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Introduction to Lighting

Lesson 35 from: Portrait Photography Fundamentals

Scott Robert Lim

Introduction to Lighting

Lesson 35 from: Portrait Photography Fundamentals

Scott Robert Lim

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Lesson Info

35. Introduction to Lighting

Next Lesson: Soft vs Hard Light

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Class Introduction

04:10
2

5 Shots That WOW

14:08
3

Four Fundamentals of Photography

08:05
4

Create a Visual Impact with Composition

07:04
5

Importance of Foreground and Background

08:30
6

Create Depth in Landscape Images

18:09
7

Photos Don't Always Follow the Rules

02:11
8

Composition Practice Exercise

10:41
9

Composition Critique of Student Images

05:28
10

Keys to Posing

05:37
11

Shoot: Classic Elegance Female Pose

14:46
12

Shoot: Modern Female Pose

09:04
13

Shoot: Rollover Female Pose

08:10
14

Female Hands & Arms Poses Overview

19:52
15

Shoot: Hands and Arms Poses for Female

08:58
16

Seven Posing Guidelines

04:18
17

Headshots Poses with Male Model

14:59
18

Shoot: Headshot for Male Model

06:45
19

Shoot: Sitting Poses for Male Model

10:03
20

Shoot: Leaning Poses for Male Model

06:43
21

Shoot: Standing Poses for Male Model

03:32
22

Keys to Couples Posing

10:31
23

Shoot: Couples Posing

06:17
24

Couples Transitional Posing Overview

14:28
25

Shoot: Transitional Posing

15:25
26

Keys to Group Posing

07:12
27

Accordion Technique with Groups

07:46
28

Shoot: Accordion Technique

04:11
29

Shoot: Best Buds Pose

04:54
30

Shoot: Talk with Your Hands Pose

02:33
31

Shoot: Lock Arms and Hold Hands Pose

04:34
32

Run at the Camera and Dance in Your Seat Poses

04:13
33

Shoot: Pod Method Pose

17:58
34

Posing Critique of Student Images

09:32
35

Introduction to Lighting

05:38
36

Soft vs Hard Light

17:10
37

Difficult Lighting Situations

05:52
38

Bright Light Techniques

18:16
39

Overcast Light Techniques

10:34
40

Low Light Techniques

10:27
41

Lighting Techniques Q&A

14:58
42

Drama Queen Lighting

06:26
43

Laundry Basket Lighting

09:44
44

Make it Rain Lighting

03:48
45

Smart Phone Painting with Light

07:53
46

Mini LED Bokeh Lighting

08:22
47

Choose the Right Lighting System

13:30
48

Hybrid Flash System

06:42
49

Innovative Accessories

05:35
50

Gear Overview

06:19
51

Theatrical Post-Processing

06:07
52

Ten Keys to Post-Processing

08:37
53

Essential Skills to Post-Processing

08:25
54

Headshot Post-Processing

24:53
55

Bright Light Post-Processing

09:45
56

Flat Light Post-Processing

14:46
57

Low Light Post-Processing

08:24
58

Introduction to Fine Art Post-Processing

09:06
59

Light & Airy Fine Art Post-Processing

27:34
60

Dark & Moody Fine Art Post-Processing

13:36
61

Post-Processing Critique of Student Images

36:56

Lesson Info

Introduction to Lighting

Why do we need to create light? I mean I have a camera sitting at home, it can do 500,000 ISO. It doesn't even need light to take a picture. Give me some good reasons why we need to create light. Because if the technology is getting better and better, why do we really need to know how to create light? But, when you have your own light, you can create shadows. Why do we need shadows? Shadows bring out the texture in things because photography is two-dimensional, it's not three-dimensional. So if we are ever to see shape on anything, you have to have a highlight and a shadow. That being able to mold and create your shadows, that's really why I like light. It's not because I want to get a great exposure, which it does help if you have no light at all, but I want to put the shadows where I want them to make it look like to simulate the real world. Because in the real world, what is the earth lit by? The sun, one big, constant light source that's off camera. A lot of my lighting techniques ...

... When you look at it and you want it to ... Oh wow! I can't tell whether that's video light, window light. That's what I'm going for. I want it to look like you can't even tell what type of lighting that I'm using. That's when you know you're getting to be a light master, is when you start to feel your photos are like that, and people just really can't tell what you're using. But that's learning how to create shadows. I can tell you how to get the right exposure in one shot. I did that in crazy, stupid light and that was ... That's easy. Getting the light to fall correctly on your subject is a lot difficult. What is that? Lower the ambient light. A lot of times when you're shooting in a flat situation, you have to add contrast in there too. That's part of adding shadows to it. Depending on where you are, you can take away all the ambient light that's there, like what we did in the five wow shots. I just purposely took away all the ambient light by doing a camera setting where I made it so that there's no ambient light and I'm using just my existing light so then I have full control of the situation. But, sometimes you want some of that ambient light in there maybe to light the background up, or whatever, but you want full control of that. Whether you want to take some of the ambient light away to create contrast, like if you're in a flat light situation, or you want to add it because you see a nice, beautiful city lights in the background. You've got to be able to control those things. And being able to control the light on your subject, allows you to take full control of your lighting situation. Adding catchlights. That's huge, especially when you're doing portraits. If you don't add a catchlight really it's not a portrait, in my mind. You kind of really have to have that. Post processing comes alive when you have good lighting. That's part of my signature post processing style is that because I light my subjects, everyone of my subjects I try to light, have a certain signature lighting on it so when I bring that in to post processing, it's way easy. It feels like, man whatever you do it just looks good. But I find that those shots that I struggle with, oh I don't know what to do here in post-processing, or anything that I try just doesn't look good, it's usually because the lighting is too flat, and I can't do anything with it at that point. Let's take an example of lighting. So if I didn't have my lighting and I was out here in Hawaii taking a picture of my friend. Often when the light is bright in the background, I've got a choice, either I correctly expose the subject, or I expose the background. And since there's so much light in that background there, if I expose for that sky, she would be dark. So most of us just expose for the subject because that's who we want to see. But if you have a second light source, you can come in and get both. Don't you want the best of both worlds? So you set your background, she becomes dark, and then you just add in light as you need it. You shouldn't complicate yourself in regards to lighting. Lighting is almost just like using a reflector. And when you use a reflector it's like you move in a little closer to make it brighter, or move it a little bit further to make it not as bright if you're shooting in manual. That's why I recommend manual to shoot with because it's really easy, it's just like using a reflector.

Class Materials

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Ratings and Reviews

Vitor Rademaker
 

This course is amazing! Scott is extremely straightforward. He goes directly to practical problems, tips and etc. He explains every thing very clearly, and he is also very funny and charismatic, making you laugh as you learn. He shows that you don't need a lot of expensive gear to make very nice pictures. So I have saved some money as well, cause I was about to buy some gear that I wouldn't need right now. It is for sure one of the best photography courses I have ever attended to! I highly recommend! Thanks a lot Scott! You are the best!

user-b48fe5
 

Another fantastic class with Scott Robert Lim! The combination of his knowledge, willingness to share, passion & entertaining personality makes him a top choice for photography education. Learning not only the "what", but the "why" & "how" can transform one's entire approach towards MAKING pictures. A constant inspiration to get better & better through practice.

user-9994d2
 

I have purchased a number of classes, this being one of them. The quality of the information was good and the level at which Scott spoke was appropriate for me. Having a course sylibus would add greatly to the value, which usually is not part of the programs I've purchased including this one, unless I've missed it. I believe the speaker should be required to provide one. After watching the videos, much of material can be recaptured by seeing it in writing. I would like to hear back from Creativelive their thoughts. In sum, good topic, good speaker, good technical audio and video quality by Creativelive

Student Work

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