Week 2 - Lighting Basics for Portraits
Creating professional-looking portraits using constant and strobe lighting.
This lesson teaches you how to shape light, control mood, and create flattering studio portraits with confidence.
What You’ll Learn This Week
Lesson 2 - Lighting Basics for Portraits (Photo + Video)
Lighting is one of the most important skills in photography and videography. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to shape, control, and direct light using both constant lighting and strobe lighting in the studio. These fundamentals will give you the ability to create depth, mood, and professional-quality portraits in any setting.
By the end of this lesson, you will understand:
The three main properties of light: direction, quality, and intensity
The difference between front light, side light, and backlight
The role of rim light and hair light in portraits
How soft light and hard light affect mood and skin texture
How light distance and power affect brightness
The basic difference between constant lights and strobes
Lesson 2 Downloads
These are the digital versions of the handouts you’ll receive in class. Download and save these to your computer for easy reference.
If you misplace your printed handout, this is your backup copy.
🎥 Lesson 2 - Video Tutorials
These short videos focus on the core lighting skills we’re learning in this lesson. Each tutorial covers one topic at a time so you can watch, pause, and practice at your own pace.
Use these videos to review what we covered in the studio and to reinforce the skills as you continue practicing throughout the program. You can come back to these anytime if you need a refresher.
One LIght Portraits
Video Lighting
Lesson 2 Assignment
This assignment is designed to help you apply what you learned about lighting and begin developing confidence and consistency in your portrait setups.
Your Assignment
Create three portraits of the same subject.
Your subject can be:
a friend
a family member
or a self portrait
Each portrait should use a different lighting approach.
Portrait 1 Window Light
Create a portrait using natural window light only.
Focus on:
light direction (front vs side)
distance from the window
how shadows shape the face
Portrait 2 Constant Light (Front Light)
Create a portrait using one constant light source positioned as a front light.
This can be:
a video light
a ring light
a lamp
or any constant light you have access to
Focus on:
even exposure
soft vs hard light
keeping shadows minimal
Portrait 3 Constant Light (Side or 45 Degree Angle)
Create a portrait using one constant light source placed at a side or 45 degree angle.
This image should feel more cinematic and shaped.
Focus on:
shadow placement
contrast and depth
creating mood with light direction
What to Pay Attention To
For all three portraits:
how light direction changes the look
how shadows shape the face
how small adjustments affect mood
The goal is intention and control, not perfection.
✅ When you are finished, upload your three final images to the Google Drive link on the portal homepage.
Next Lesson
When you're ready, continue on to the next lesson.