Learn to produce beauty photographs from the idea to the digital retouching stage
Showcasing and valuing the beauty of human beings is what defines Nicolás Cuenca's work. An Argentinean photographer specialized in beauty and fashion photography, his work has been featured in magazines such as Vanidades and Kunst Magazine and used by beauty brands like Fenty Beauty and MAC Pro.
In this course, enter the world of beauty photography and learn about different genres, applications, lighting techniques, workflows, and digital editing.
What will you learn in this online course?
26 lessons & 18 downloads
What will we do in the course
1 minute, 12 seconds
Kinds of work
13 minutes, 3 seconds
Briefing
7 minutes, 2 seconds
Hardware and software
3 minutes, 7 seconds
Camera setting and tethering workflow
17 minutes, 12 seconds
Hard vs. Soft
10 minutes, 54 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by meeting Nicolás, who will tell you about his most important projects, his studies, and his influences in the world of photography.
Discover the different types of beauty photography and their applications, and then learn how to develop the brief for a production. See how to capture an idea by gathering references and inspiration.
Review the necessary equipment for the session, both hardware and software: from the flash and a camera to editing programs and tethering .
Choose the appropriate camera settings to photograph your subject and the focal lengths that favor them. Learn to configure different parameters, such as shutter speed, ISO, flash power, and aperture, among others.
Learn about tethering and what purpose it serves within the workflow of a photoshoot. See how basic editing can be applied to images during the session to see them in real time as you work.
See the differences between hard and soft light, when to use one or the other and why it is important to take into account the quality of light to favor different skin types and generate the desired environment. Learn alternatives to position the key light of your photo session, as well as how to use the fill, effect, and background lights.
In addition to artificial lights, learn how to shoot beauty photos using a natural light source, accessible to all, such as light from a window, complemented with reflectors and panels to shape it to your liking.
Also discover framing and reframing techniques for your photos and the advantages of composing in-camera or in post-production.
Once the photos are taken, it's time to move on to the digital editing stage. Start by reviewing the tools to be used and then select the most powerful images.
Learn to get the most out of your digital files, adjusting the contrast, brightness, curves, levels, and color grading, among other options.
Next, move on to Adobe Photoshop for touch-ups like texture corrections and skin touch-ups before exporting your edited files to the platform the image will be displayed on, whether that be on social media, a website, or printed.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Carry out a beauty portrait session with artificial lighting and natural light and then edit your photos.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Photographers who want to expand their knowledge of portrait photography and lighting techniques focused on beauty photography.
Requirements and materials
Intermediate knowledge of photography and basic notions of lighting are required. For post-production, basic knowledge of RAW image editing and Adobe Photoshop is needed.
As for materials, you need a digital camera, a flash for artificial lighting, a window as a source of natural light, and a computer with Adobe Photoshop and Capture One installed.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Este es un curso excelente para aprender, ya que lo imparte un gran profesional, el cual nos comparte sus conocimientos de una manera muy bien explicada, y siempre con ejemplos visuales, quizás para otros esto no es tan importante pero para mi si, y lo valoro mucho.Gracias.
- 7 months ago
muito bom recomendo
- 1 year ago
Un curso muy completo la verdad.
- 1 year ago
bueno
- 1 year ago
el mejor curso de fotografia de domestika, te sirve para todo.
Nicolás is also an art ambassador for the Bergner Group Art & Design foundation in Spain, an international institution dedicated to bringing fashion and art to homes around the world.
His photography is inspired by the emotions transmitted by faces, and he is always searching for new forms of creative expression in his work.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course
- U2
Preparation and equipment
- Kinds of work
- Briefing
- Hardware and software
- U3
Lighting Techniques
- Camera setting and tethering workflow
- Hard vs. Soft
- Main light
- Fill lights
- Effect light and backlight
- U4
Shooting
- Natural light
- Artificial light
- U5
Fine developing and retouching
- Postproduction tools
- Culling image selection I
- Culling image selection II
- Development and preparation of RAW I
- Development and preparation of RAW II
- Development and preparation of RAW III
- Plan the touch up
- Retouching in Photoshop I - Part I
- Retouching in Photoshop I - Part II
- Retouching in Photoshop II - Part I
- Retouching in Photoshop II - Part II
- Retouching in Photoshop II - Part III
- Export for different media
- FP
Final project
- Beauty 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
Beauty photography focuses on highlighting the face’s beauty and details like makeup and skin, while editorial fashion photography involves broader stylistic and narrative contexts, including wardrobe and setting.
The course is aimed at those with some photography experience, ideal for intermediate learners wanting to deepen their skills in beauty portrait and editorial photography techniques.
You’ll need a DSLR or mirrorless camera, portrait lenses, artificial or natural light sources, neutral backdrops, light modifiers, and basic studio accessories.
You’ll learn beauty lighting setups, how to use natural and artificial light, flash handling, the inverse square law, light modifiers, and exposure control to create professional portraits.
Yes, the course covers digital retouching techniques in Photoshop, RAW editing in Capture One, and workflows to enhance portraits while keeping skin looking natural.
You’ll learn how to direct models, develop creative briefs, choose effective framing, and apply artistic composition principles to bring out expression in your portraits.
Yes, it includes planning shoots for e-commerce, test sessions, and model portfolios, covering everything from briefing to final image selection and editing.