Photograph Portrait for Beginners
A course by Marcela Cerbon , Photographer
Capture someone's essence in a natural and spontaneous portrait
To create an authentic portrait you must connect with the portrayed in a sincere way to make him feel comfortable but, in addition, you must master some basic photography concepts to achieve a professional result. Marcela Cerbón - professional photographer - is passionate about portraiture and her work has gone through magazines like Vogue Mexico, Hello! Spain, Magazine 192, Who and Harper's Bazaar, and this course will teach you the basics to get started in this art.
You will learn the process to achieve natural and spontaneous portraits that reflect your personality or style, starting with the selection of camera, lenses, accessories, lighting, perching and model direction (women, men and groups of people) as well as the basic retouching in Adobe Photoshop
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 16 downloads
- 94% positive reviews (110)
- 2,559 students
- 16 lessons (1h 56m)
- 16 additional resources (4 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
You will make a series of portraits that will capture the essence of the portrayed with your personal style.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
To beginning photographers, creators of beauty content, instagrammers and any photography enthusiast who wants to learn to direct a portrait session from pre-production to editing.
Requirements and materials
You will need basic knowledge of handling a digital camera and eager to discover Marcela's creative process.
On the materials, you will need a digital SLR camera, a flash (which can be studio or camera) and a computer with Adobe Photoshop.
Reviews
Marcela Cerbon
A course by Marcela Cerbon
Marcela's specialty is to portray people, make them feel comfortable to the point that they forget they are being portrayed; Only then can he capture his essence.
With more than 10 years working professionally in photography, he has covered major events such as Prince Charles's visit to Mexico, the Cannes Festival and fashion events, both on the catwalk and on backstage , in Mexico and U.S. In addition, he has made editorial photography for Vogue Mexico, Harper's Bazaar Mexico, Who, Magazine 192 and Hello! Spain.
He is currently primarily engaged in editorial photography and his portrait blog.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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What will we do in the course?
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U2
References and preparation
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Portraitist References
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Color palette and moodboard
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Equipment, lenses and importance of the diaphragm
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U3
illumination
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Light direction
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Studio lighting techniques
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Fill or support light
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U4
Photographic technique and direction of models
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Makeup and styling
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Composition
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Address and inn
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Creating scenes
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Finding balance
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U5
Retouch
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Revealed in Camera Raw
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Basic retouching in Photoshop
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FP
Final project
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Photographic portrait for beginners
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 master lighting techniques, model direction, composition, mood board creation, lens use, and professional editing for editorial, fashion, and family portraits—both in studio and on location.
This course is aimed at those with basic photography knowledge who want to deepen their skills in portraiture, fashion, and lighting techniques, making it ideal for intermediate learners.
You’ll need a camera (digital or analog), interchangeable lenses (preferably a 50mm), access to Photoshop and Camera Raw, plus some light modifiers like softboxes or reflectors.
Analog photography uses chemically developed film, while digital lets you see results instantly and edit easily. The course covers the advantages and techniques of both.
Yes, the course includes model direction techniques, pose references, and strategies to capture genuine expressions in portraits.
You’ll learn to work with natural light, window light, hard and soft light, modifiers like softboxes and beauty dishes, and studio flash setups.
Yes, the course teaches how to develop images in Camera Raw, edit in Photoshop, apply non-destructive retouching, and use professional techniques to enhance portraits.
Buen curso, bien explicado, recomendado
Me encantó, realmente me ayudó mucho, muy bien explicado y da excelentes datos.
Super kurs, tylko poprawiłbym tłumaczenie techniczne w j. polskim na lepsze, profesjonalne tłumaczenia, np. przesłona, czas migawki, czas naświetlania itp.
Excellent et très instructif! Beaucoup de détails intéressants!
El curso es muy bueno, la explicación es sencilla y clara ahora e mejorado en mis fotos.