Mastering Portrait Lighting
One of the hardest things most people find to do in the studio is mastering portrait lighting. Many, sadly, feel that unless you have four or five lights in some arcane secret lighting setup, the results aren’t any good. Some people are afraid to try studio lighting in any form, fearing the arcane art is more than they are capable of dealing with. They are both wrong. After years studying the subject myself and working with both simple and complex lighting setups, I can tell you that for most portraits all you need is one single light and the knowledge of how to use it. The importance is not the quantity of lights, it is the quality. Some of my own personal favorites of the many portraits I have shot in the studio were done with just one light. Mastering portrait lighting is something I always enjoy working on as a process, more than as a final ultimate destination.
With a single light, everyone is capable of beautiful studio portraits. ©Chuck Jones – Leaf Aptus 75S, Hasselblad 110 F/2 @F/2, 1/60 sec.
In this taped webinar event, on-air host Joe Brady discusses studio lighting with long-time pro photographer and lighting expert Tony Corbell. Tony has been doing studio portraits longer than most, and has a very reasonable attitude instructing others in how to do it for themselves. These two fine folks discuss both how important and how simple it can be to work with studio lighting. For photographers who have been limiting themselves to natural light, they put to rest the myths that the studio is a scary place to work and show how easy it can be to get beautiful results. This by no means lessens my own particular love of natural light in portraits; it simply gives us other options for cloudy days or when it is raining/snowing/blowing wind outside.
At an hour in length, Tony will discuss and illustrate the use of primary studio lighting tools and the most necessary pieces of equipment you need to get started. From choosing appropriate lights, to proper use of a light meter to working with a softbox, this show will be ideal for those new to working in the studio. Tony will wrap up with a live shoot using Joe as the subject of a one light headshot session.
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