Natural-Light Portraits

Class Preview

Work with light in new and exciting ways for professional results you and your subjects will love.

Camera Gear

Meet your instructor, photographer Alan Thornton, as you gain an overview of the camera bodies, lenses and other gear that will help your subjects look their best. Next, Alan shares ways to pack light accessories that provide everything you need for fieldwork, including five-in-one light modifiers.

Working With Indoor Light

Discover how to use natural light for any indoor shoot, whether you’re in a studio, someone’s home or a place of business. Alan helps you assess light in terms of its quality and quantity, and shows you how the direction of light, camera height and metering all play a crucial role in your photos.

Split & Rembrandt

Lighting patterns help emphasize or mask certain qualities of your model’s appearance. This lesson covers split lighting, which divides the subject’s face into equal areas of shadow and light, and Rembrandt lighting, which exposes a soft triangle of light on the subject’s cheek.

Loop, Beauty & Horror

Explore even more lighting patterns that you can use to add character to your portraits. Learn about loop and beauty lighting techniques, which create universally flattering shadows on your subject’s face, and the more extreme contrasts that you can create with horror lighting.

Depth of Field & Metering

Discover how changes to the background and depth of field can work with or against your beautifully lit subjects. Alan demonstrates techniques for working in harsh sunlight and shaded conditions, and shares tips for metering that will help take some of the guesswork out of your process.

Working in Overcast Light

Move your subject into a soft, diffused shade as Alan shares tips on shooting in flat, overcast lighting conditions. Work with subtractive and additive lighting techniques to create more desirable contrast in your photo, and experiment with your depth of field to make your subject pop.

Bright & Sunny Light

Working in bright, direct sunlight can be intimidating, but Alan shares methods that will prevent harsh, unwanted shadows and squinting models. Explore ways to diffuse bright light and reflect sunlight where it’s wanted. Finally, learn why sunset is what photographers call the “golden hour.”