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What is portrait photography

Portrait photography, or portraiture, is a type of photography aimed at capturing the personality of a person or group of people by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses. A portrait photograph may be artistic or clinical.

A photographic portrait means to consider who we have before us and what we want to show about that person.

Jeff Bronson

What you will learn to master


Lighting for portraiture

There are many techniques available to light a subject’s face.


Three-point lighting

Three-point lighting is one of the most common lighting setups. It is traditionally used in a studio, but photographers may use it on-location in combination with ambient light.


Key light

The key light, also known as the main light, is placed either to the left, right, or above the subject’s face, typically 30 to 60 degrees from the camera.


Fill light

The fill light, also known as the secondary main light, is typically placed opposite the key light.


Jeff at work

Meet Jeff in his studio and see firsthand how he approaches a photoshoot in this exclusive trailer.

Unlock the full video by signing up for Jeff’s course.

A side profile of a woman in a russet-colored turtleneck and white bag. She looks up with her eyes closed.

“Jeff’s course really help me understand how to work with light and my closer to my subjects. Amazing course!”

— Anna Wong, Volunteer

Course Lessons

Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3