The Beginner’s Guide to Classic Portrait Photography

If you are a beginner photographer or a more experienced photographer who would like to capture better classic portraits, this course is for you. Whether you are exploring a career in photography or would simply like to capture beautiful portraits, classic portraits are the starting point for furthering your creative skills.

The Beginner’s Guide to Classic Portrait Photography is designed to provide you with all of the practical knowledge you need to create classic portraits. It is a gentle entry into the subject, beginning with a primer on basic photography concepts and gear, and then moving into specifics for portraiture, like gear choice, settings, editing, and working with your subject.

In this course, you will…

• Discover the characteristics of a classic portrait, including the lighting, the posing and more.
• Develop your understanding of photography basics, like exposure, focusing and file types, and how to adjust each in your camera.
• Examine the gear that can be used for classic portraits - cameras and lenses, lighting, backgrounds and environments - including the benefits and drawbacks of each. This will allow you to determine what gear is right for you.
• Master specifics of working with your subject, including specific tips for building rapport, for posing, and for overcoming shyness.
• Identify how to set up a portrait studio, even if the “studio” is an outdoor location.
• Practice the basic edits that are typically expected in a classic portrait, and more advanced edits that can be done. Download a free trial of Adobe Lightroom Classic, a popular editing application.
• Suggestions for ways to practice your portrait photography.
• Discover how you can apply your own creativity and still retain the look and feel of a classic portrait.

Classic portraits are fundamental for a portrait photographer’s portfolio, and they are a building block for more advanced portrait work. Master these, and you will have the know-how to expand your portrait photography with your creativity.

In this course, you will also complete exercises that will help you build your photography knowledge and solidify your experience. As we work through classic portraits from start to finish, you will practice focusing and using different camera settings to see how they affect exposure. At several points in the course, you will be challenged to create a classic portrait of your own. As you move through the course, you will be able to see your improvement!

I’ve designed this course to be comprehensive but practical, with low-pressure exercises to help you on your journey to becoming a portrait photographer. Photography is truly an art form, and it should be treated as such. Once you learn the mechanics, your creativity can lead you beyond to create your own personal style of portraits.

So join me! Enroll now to master classic portraits.