creating a successful image, but the process does not end there. Having an effective, structured, and efficient post-processing workflow will help ensure that you can create polished shots every time. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced portrait photographer sharing his workflow. 

How to Create Eye-catching Wraparound Light in Portrait Photography

You might think that creating enveloping wraparound light requires multiple sources, but it can actually be done with just a single source. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create such a portrait using only a single light and a small home studio.  

A Beginner's Guide to One-light Portraits

When you are new to working with artificial light, it is important to start out with a single source at first to build your confidence and knowledge. And just because you are only shooting with one light, it does not mean you can't produce professional-level images. This fantastic video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to get started with one-light portraits.  

Boudoir Photography on Location in Bali

If you are looking for amazing tips of posing models and how to use natural light, this video has it all. In this video, Michael Sasser travels to Bali, Indonesia and shares behind-the-scenes footage along with lots of tips and tricks that will help you in boudoir and portrait photography. 

5 Helpful Portrait Photography Tips for Beginners

Portrait photography is one of the most popular genres, but it can be a particularly tricky one, as you have to have not only solid camera technique, but the ability to work with people well. If you are new to portrait photography and looking to improve your images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features a seasoned shooter sharing five useful tips.  

The Fun of Shooting Portraits With a Supertelephoto Lens

When it comes to portrait photography, most people will reach for a lens with a focal length between about 85mm and 135mm, maybe a little longer or wider for certain applications or creative exploration. But there is no rule that says portrait photography has to be shot at those focal lengths; you can easily push into more extreme options for a bit of fun and creative invigoration.

The Secrets to High-Quality and Efficient High-Volume Headshots

Producing high-quality headshots in high volumes can be a daunting task. However, with over 6,000 headshots produced annually, we have cracked a code to high-volume headshot success. We know firsthand how challenging it can be to work efficiently without sacrificing quality. 

16mm Portraiture: How Wide Is Too Wide?

Utter the words "16mm" when talking about focal length, and the first thing we think of is the dreaded distortion. But it doesn't always need to be such a bad thing! All-encompassing images can be an incredibly satisfying way of shooting. So, why do we fear the dreaded distortion in our images? 

A Beginner's Guide to Portrait Photography With One Light

If you look at the work of professional portrait photographers, it can be easy to be fooled into thinking that it is not possible to create high-level images with just a single light. This could not be further from the truth, though.

3 Easy and Creative One-light Portrait Photography Setups

When you look at the work of professional portrait photographers, you might think that you need complex multi-light setups in order to produce top-level images. And while it is true that two- or three- light setups are common, you might be surprised by what you can accomplish with just a single light.

Maternity Outfits Must-Haves for Mother’s Day Photoshoots

Mother’s Day is an important day for any mother, but it is even more exciting for the soon-to-be mother. 

Many expecting mothers are excited in the lead-up to Mother’s Day, thinking about how they will soon hold their babies in their arms. Plus, for first-time expecting mothers, this is the first year they are recognized as mothers or soon-to-be mothers.

Essential Golden Hour Photoshoot Tips for Photographers

Golden hour is a magical time of the day for photography, characterized by warm and soft light that can turn even the most mundane scenes into stunning works of art. This period occurs twice a day, during the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset, and is highly sought after by photographers for its dreamy and ethereal qualities. 

Have Photo Conferences Fully Recovered From COVID?

It’s no secret that COVID put a bit of a damper on anything in person, especially large group gatherings, like conferences and trade shows. But as time has moved on, has the photo conference world fully recovered? 

Grow Your Prime Lens Collection the Right Way (Portrait and Wedding Photographers)

Katelyn James talks about why you need prime lenses in your kit bag and what is an essential purchase, based on her experience as a Canon wedding photographer. She shows you where to spend your hard-earned money and where to save. 

Katelyn talks about the lenses she's purchased and where she uses them during a typical wedding day. Lenses covered include:

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. 

How to Use Gels and Hard Light in the Studio

Mixing gels and hard light, when done properly, can result in some truly memorable images. In this video, watch as you are walked through the setup, the shoot, and the results. 

3 Ways to Fix Uninspiring Portraits

Have you ever set up your lights, gone through the poses, gotten back to your computer, and realized you have taken some perfectly competent but uninspiring photos? If that is a situation you have recently found yourself in, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced portrait photographer sharing three different ways to reinvigorate your images.  

Portrait Beast: We Review the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Lens for Fujifilm

I spent a few weeks testing the new Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 lens for Fujifilm, and in the accompanying article and video, I share my thoughts on one of the most exciting third party lenses on the market today. 

Specifications

Focal Length: 75mm (35mm Equivalent Focal Length: 112.5mm)

Maximum Aperture: f/1.2

Minimum Aperture: f/16

Angle of View: 21.35°

How to Retouch Lips in Photoshop

We spend a lot of time working on perfecting our retouching technique when it comes to hair, skin, and eyes, but just like those aforementioned aspects, the lips are also a crucial part of the face, and as such, they deserve equal attention in the post-processing phase.

3 Portrait Lighting Setups Using 2 Lights

Tutorials on using a 1-light setup for portrait photography are commonplace, and rightly so. There are several ways that a single light source can be positioned to create flattering lighting on a subject. You might think that switching to a 2-light setup would be twice as complicated. This isn’t the case. There are several 2-light arrangements that are easy to understand and quick to set up.

How to Get Rid of Dark Circles Under Eyes Using Photoshop

By far, one of the common retouching requests photographers receive when editing portraits is to lighten dark circles under the eyes. Thankfully, it is not an especially difficult problem to address, and this excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to do to lighten those circles in a convincing and high-quality manner.  

A Simple and Effective One-light Portrait Photography Setup

A lot of portrait photographers are scared of working with artificial lighting, but it is a skill that is well worth learning, as it will make you a more capable and versatile photographer and better enable you to realize all your creative visions (and those of your clients).

3 Easy Posing Techniques for People Sitting on the Ground

Of all the things that go into making a compelling image, posing is perhaps the thing that photographers struggle with the most. If that is something you have trouble with, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you three easy posing techniques for when your subject is sitting on the ground or floor.  

50mm Versus 85mm: Side-by-Side Lens Comparison for Portraits

There are several focal lengths that have become staples for portrait photography and both 50mm and 85mm are two right at the top of the list. If you are in the market for a portrait lens, however, which is best for you? This video might help. 

A Detailed Guide to Posing a Non-model for a Full-body Portrait

The nice aspect of learning things like camera settings and lighting is that these topics can often be objectively quantified. On the other hand, something like posing is a bit more nebulous and something that many photographers struggle with even when they have mastered other aspects of portrait work.

Who Else Struggles to Understand Studio Lighting? This Will Help You

As a landscape and seascape photographer who also shoots surfing, I'm not too embarrassed to say that my understanding of indoor lighting setups is not where I want it to be. This video here is extremely helpful, especially if you'd love to get those gorgeously mysterious rim light shots. 

The Best Software for Fixing Blurred or Out-of-Focus Portraits

Blurry pictures are a nightmare. When you simply have to recover detail on images you've taken, this is the video to watch. Photographer and author Glyn Dewis goes through three mainstream programs, Luminar Neo, On1 NoNoise AI 2023, and Topaz Sharpen AI, that he uses to evaluate and try to improve his blurry image. 

10 Simple Portrait Lighting Setups for You to Try

There are myriad ways you can light your subject in portraiture, and whether you're jaded by your go-to setup, or overwhelmed as to where to start, this video can help you add some more styles to your arsenal. 

How to Create a Professional Portrait With Very Affordable Equipment

You can spend a lot of money on lights and modifiers for portrait photography, and while there are certainly reasons why professionals invest in expensive equipment, you can absolutely create professional-level portraits with the most affordable gear — even a shoot-through umbrella and speedlight. This fantastic video tutorial will show you everything you need to know.