10 essential portrait lighting techniques you should master

Whether you’re new to portrait photography in the studio or want to elevate your craft, mastery of portrait lighting techniques is always a worthwhile goal. If you’ve already started doing your research, you most likely now know three to five that you must familiarize yourself with. Today’s featured video, however, tells us there are actually 10 portrait lighting techniques that are considered essential.

In the Adorama video tutorial above, Ab Sesay takes us beyond the basics with a thorough breakdown of 10 key lighting techniques for stunning portraits. He guides us through 21 real-world setups that we’ll actually use, whether for fashion, beauty, or cinematic portraits. With his hands on demonstrations, he covers:

• Understanding the visual impact of each lighting pattern.
• Knowing when and why to use styles like Loop, Butterfly, Rembrandt, and Split.
• Incorporating creative lighting patterns such as Under, Overhead, and Edge for added narrative depth.
• Mixing light modifiers, gels, and fills to enhance mood and shape.

Have you tried any of the portrait lighting techniques discussed in the Adorama video above? Share your results in the comments!