Introduction to Conceptual Portrait Photography
A course by Kristina VaraksinaPhotographer
A course by Kristina Varaksina, Photographer
Translate your ideas and feelings into striking images that move your audience
Through concept photography, you can give a voice to subjects who aren’t usually seen or heard. Award-winning photographer Kristina Varaksina captures photos of faces and bodies that tell a story about the people they belong to. She’s worked with The BBC, Harper’s Bazaar, The Telegraph, and has also had her work exhibited around the world.
In this course, Kristina guides you through finding your artistic voice in photography by learning to communicate through lighting, color, and subject direction. Learn to transform your personal ideas into meaningful and striking images. Are you ready to take photos with feeling?
What will you learn in this online course?
25 lessons & 14 downloads
What Will We Do on This Course?
7 minutes, 30 seconds
How to Choose Your Subject
13 minutes, 23 seconds
Ideation
16 minutes, 8 seconds
Translating Words into Visuals
7 minutes, 54 seconds
Art Direction 1
13 minutes, 50 seconds
Art Direction 2
8 minutes, 49 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get to know photographer Kristina Varaksina. Find out how she went from a career as a graphic designer to becoming a full-time photographer, and hear about the influences which inspire her work. Then take a look at what you can expect from the course.
Learn how to create a concept around a meaningful subject and find visual solutions that turn your ideas into a reality. Kristina talks you through choosing a subject and building on your ideas. Next, explore how color, texture, shape, light, and more can impact the feeling of a photograph.
Dive into the pre-production process. Begin by creating two art direction boards for your concepts before moving on to the technical decisions. Discover how different cameras and lenses impact your photographs and find out how Kristina uses light and modifiers in her creative process.
Learn to set up and shoot two photographs, a self-portrait and a portrait of someone else. Discover how to capture meaning and emotion through your photos, taking into consideration things like lighting, clothing, and the connection to your model.
Curate and select your favorite shots with Kristina as your guide and discover the importance of RAW image editing. To finish the course, Kristina talks you through how to make the final tweaks to your images in Photoshop.
What is this course's project?
Learn how to portray feelings and messages through photography and create images of a subject that is important to you.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in creating meaningful photography or learning to take portraits.
Requirements and materials
A basic understanding of photography and light is recommended.
You will need a camera, basic studio lighting, or access to natural light, and a computer with Photoshop installed.
Reviews
- antineodesigualPLUS9 months ago
Hyper complet et hyper intéressant. Merci pour ce travail. On rêverait de l'avoir en professeur et mentor
- 1 year ago
Gracias a Kristina me di cuenta que estilo de fotografia quiero hacer, me abrio mucho la cabeza y la manera tan organizada de hacer las cosas me encanta...un curso muy inspirador, haria mas de ella
- 1 year ago
I'm only on the first few segments of the course, but I love it already. She lays out a very clear way to explore the "why" behind your art.
- 1 year ago
I thoroughly recommend the course; Kristina is not only a talented and inspiring photographer, she explains the topic very clearly.
- 2 years ago
It's nice to be able to learn how to make art.
Since then, Kristina has worked with clients including The BBC, The Telegraph, Harper’s Bazaar, and L’Officiel. Her work has been exhibited internationally at galleries in the U.S., Europe, and China, and she has taught photography at the Art Institute of California and New York Film Academy. She has also been recognized with a number of awards, including Portrait of Britain 2020 Winner and Lens Culture Critic’s Choice 2020 Winner.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- What Will We Do on This Course?
- U2
Ideas and Research
- How to Choose Your Subject
- Ideation
- Translating Words into Visuals
- U3
Pre-Production
- Art Direction 1
- Art Direction 2
- Technical Decisions
- U4
The Shoots
- Setting up for Shoot: Self-Portrait
- Self-Portrait
- Setting up for Shoot: Portrait
- Portrait
- U5
Post-Production and Editing
- Curating and Selecting Your Shots 1
- Curating and Selecting Your Shots 2
- Curating and Selecting Your Shots 3
- Curating and Selecting Your Shots 4
- RAW Image Editing 1
- RAW Image Editing 2
- RAW Image Editing 3
- Retouching: What Should Stay and What Should Go 1
- Retouching: What Should Stay and What Should Go 2
- Retouching: What Should Stay and What Should Go 3
- Retouching: What Should Stay and What Should Go 4
- Retouching: What Should Stay and What Should Go 5
- FP
Final project
- X Portrait Photography
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.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
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.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You’ll learn how to plan, shoot, and retouch conceptual portraits—covering ideation, lighting, color, set design, directing subjects, and advanced Photoshop techniques to create expressive, meaningful images.
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate photographers who want to deepen their skills in conceptual portraiture, lighting, composition, and post-production techniques.
You’ll need a camera, lenses suitable for portraits, basic lighting gear, and access to Photoshop for post-production. A tripod and remote trigger are recommended, especially for self-portraits.
While beginners can benefit, the course is best suited for those with basic photography knowledge and some experience with cameras and editing software.
The course guides you through ideation, mind mapping, and visual mapping to translate personal or social themes into striking portrait concepts, enhancing your unique artistic voice.
You’ll explore advanced lighting setups, color palette selection, using mixed light sources, and color grading—all to reinforce mood, narrative, and emotional impact in portraits.
You’ll learn technical setups and creative approaches for both self-portraits and photographing others, including posing, directing, and creating authentic emotional expressions.