PSH Ditto Cam - Pro Lighting in the Home Studio Part 5 - Basics of Studio Lighting

There are a few reasons for shooting your senior portraits in the studio. Not the least of which is weather.

Rain or shine, the studio is always good to go. Most photographers and their customers think they want to shoot outdoors for a more natural look. But to me, the most important reason for shooting in the studio is marketing.

"LEARN THE RULES LIKE A PRO, SO YOU CAN BREAK THEM LIKE AN ARTIST." PABLO PICASSO

For photographers, truer words were never spoken. With the automation built in to modern cameras today, it's tempting to just pick up your camera, set it on auto, and shoot away - or "Spray and Prey" as some call it. And the thing is - you can do exactly that and make awesome photographs. I personally know some photographers that shoot somewhat like that and get some incredible results.

It's true that back in the days of film, pros had to know the ins and outs of their craft to get perfect - professional results every time. Remember, in film there was no instant feedback. You couldn't look at the back of the camera and simply shoot again if it was wrong - you had to get it right the first time and every time. So they learned and strictly followed pre-calculated exposures, lighting patterns, and poses so the got perfect, if somewhat predictable results every time.

Today, that's no longer required. And to this day, some old time pros still bemoan the lack of knowledge newcomers bring to the profession.

SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL THEN?

If everything I've just said is true, then why bother with learning the old time methods. Well, Pablo Picasso knew why, and it still applies today.

"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."

Knowing light, posing, and exposure are the best things you can learn to advance your career and separate yourselves from the wanna-be's.

So we're gonna take you through every step in portrait lighting. From a single light and a reflector, all the way up to 5 light setups and show you the results live on camera.