Black & White Portraits

Class Preview

Learn how to capture impactful black-and-white portraits for professional-looking results.

Equipment & Shooting Basics

Meet award-winning photographer Nate Dappen as he highlights the techniques you’ll learn to capture gorgeous monochromatic portraits. In addition, find out what camera equipment you’ll need to take them and discover Nate’s favorite camera settings.

Introduction to Black-and-White Portraits

Portrait photography is guided by a few simple rules, which you’ll learn with Nate’s guidance. Delve into the basic guidelines for composition, such as the rule of thirds and the golden spiral. Then explore three different styles of portraiture: constructionist, environmental and candid.

Photographing Indoors

Learn Nate’s secret to harnessing natural light, which can be challenging for photographers of all skill levels. Practice shooting monochromatic portraits indoors, then see how to turn any background into a studio background — no matter your budget.

Photographing Outdoors

Outdoor photography presents endless variables: rain, sun, clouds and snow. Nate outlines his methods for getting the most out of available light and how to use flashes, reflectors and diffusers when all else fails. Plus, learn a variety of ways to create depth in your images using the surrounding environment.

Candid Portraits

Elevate the quality of your candid portraits with Nate’s tips and tricks. Nate walks through the basics of capturing spontaneous images, including simple ways to connect with — and direct — your model to achieve lovely, natural-looking portraits.

Black-and-White Photos: Basic Editing

Discover simple ways to keep your images organized and your workflow efficient. In the process, you’ll gain familiarity with important Lightroom editing tools to make basic adjustments to your photographs and create stunning monochromatic portraits.

Advanced Editing Techniques

Add more advanced editing techniques to your toolkit as you continue working in Lightroom. Nate offers step-by-step instruction on using the adjustment brush, gradient tool, cloning tool, filter presets and more to take your portrait work to the next level.