Beginner Learning about lighting...

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Tom
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Hi All,

I'm a moderately experienced landscape photographer but I'm increasingly getting into taking photos of people (I wouldn't call it portraiture as it's just unposed/candid of friends and family).

I'd like to develop this side of things and I feel learning some basic lighting techniques is an important step in creating compelling portraits.

My questions is what the best way of going about this? Is it worth investing in a cheap off-camera flash and having a play around? Or investing in a decent online tutorial? How did people here learn their craft? Is anyone self-taught?? I don't have the time or money to enrol on an actual course at a college etc.

Many thanks,
Tom
 
Hi Tom,

You're a landscape photographer, so you must already know a lot about lighting - i..e. you already know that good lighting is vital and you know how important it is for the light to be coming from the right direction and at the right height - so all that you need to know is how to apply those principles to artificial lighting.

I would think that almost everyone is now self-taught, oldies such as myself were trained in large photography businesses but these businesses are now a thing of the past and so most people have had to learn by understanding the basic physics involved and then experimenting, and there's nothing wrong with that approach.

There are innumerable videos available on YouTube and a few of them are worth watching, but avoid all those which are promoting specific equipment, they tend to be deceptive and just plain wrong.

I advise against buying any kind of equipment until you've learned the principles and have worked out the lighting effects that you want to achieve.

You may wish to buy my e-book, Lighting Magic, which others on here have recommended, all income from it goes to charity. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07L2FWXGC
 
Hi Tom,

You're a landscape photographer, so you must already know a lot about lighting - i..e. you already know that good lighting is vital and you know how important it is for the light to be coming from the right direction and at the right height - so all that you need to know is how to apply those principles to artificial lighting.

I would think that almost everyone is now self-taught, oldies such as myself were trained in large photography businesses but these businesses are now a thing of the past and so most people have had to learn by understanding the basic physics involved and then experimenting, and there's nothing wrong with that approach.

There are innumerable videos available on YouTube and a few of them are worth watching, but avoid all those which are promoting specific equipment, they tend to be deceptive and just plain wrong.

I advise against buying any kind of equipment until you've learned the principles and have worked out the lighting effects that you want to achieve.

You may wish to buy my e-book, Lighting Magic, which others on here have recommended, all income from it goes to charity. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07L2FWXGC
Hi Gary,

thanks for your response - I will look into your e-book!
Cheers
 
I guess I'm self taught... over many decades. Most things about lighting can be done/learned w/o any specialized equipment, even just manipulating sunlight; and especially if working in B&W.
I've used all sorts of lights from table top, halogen work lights, flashlights (torches), etc... while I wouldn't recommend them as "professional lighting;" you can learn and accomplish quite a lot. And just like every other aspect of photography... once you know what you want to achieve and how to do that, then you can buy the right equipment. W/o the knowledge/skill, you'll probably be wasting a good bit of money getting there.

There are three basic concepts/factors that need to be learned/controlled. Light quality (size/hardness), distance (falloff), and direction... these three things are primarily separate, but interrelated.
 
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