Skip to main content

Lighting - Broad vs Short

Lesson 3 from: Unique Posing for Weddings

Doug Gordon

Lighting - Broad vs Short

Lesson 3 from: Unique Posing for Weddings

Doug Gordon

buy this class

$00

$00
Sale Ends Soon!

starting under

$13/month*

Unlock this classplus 2000+ more >

Lesson Info

3. Lighting - Broad vs Short

A strong understanding of light will transform your photos – in this clip Doug offers insights on seeing the light.
Next Lesson: Lighting Couples

Lesson Info

Lighting - Broad vs Short

photography begins and ends with light it's very very simple once you see it your world is going to open up toe levels you never ever imagined but it's a matter of seeing the light it's a matter of finding the light I'm asked all the time well what do you do if you're on a beach and you're in the middle of everywhere in his light everywhere lights good it's great you just have to find where it's coming from now in this room it's gonna be a little bit more difficult and the reason why use it's a perfectly lit tv studio isn't it so I'm going to create my own like to teach you about it right now I'm not looking to do anything mohr than make you understand light and where it comes from now one of the things you have to realize is when you're indoors when you're outdoors whatever it maybe we've all fallen into the trap of flash being our savior the problem is with a flash on camera is it really technically your savior I don't think so I don't think so at all it actually is hurting you becau...

se it's flattening out your image it's making it one dimensional and more importantly it's just not making it a good looking image so the question is we want to use what's there the second you can go and use the light that's there you're going to be ten times better off aren't you because you're gonna have like you're going to see it and it's going to make it less technical so I look inside this room right now and I don't know how white they can get on camera I basically have the re lights one of them I've already turned off I have a mane like coming in okay so the main front of light right now is coming from my left now if you look at that that's the main direction of light what they've done to make it perfect as they set up three lights you have one nair according to where it is right now would be a mean light this light here is a ninety degrees to me would be considered what's called a kick alight and and behind me I technically have a hail like to create separation now what happens in the scenario is it's perfect light the question is do you ever walk into an environment that's this perfectly lit no so in order to make your photography good you need to start with one element you need to start with finding the main light whether it's a window coming in whether it's a reflection off a war whether it's like coming in that you're adding in most cases what I try tio dio is use whenever possible if I have to use some type of fill light I'm going to either use my torch right which I'll talk about a little bit later which is a constant led light that I created I'm going to use that or I'm going to use one of two other lights they're either going to be my pro photo which is my high and constant light which is daylight balance now it's a high end light so the problem is some of you misha I could never afford that another light would be a non name brand light ones I use that portable that we take around on they're less expensive and I'll take a beating it's something called flashpoint they're cool light daylight not a rama makes them they're like seventy dollars but it's a big round like that a nice liketo buy especially we're going to all these schools I don't want to beat on my big expensive lights that I use in the studio but the reason I use constant lights is very very simple the direction and the output is always going to remain the same as in it unless I moved the subject closer or further away where is with flash if I happen to be like okay looking at them got it bam and it don't let it recycle what happens I'm now getting uneven exposures so again it starts with understanding the direction of light so what we're going to do right now is we're going to create our own light the on ly light in the studio that I'm actually going to leave on because I've already removed the kicker and the hair is going to stay on we're going to turn off our front main light now okay so why front main light is coming off so what I've put in place right now is my pro photo lights this is what I use inside my studio we have to separate shooting areas in our studio first one is a tremendous area it's a room like this but a little bit bigger but what I did inside this environment was I create situations and scene it's like one area we have literally an old barn that goes sixteen feet up and we took it and made that a segment with artificial grass then over here you would have your fireplace and you have your brick wall then over here we have a little boat dock and it's all a mural of a background of the ocean with then we have a beach with like straw grass and different things then down here we have a mexican villa and then facing that way we created a whole outdoor garden which is backlit with the window like coming in would all diffused area but what makes it perfect is we have one light inside of it we created a skylight above that gives us all day light on then all of the high hat bulbs are all very expensive daylight balanced bulbs that match the intensity of my pro photo light so from there no matter what time of day it is what is my white balance going to bay it's going to be set for daylight which makes it very easy no problems but I have to find where the exposure comes it so I'm gonna ask for my beautiful model to come on and can we have our stool too if you don't mind so let's take a look way make an announcement before we get started uh mckenzie olds our model here has been part of creative life for a long time but she is now officially part of the creative team so just welcome her way love this woman we're so excited to welcome welcome so let's take a look as we get started uh so again I'm using my pro photo light I wanna bring my camera we're right back here this would be our camera angle okay so right from here is where we'll be shooting now what's important is to determine the different types of lights so if we bring our main light in right over camera per se bring it up a little bit and right now I don't have the intensity up all the way but let's take a look if we bring it right there she's about as flatly lit as you could ever imagine isn't she she's very flat so what's happening is if we flat light someone from camera what's going to happen is there face going to start to look fuller where is it going to start to look thinner fuller remember the last thing we ever want is to make a subject look what fuller no woman has ever come in and said I want to look big they all wanna look thin so this light is what you're getting from camera so with that being said it's too flat it's too plain now let's take a look at what happens here let's start to understand every woman is going to have a certain poses every man is going to she's sitting straight to the camera very much in a mug type fashion correct so would I ever posed her this way no but saying I did because I didn't understand posing I want to learn to turn her head because obviously there's a couple of different ports to the feast which we'll talk about it the segment's down the road later today about what side of the face we want a photograph so let's take a look she's looking right here very full broad let okay how face looks fuller but if I turn her head away turn a little bit to your right she'd now be on what's called a two third angle to my camera the problem is I want you to take a look with the light directly hitting her a face looks what very broad this is called freud lighting it's flat on by being broad on this side right face she looks bigger that's not our goal is it so the direction of light is very very important so where we put light makes all the difference in the world can I have that light just come in for a second okay so let's look at what we do we're gonna bring it right over here julia thank you very much again another pro photo light now if you look take straight here this light here adds confusion to it doesn't it why well it's obviously a much more direct light source for one but being at the ninety degree angle and having the intensity it has through the beauty dish you're clearly seeing what type of lighting is on her face right now is a flat no it's what we would call split lighting from the camera what do I mean by split so let's take a look I'm gonna come in here tilt your head a little bit good on watch what happens want to show you the different sizes alights okay and I'm not even getting into the posing portion just yet but I want you to see how important the direction of light is so take a look at her face on the screen you'll say in her face clearly what's gonna happen is what she split because what I'm doing is I'm exposing four split side of the face the highlighted side now let's turn this out for a second you may say that's really really bad lighting and you'd be right but I'm going to show you how we adjust it now look at it flat again turn your head a little bit to me beautiful this way excellent stay right there now look at how plain the light on her face becomes it's because it's flatter that is a glorified mug shot in every way shape or form I have done nothing to flatter her have I okay why because I don't understand what the direction is so here's the first key you need to understand about lighting a female it's very very simple you need to identify where the main light is coming from so what I'm gonna do is right now I have a window to my right I'm going to pretend that the main lights coming from the window by moving this right over here so here we come here's my light so now I've identified the direction of light so if you would look at her now everybody loves to pose the face straight to the camera it's no good is it so by posing the camera the light just noticed we haven't moved to face we move the light take a look she again is split okay so she's got split light on her face again so what do we do this is the key it's very simple if I am posing as a guy do I ever tilt my head this way I look feminine don't so this is posing and lighting together I want to make sure I'm gonna turn your body so it was a little bit beautiful that I always turn her face into the light on by turning her face into the light I'm going to be lighting into her face through her body understand this this is katie I find the direction of light into the face through the body on what exactly I'm looking to create is what we call a two thirds lighting pattern two thirds now what that means is this sweethearts to the face the cheek is part one the front of the face is part two the other cheek is part three so if the light is hitting the right side of her cheek on the front of her face what would that be called that would be called broad light what do you think the shadow side is called it's called short like short like because it's obviously shadow correct so let me ask you something do you want the broad side of the face closer to the camera or the short let side let me show you the difference that's going to make it really easy I'm gonna move my camera turn your head to me beautiful a little bit right there turn a little bit more I'm looking for the catch light nor I and I'm going to actually come right over here because I'm looking to take their photo over and now this is the broad side closer to the camera how does her face look does she look thinner or does she look heavier she looks heavier watch what this simple adjustment of camera placement so that's having the broadside closer to the camera now turn your head to me a little bit to your right I'm sorry on dh going to keep the light and right there can you open up your shoulder a tad turn your head slightly to your right relax right there beautiful tilt your head a little bit to the left now I want you to look right at my hand right here perfect smiling that a girl excellent take a look in the difference of how she looks that is impressive do you see the difference of what's going on so let's talk about that this is broad this is the most essential thing that I could ever teach you I know this sounds so easy but it's not it took me many years to get but I'm simplifying it away thanks to be able to watch this in this type of environment changes everything so understand if we look at the right side of her face on this image on my right light is hitting her broadly now here's what most people think this image looks okay because you have catch like both eyes correct is it okay we're broad lighting her which in turn means we're lighting her neck will lighting her back which makes a look fuller did I changed oppose it all here I just put her eyes off camera and moved my camera so here we go brought on this side can you even say it no bride here see it on then she goes into shadow here is that shadow agood thing of course because if you have a plus size subject what's going to happen it's going to thinner out isn't it that's the whole idea so understanding the direction of light is everything everything everything everything I can't say it enough I could shoot with just this one light and be totally happy cannon isn't it what photography's about simplification how many times have you walked in and you try to take an image and you see ten different lights set up do you need ten different lights no do you even need extra lights not really julia could I ask you a favor in the top of my camera bag is a reflector you'll see it on top if I could have that what's the cheapest light you could ever buy a reflector heard it's the most inexpensive I buy a non name brand reflected ah flashpoint reflector and take a look right here and we're going to talk about the difference in light a little bit later but if you look right here let's bring this light back okay now normally I'd have my reflector understand turn your head a little bit to your right again right there beautiful take a look at what this does that opens it up just enough now here's the problem do we want to put the reflector back here we want to bring it in front of the face right there now why is a reflector better here then doing that let's look at the difference we're gonna come back here look at me beautiful eyes raid appear again chin down a tad smiling beautiful happy so let's take a look that we have beautiful two thirds light now we flattened her out she looks heavy again doesn't she now watch what happens when we do this we're going to turn this away for a second we're going to make that the main light remember I said we want a light into the face through the body why do I want to fight through the body can anybody tell me you're not making it then a little bit that's part of the reason but what's gonna happen especially if it's a subject like a bright when white if I like directly into her body not reflections it's gonna it's okay it's okay it's gonna burn up it's gonna burn up on we're gonna lose all the detail watch so we go right here let's clean her here relax a little bit beautiful eyes right here so now I'm using a beauty dish ok I know it's a little intense okay good eyes right there so now I technically have the same two thirds lighting pattern off her donor so watch what we do mooning over eyes right here you're doing great stay there but take a look at a body if you look at her body body got big didn't it body got big girl doesn't like that there's her high school yearbook picture okay now watch what happens if I add this tilting lighting is key identifying the main light and seeing it eyes here out here beautiful smile take a look now at least you were attending the face out there but in this case look at her shoulders this is a thin girl this is a nicely shaped female subject that I have ruined so here's what you're gonna learn bad light happens to good people bad light happens to good people because we don't understand what to do with it so the number one thing is to understand where light comes from okay so let's take a look at how we create light if this is my window on the light's coming through it ideally where would I want my subject to be I want hard to be what come over here for a second beautiful this is the only light we have right this is it the window right here do I want hard to do this and stand ever do I want a poser when her body straight to the camera ideally I want to make a look good this is the only light I have so I just go here we go come forward bring that leg forward kick in front turn your head to the light now you need to buy be able to identify when it's good so albert is the light good you've got up there real quick is the light good honor can I slide you over just so I can see they could see more like perfect thank you uh yeah no I would I would put a reflector on this no you don't have a reflecting all I don't have a result you can't afford it the only thing you could afford is the window okay so we need to keep that we need to afford the window that's it way don't want to carry extra things with three what is photography simplistic fun make it challenging for yourself so what's happening now is that window's not good why way no this is the on ly like we have right that's it it's the only light we could afford it we have two minutes you want me to fix it real quick view is at home watch this turn you head slightly to the right bam this is what you're looking for I might touch you okay you've been hoping look right here see this that's two thirds that's perfect but the key the key to all of this is this light is way too powerful right now isn't it so what I want to do is that we turn down setting so julia if you don't mind I know they don't want me working you could just turn the dial on top all the way to the left and turn it down to fifty okay I'm gonna turn it down to its lowest setting go right in here it'll take a second go down so take a look why use that important why do you think over exposed well it's not going over exposure you have to understand your terms it won't overexpose the subject because I'm going to expose for what's on her but what it's going to do is it's going to force me to do what closed down I'm gonna have to goto a higher aperture hyah shutter speed which means more detail now with my nikon d for the clarity it has do I want any more detail it's the last thing we don't want detail right you have perfect I don't want detail here's the other thing it's the only light I have so what's gonna happen to the wall is it going to go dark or light the more light I put on her the more intensity is the more I have to close down which means the background goes daugher on is the background goes daugher what's gonna happen is her hair and the background going to blend in right way don't want that so the lower the light the less intensity the wider open I could shoot I love shooting a two point I love it now mind you is to point a tricky one point four tricky of course it is because you need to understand your exposure value you need to understand what you want to accomplish so saying you're shooting it up four or five six based on your lens I don't want this wall to go dark now mind you if I kill this backlight now it's going to change even mohr is it possible for us to kill the backlight the hair light on what we're doing here is we're eliminating any light off the back on and why am I eliminating it now because the fact is we all know it's still too bright in this room isn't it it's still too bright for what we got going on here so let's turn here we're going to keep it although it's setting on what we need to accomplish is to make sure that we're able to get clean light turn your head to your right beautiful not so much back good turn a little bit excellent so I can't even move the light I just forgot because it's a window so turn your head a little bit right there now your eyes are up to me hold on one second I just want teo think good hold it right there right now I'm in here so one thousand good I'm an opta priority turn your head to your right beautiful smiling now let's take a look what's happening to our background is our background going to go super doc no okay not worried about white balance or anything right now okay because obviously I'm the custom it to this but what's happening in here is the backgrounds not going to dock there is it watch what happens when we turn up our intensity we over light her turn your head a little bit so now the intensity let's bring it up because this is the bright window we have turn your head to your right a little bit hold on oh I screwed with the white balance that good just like that relax good and your roll out your front shoulder just a tad eyes right here smiling beautiful now take a look the backgrounds going to start to go deeper and it's gonna get daugher and we're gonna lose look at the difference in the tip that doesn't work does it you know why because number one can I fix this and photoshopped of course I can but do I want to work any time in photo shop or light room you want me to teach you something that's going to save you a bunch of money I'm gonna teach you something really quick you want to never ever let me ask this question and it's more for the second part of this after the break how many of you color correct your image is be honest how many of you realize you're wasting time you know why you're wasting time what do you calibrating for calibrating for the person who's watching on their home computer from nineteen seventy nine are you calibrating it for their sixty inch plasma television you know that's watching and stretched format would vivid contrast you calibrating field they oppose calibration changes one hundred times a day every time the paper changes every time two chemicals changes to machine gets hot and cold calibration changes you are going to teaching and never called calibrate again here you go shoot it right shoot it right find one light source which we're going to talk about laid out what they are and go into the direction she looks pretty there bite I ruined it I ruined it that's the main light that's a good image of a but because the light is too hot that causes a problem so now that I have just the white balance back turn your head window again more diffused right there tilt your head a tad just like that so two thirds fighting pattern we look for less light less is more important to understand turn your head a little bit to your right good make sure that knows they're perfect smile and beautiful happy now again take a look at the difference in the two that's what last light and watch the background open up isn't even comparable it's all intensity isn't it so let me ask you something why do I want to use available light whenever possible when I'm on location how long would it take me to set this up with different speed lights time is money time is money I don't need to set up big translucent panels I don't need to set up big soft boxes and big reflectors keep it simple I got a window use it it's cheap it's about cheap available light my wife always laughs it's it's very funny because we'll be sitting down having a conversation and she'll see me doing this should be like you're looking at the light on my face again aren't you once you learn it you're obsessed with seeing it what you learnt it you start to feel it like I know right now I look a ce flattened is boring to the people at home watching it but I know we're not even thinking about it that the light on my face ands right here because I feel it watch this let's bring her up to where I am I want you to show you she's right where I am now you look at it there watch how easy it is to justice this window is no one gets to the window I watch this I could turn it just like this now turn your head turn your head a little bit look down this now what type of light is this this is still a two thirds right believe it or not isn't it because this window is coming in from forty five degrees behind her so if I was to take the image turn your head a little bit from right over here I would have beautiful two thirds light but I'm not going to take it from here we'll take it from here so what is the light becomes it becomes what's called profile light so take a look looking down beautiful and just like that take a look at house stunning her profile is absolutely beautiful that's pretty good huh that's what I'm talking about you say it's about simple so you move the subject according to the position ofthe light now watch this her hair is dog saying you do have lights with you how could I make this really cool turn your head back watch this this year becomes a kick alight the important part is to make sure that it doesn't spill over thank you I don't want it here dear why but what I do want is the separation now when does this become fun when you could air different colors to it I don't have can I take a good image of her I don't have one light on the front of her joy she can't look good do we want to like the front of her we had a light to the front what happens this beautiful thin girl becomes what heavy girl it's all about direction of light and again you don't need the most expensive lights you need a window in a reflector aiken do this would reflect that coming back watch this not even adjust the camera looking down perfect stay all right there you do it turn your head to your right a little bit chin down close your mouth good take a look watch the difference it makes I may have cropped too tight I think and you won't see the kicker look at that is that simple is that easy it lightens up the background I want you to take a look at this do you mind if I brag for a second because sometimes I'm absolutely amazed with may I'm the only one but it's still exciting take a look look at you are beautiful look at the light coming underneath now we're going to talk about it because I did make a look a tad heavy because I didn't correct the post because underneath here by elongating her neck I'm going to be able to do it but I think she looks great we got the separation here which all of this is going into doc it's setting up completely different look so the most important thing you can learn is learn to see the light see the light so what we're going to do I'm going to ask one favor if it's possible can we put a light behind this window coming in so if we could take could we take my light here will it come through here or is that blocked out back there yeah if we could bring the light through here because I want just want to show I'm sorry I should have thought of this prior okay but understanding like yes sir thank you for bailing me out with a question are you shooting manual right now are right now I'm shooting on I'm shooting a program I'm not even really paying too much attention here's the thing how much attention do I need to pay if you came here to get a technical education do I know the technical part of it yes but do I want the technical part of it no I want to have fun I just want to play I want to find light simplify give you an example I'm a baseball player if you watch baseball you see guys getting their stance hands up here legs here legs back here who hands here twisted up there's one thing that they all have in common their entire swing whatever you do before and after yeah doesn't matter you know where it matters right through here right with his own every hitter does the same exact thing through the zone because it's simple it's the same thing all this other stuff doesn't matter can I bring like for the window because that's where it is and that's all that matters to me I want to create simple I look at this it's a window shades whatever it may be yea fun that's all I want that's all I care about that's all that matters so am I worried about being in manual on my word about being a program in africa priority when must I always be emmanuel when I'm using flash I need to be in manual because I need to be about control things and set it up and if I'm in a program or appetite priority has shut a priority that won't happen well it because I can't control things the camera's thinking too much but when I'm in this situation could I work in program or africa priority yes could I work in manual yes but with may and I'm going to talk about it during the exposure portion coming up and a little while and I think it's our next segment we're going to talk about okay what do we do when we're in this situation I want to make the background daugher should I speed up the shutter speed should I close my f stop how do I want to accomplish that well I'm going to play with my shutter speed if I want to play with the back on if I want to change the light on the subject and put less intensity that I'm going to play with my aperture all those different things and kind of understanding whether app ok good so in this image for example where were you um where might be doing what yeah I'm always going to meet her on the same exact spot on every image of a face him in a meter in the same exact spot on exposure locket okay that spot is right here where the under the eye under the eye let me ask you something this is really important and this is more for the next segment but gonna get into where does light come from in almost every occasion comes from up above so where with shadows naturally big under the eye under the nose under the chin with that being said we're the most people point their flashes off the ceiling so where would the shadows still being under the honey eyes another no is under here what is the whole purpose if it's this site if it's that light if it's a speed light if it's a flash what is the purpose of all of them they're supposed to be what a fill light but if we're bouncing off the ceiling do we know why we're bouncing off the ceiling because if we pointed it directly at it would be too intense what in it so we're defusing the light bouncing off too soon the idea is for you to put a little bit less so when I shoot I'm looking teo use what's here and then accent it with a little additive not a lot of added once the only time I want to add a lot of light when I want the background to go in full depth and any details do you ladies have any questions that they're kind of I think it might be a good time to go absolutely yeah I would just take them a minute to get that set up so bonnie age from alberta canada asked when using window light is there a concern for the uneven light on the wall or the background no because the reason is I'm never goingto probably put my subject right on the wall and sometimes I'm going to use those shadows to my advantage I'm concerned about uneven lighting on the subject not really on who on the wall who is paying me the wall for the subject if the subject looks good everything else falls in a police and that uneven lighting in the background could sometimes become very very intriguing could in it I'm not looking for a window with glaring sunlight through it am I okay okay uh question from just me I'll ask it a question from just me from chicago what if she were a bride wearing white and it was reflective material instead of black like well that's why okay just so she knows that's why we don't want a light directly into her we want to do what's called feathering and bring the light across that's why you don't pose a bride like this you pose a bright here and light into a face now mind you when may that change it may change when working what a plus size bride but what I'm going to do is work with a title light source onto the face so that I could diffuse the body do you understand so the light source would be more here so that to be full off on the gown so I want to always look toe light that then out the closer the light the more control you have of it the further away the light the wider spread she gets bigger doesn't she but if I bring the light right up here now on control getting is a natural full off so I want to work with a closer light source on I don't want to light into her body I don't want like I want to like through okay we were able to work that out yeah what do you think that working for you oh that looks good I think we're just gonna have to move these lights here okay so let's take these out you could ask another question too and we're gonna turn this one out all right and we have a question do you use strobes do why you stroked yes yes I would use either I have my pro photo studio kit on my high ones which I used in the studio but if I was working with the windows here in inside in a small place I would definitely used my nikon speed lights and I would put them like in an apollo or from westcott I'd have my pocket was its firing them often and I may be using like a strip bank like behind him is a kicker to separate them from the background but again I'm gonna use what's available to me first my first options what's always existed why walk in and complicate the scenario is my point you have walk into a subject's home how many of you charge by the hour how many of you chode say you got me for an hour but if a teacher and I would have set up lights are you really working an hour you're working two hours he working three hours time is money that's not how we run a business we want to be creative with what's there that's what makes it fun if I have to sit there and set up six lights every time it's going to become sanded and boring I look and say I got a window light here now in this case it's a little bit more challenging and the reason why is that light here I'm going to move here so it comes through this way so I'm gonna move the stream of light here because I want to get it on her here but it's working well for me I want to move her to the light do I want a black background not really but I want to make it simple okay another question over there good yeah um veil fuji was asking if you could again explain what you meant by through the body through the body okay like I told you this is going to seem so simple are you guys all getting it here through the body is very simple okay this is the window right turn here it's very common that we'd want to turn her body to the window because like a flash like oh all the light is right here it's right here now turn your head and look at me that we turn her head here so let's take a look I'm going to shoot this so I show you looking right at me here beautiful good tilt your head a little bit to the right now let's take a look at a face turn your head to may so we're all thinking we're in good shape now take a look her body looks very very full ok did we come up a body looks full how does her face look looks terrible I made her look older but her body looks bigger I want you to take a look ok we actually made her look heavier in here because we let it there's no person on the planet who doesn't come out here you don't see very few people who suck in there okay does she want to see that part she doesn't like it so how do I change it write you a great watch what we do come right in here we're going thinner out by turning her turn her away from the light this is lighting into the face through the body into the face turned out a little bit into the face through the body what's gonna happen down here will be what a natural falloff of light so we're going to turn her head a little bit beautiful good turn a little bit here ice looking at may stay right there smiling gorgeous take a look will automatically look at the difference in the light on heart from that to this do you see that area of her midsection looking big anymore you don't and look at her face her body looks better can we do a comparison with those two shots where does she look better where do you think police state the one on the right otherwise I'm in trouble I get nervous there because her body looks better her face looks better everything looks you know what I mean okay so we get a full we don't want a light into her body so we want a light into the face threw the body into the face through the body do you understand please tell me if you don't because if you don't that means at home they definitely not okay good okay so what we're going to try to do now is work with the window like so let's take a look right here now that window like the problem is could I ask to move the light overcoming this way so like it's going to cause right now I won't be able to do it for video purposes over here can we move it to just come this way good so we're gonna aim it towards the back wall good now here's what happens if I place her right here can we turn it towards the red wool by place right here is this good it's not great light on horizon and in order to make this work watch how I could do it my placement to her is going to make all the difference I want the window to be the main light correct so what we're going to do that is I look right here there's two different ways I could do this can I bring you back here a little bit further good now to kick your right leg in front turn your head to your right one more right there now what I'm watching for is too beautiful catch fights in the ice and then what I'm looking for is to make sure I got this sport lit face lit and then this goes into shadow so let me ask the big question if you haven't picked it up yet this is what matters do I want the broad side of the face closer to the camera what do I want the short let side closer to the camera short short short short because short means smaller short means she looks better that's what you want to do so watch what we do here good turn your head a little bit to the right so watch what I do here I'm going to make the window my main light okay turn your head a little bit looking right here turn your head it would've been too right open your right shoulder up bring your hand up a little bit down order but good turn your head here good looking right here me beautiful eyes up good stay there smiling now take a look I'm using the light that I have coming out of the window and I'm able to create a beautiful portrait of her that's pretty good isn't it right there

Class Materials

bonus material

Day 1 Slides
Flow Posing Guide
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop A
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop B
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop C
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop D

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

I loved every minute of it! I watched and re-watched the Live show 3 times and now have the video version to burn into my mind. I don't get sick of watching it, I learn something new with each viewing. I have notes upon notes, inspirational quotes and I was truly inspired. I saw you live at your workshop and I wish we would of covered the business section a bit more in depthly because after watching you here on creativeLive I was floored! I can't wait to attend another one of your workshops because you are a wealth of knowledge, energetic and you inspire me to be better! I'm so glad I wasn't afraid to try even though I was terrified at first. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such an amazing mentor!

a Creativelive Student
 

Doug is AMAZING! The way he teaches makes it fun and easy to understand. The way he poses his couples are so fast and easy to learn, I have taken my photography from mediocre, to world-class. I would love to meet him and thank him personally one day. Thank you Creativelive for introducing me to Doug, and thank you, Doug, for introducing me to CreativeLive! The best community for learning!!!

Adrian Farr
 

Doug has so much enthusiasm, it is beyond measurable. He is truly a fantastic motivator. He helps you understand the best ways to work with the light you have and shows you some very simple yet effective posing techniques. I highly recommend watching and buying this course if you want some great advice on improving your photography.

Student Work

RELATED ARTICLES

RELATED ARTICLES