Dramatic Portrait Photography

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

Often regarded as one of the leading lighting experts, Joel Grimes shares a wealth of his knowledge with the general public in a two hour long workshop which is available free of charge to anyone wishing to further their understanding of photography. Grimes, a photographer of 30+ years, is well known for creating dramatic portraits using a variety of technical lighting techniques, many of which he covers in the workshop:

Things to Remember:

• Move your light source farther from the subject or use a smaller modifier if you’re trying to get a hard light. Conversely, a soft light can be created by moving the light in close or using a larger modifier.
• When selecting a modifier, keep in mind that its shape will directly affect the quality of light it produces.
• When shooting, if you move your light source up or down, move your camera placement with it.
• Use your intuition to decide what looks best. Photography is subjective!

Using these techniques along with a few others, Grimes was able to produce looks such as these:

“I’m drawn to how light strikes a face. I love it. I love the light on a model’s a face. I believe everyone has a look. Yes, we have attractive people, but I love bringing someone in and going, ‘What can I do with this person to create a portrait that stands out?’ So lighting is very important to me.”

For further training, Joel Grimes has a couple courses here on Portrait Compositing: Kelby Training