Flash Photography with a Speedlight
A course by Chris RobinsonPhotographer and Filmmaker
A course by Chris Robinson, Photographer and Filmmaker
Learn how to express yourself as a photographer by using a single light source to create professional images
Lighting allows you to tell a story in a single image by capturing the mood and emotion of your subject. Relying on speedlights and light modifiers, photographer Chris Robinson is able to turn abstract feelings into images, creating portraits that focus on facial expressions and the human form.
Connect with viewers emotionally by exploring flash photography and the versatility of speedlights. Take your photography skills a step further by learning off-camera lighting setups, how to work with models, and the most efficient workflow for retouching high-impact images to tell a story.
What will you learn in this online course?
19 lessons & 18 downloads
What Will We Do in This Course?
3 minutes, 0 seconds
The Importance of Understanding Light
5 minutes, 48 seconds
Understanding Our Speedlights
15 minutes, 50 seconds
Sync Shutter Speeds
3 minutes, 52 seconds
Sync Speed Demo
3 minutes, 17 seconds
Materials
7 minutes, 37 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get started by meeting Chris Robinson, a professional photographer specialized in fine art and fashion photography. Learn about how he discovered photography as a child and later turned it into his career. Take a look at his influences and get an idea of what inspires his work.
Chris explains the importance of light, both how it works and how it can be controlled. See how he uses it to create a wide variety of images and convey different types of emotions. Get familiar with speedlights, explore their functions, and learn how to choose the right ones for you. Learn about sync speeds and how the camera and speedlight communicate.
Explore modifiers for your speedlight and see how they can be used to modify the mood of your photos. Take a look at the pros and cons of diffusers, grids, barn doors, gels, and a beauty dish, including how they can be used for portraits and editorials. Learn some basic lighting setups for creating different emotions in a practical exercise with a model.
Chris shows you his entire post-production workflow. Beginning with an intro to Capture One, see how to select and process each image step by step. Then import your final selection into Photoshop for retouching. Finish with some final tips and tricks for saving, exporting, and sharing your final images with clients.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create two final images—a portrait and an editorial photograph—using a speedlight and the lighting principles explained throughout this course.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for photographers interested in learning how to use a speedlight to make the jump into professional work.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, you should have a basic understanding of digital photography.
You will also need a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a speedlight, and a computer with Adobe Photoshop and Capture One or Lightroom.
Reviews
- 29 days ago
Totalmente interesante y útil este curso, bien desarrollado con una explicación sencilla de aprender, felicidades al expositor.
- 9 months ago
Very clear explanation and easy to understand. I gave a 5 out of 5 rating. A very good course for me.
- 9 months ago
muy ameno
- 10 months ago
I'm an amateur photographer and I generally shoot using natural light, focusing on landscapes and architecture. This course has been a great introduction to the parameters used in portrait photography. I found the examples, information, and resources very valuable. I give this course a 5/5 rating and my thanks to the instructor for their thorough explanations, tips, and shared experiences. Thank you.
- 11 months ago
Demasiado Básico, explica casi lo que trae el manual del propio flash u kit de difusores
Chris specializes in fine art, nude, and fashion photography. He has worked with brands like Nike, Vans, Las Culpass, and Armario Lulu, and had editorial work published in REKT, NaKid, Faddy, Glamour, and Vogue China, among others.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- What Will We Do in This Course?
- U2
Lighting Theory and Speedlights
- The Importance of Understanding Light
- Understanding Our Speedlights
- Sync Shutter Speeds
- Sync Speed Demo
- U3
The Use of Modifiers With Your Speedlight
- Materials
- Creating Different Types of Light
- Editorial and Portrait Session 1
- Editorial and Portrait Session 2
- U4
Post-Production Workflow
- Photo Selection
- Photo Editing 1
- Photo Editing 2
- Photo Editing 3
- Photo Editing 4
- Photo Editing 5
- Additional Documents 1
- Additional Documents 2
- FP
Final project
- Flash Photography with a Speedlight
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate photographers familiar with basic camera settings who want to advance their skills in using speedlights, modifiers, and studio lighting for portraits and fashion photography.
You’ll need a DSLR or mirrorless camera with hot shoe, a speedlight flash, basic light modifiers (like a softbox), and access to photo editing software such as Capture One and Photoshop.
You’ll learn how to control mood and emotion with handheld flash, use lighting modifiers for portraits, work with hard and soft light, synchronize flash and shutter speed, and apply post-processing techniques in Capture One and Photoshop.
Yes, the course teaches how to blend flash with ambient light, ensuring balanced exposures and creative lighting effects for both indoor and outdoor portraits.
You’ll follow a step-by-step workflow for selecting, editing, retouching, and color grading portraits using Capture One and Photoshop, including non-destructive techniques and professional retouching tools.
Yes, you’ll learn about shutter speed synchronization with flash, how to set correct sync speeds, and practical solutions to avoid exposure issues like black bars in your photos.
Yes, the curriculum includes fine art nude and fashion photography, with guidance on lighting setups, posing, and creating editorial-quality images.