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Where to learn professional portrait lighting from?

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Wojti

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Hey!

For someone who already knows what an octabox is, where do you turn your strobe on, what is Rembrandt light, what is a fill light, but who would like to know more - could you recommend any advanced or at least beyond basic resources?

Books, courses, youtube chanels / videos, blogposts, maybe even podcasts. I'd appreciate any recommendations ;)

PS. My personal interests are purely portrait based, I'm not interested in lighting products etc. But if a said course / book / etc is a great resource on lighting and goes through non-portrait stuff as well, it's all good for me. Thanks!
 
Youtube is your friend, just search for the subject you want to learn, its all there.
 
Honestly not really. If we only assume spending 6 hours on "research" to learn 5 minutes worth of new knowledge isn't worth it than well, it simply isn't worth it.

Certain YouTuber who can suit my needs? Sure. Exact youtube video which teaches a lot? Sure. But recommendation "search the youtube" stops working pretty soon :)

Thanks for the reply btw! I already did your recommendation though. Not the whole youtube of course. But many of hours of it.
 
If you already know what various modifiers do, where to place them for traditional portrait lighting (ie. split, loop, rembrandt, butterfly), and what fill light does...then you really have the gist of it from a technical standpoint. Unless you're trying to get abstract and thinking more of an artistic interpretation of the person...there's not much more to it than: subject + lighting source appropriate for your vision + appropriate gear + proper pose/composition. If you're into post work then add that too.


The only thing left is really the thing that's overlooked by a lot of people who are jumping into portraiture, and that's working with the subject. I'd argue that it's the biggest and most important part about portraiture. A video won't really help there, as a lot of it has to do with your personality, and reading others and working with their personalities in order to make them comfortable and give you the look you want/they need. That just comes with practice. For some, it's easy...for others it's harder...for others still it's impossible.
 
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Wojti said:
Honestly not really. If we only assume spending 6 hours on "research" to learn 5 minutes worth of new knowledge isn't worth it than well, it simply isn't worth it.

Certain YouTuber who can suit my needs? Sure. Exact youtube video which teaches a lot? Sure. But recommendation "search the youtube" stops working pretty soon :)

Thanks for the reply btw! I already did your recommendation though. Not the whole youtube of course. But many of hours of it.
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I don't know what their content is like on Youtube but their paid material is pretty thorough: Peter Hurley and Chris Knight.
 
Wojti said:
Hey!

For someone who already knows what an octabox is, where do you turn your strobe on, what is Rembrandt light, what is a fill light, but who would like to know more - could you recommend any advanced or at least beyond basic resources?

Books, courses, youtube chanels / videos, blogposts, maybe even podcasts. I'd appreciate any recommendations ;)

PS. My personal interests are purely portrait based, I'm not interested in lighting products etc. But if a said course / book / etc is a great resource on lighting and goes through non-portrait stuff as well, it's all good for me. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Nothing recommended so far can hold a candle to this: https://www.creativelive.com/class/...hotographers-tony-corbell?via=html-freeform_2

$19 on sale for permanent access is a steal to learn from the best lighting instructor in the world. Tony is comprehensive, clear, concise, and just plain fun to listen to. he learned from all of the masters himself.

Regards,
Mike
 
There is nothing better than hands on. Shoot, experiment, test, analyze - also "portrait lighting" can mean many different things to many people... It differs on a case by case basis. I don't light a model the same as I light a businessman - yet they are both portraits.

Pick the genres and styles you wish to target and break down what's being done by studying the images. Studying texts and theoreticals and all the available materials out there is great but the results are up to each individual. There are endless tips and ideas online - use it all. But don't try to learn it all at once - focus on specific things. It will take years to "learn" - because there never really is an end to knowing everything.

Personally I think the best way to (learn) create light is in your mind without touching any gear. Visualize the end result first, then find/create the light on location or create it in studio. You'll probably fail at first - but each time it gets better. That's what learning is.
 
subferno said:
Wojti said:
Honestly not really. If we only assume spending 6 hours on "research" to learn 5 minutes worth of new knowledge isn't worth it than well, it simply isn't worth it.

Certain YouTuber who can suit my needs? Sure. Exact youtube video which teaches a lot? Sure. But recommendation "search the youtube" stops working pretty soon :)

Thanks for the reply btw! I already did your recommendation though. Not the whole youtube of course. But many of hours of it.
Click to expand...
I don't know what their content is like on Youtube but their paid material is pretty thorough: Peter Hurley and Chris Knight.
Click to expand...
Peter Hurley will surely keep your attention. :)
 
Is this an idea ? :
Portrait lighting with 3D software
 
Wojti said:
Hey!

For someone who already knows what an octabox is, where do you turn your strobe on, what is Rembrandt light, what is a fill light, but who would like to know more - could you recommend any advanced or at least beyond basic resources?

Books, courses, youtube chanels / videos, blogposts, maybe even podcasts. I'd appreciate any recommendations ;)

PS. My personal interests are purely portrait based, I'm not interested in lighting products etc. But if a said course / book / etc is a great resource on lighting and goes through non-portrait stuff as well, it's all good for me. Thanks!
Click to expand...
So where you say not interested in lighting products are you saying you are only interested in natural light portraiture?

Or are you saying you know enough about lighting already so you are good for the moment in that area of knowledge?

Everyone is different but I learn best by just taking what I think I know and applying that knowledge to see the results. Then I make decisions about the results to determine where I have gaps and target my internet searches on those gaps.

Either way have fun!

--
~ there is beauty in every face ~
https://www.billpoplawskiphotography.com
 
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Joe McNally, books and web

Jason Lanier, live courses, web

Peter Hurley, web, courses

Annie, Masterclass web series

BAK
 
Me personally, I don't like Peter Hurley. He sure knows what he's doing, I just can't stand how full of himself he is.

Same goes for Jason Lanier pretty much.

I learned a lot from Daniel Norton. He has the OnSet videos that are very informative and funny. He has some videos on Adorama's channel and on his own.
 
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I thoroughly enjoy the Adorama YouTube channel . The "Take and Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey" series is a great source for creative ideas. In fact, one of these videos is what first sparked my interest in flash photography. Gavin is a funny little fellow and may not be everyone's cup of tea.

I also like Adorama's "On Set with Daniel Norton" series. I find Daniel very relatable because he's laid back and has the attitude that the right setup is the one that gives you the result you like. He shows basic setups, then experiments - moving/adding lights, adjusting power levels, and adding/changing modifiers. He encourages you to do the same until you get a results you like.
 
Coltrain said:
I thoroughly enjoy the Adorama YouTube channel . The "Take and Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey" series is a great source for creative ideas. In fact, one of these videos is what first sparked my interest in flash photography. Gavin is a funny little fellow and may not be everyone's cup of tea.

I also like Adorama's "On Set with Daniel Norton" series. I find Daniel very relatable because he's laid back and has the attitude that the right setup is the one that gives you the result you like. He shows basic setups, then experiments - moving/adding lights, adjusting power levels, and adding/changing modifiers. He encourages you to do the same until you get a results you like.
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+1 on Gavin Hoey. I just think that his videos are at some point all the same. And the style is not very practical for what I do. He makes nice fantasy portraits with lots of PP and I just don't know who those pictures would be for… Seniors? Families? Engagement? They are just a little too "artsy" for what I do.
 
Wojti said:
Honestly not really. If we only assume spending 6 hours on "research" to learn 5 minutes worth of new knowledge isn't worth it than well, it simply isn't worth it.
Click to expand...
The bulk of photographic skills are a series of 5 minute lessons.

The real learning experience is actually shooting.

Just set aside time each day or weekend to shoot with a particular goal in mind.

When you see a certain style or technique you like, try to deconstruct how it was made. Set yourself a goal to achieve that look. 5 minute skill.

Setting a goal before shooting is critical as without one you will wander about aimlessly and forget half the things you did that got that random hero shot.

A pro hired for a job has a goal. The goal is set collaboratively between the client and the photographer. Knowing the goal the shoot can be productive and profitable. Without one it can be frustrating.

Practice is the best teacher.
 
SI’ve been a portrait photographer since 94. Pro since 86 (commercial). I was taught by an old Hollywood photographer who shot in a very classic way. You name the 50s, 60s, 70s star and he probably did a nice portrait of them. But since the i always looked for other for inspiration for the kind of work I do, which is also classic portraiture.

Yosef Karsh is of course my idol. He does have several books out.

I studied for a week with the great Monte Zucker. Another great classic/ modern portrait photographer. He too is gone but should have some material out there. I think software cinema still offers some of his tutorials. https://www.software-cinema.com/trainers/14/monte-zucker

Look up my buddy Tony Corbell. He has a lot things on you tube. He studied with Monte and worked with my dear friend Dean Collins. Miss Dean a lot!

photovisionvideo.com offers a lot of tutorials from several great shooters around the country. For $19.99 a moth (cancel any time), it’s a steal!!!
 
Wojti said:
Hey!

For someone who already knows what an octabox is, where do you turn your strobe on, what is Rembrandt light, what is a fill light, but who would like to know more - could you recommend any advanced or at least beyond basic resources?

Books, courses, youtube chanels / videos, blogposts, maybe even podcasts. I'd appreciate any recommendations ;)

PS. My personal interests are purely portrait based, I'm not interested in lighting products etc. But if a said course / book / etc is a great resource on lighting and goes through non-portrait stuff as well, it's all good for me. Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
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