Creative Lighting for Portraits
A course by Victor IdrogoPhotographer
A course by Victor Idrogo, Photographer
Get into experimental photography and learn to improve your use of expressive lighting
Lighting is a fundamental part of photography and mastering it in order to generate emotions and new approaches is what Victor Idrogo works to create unique, original and experimental portraits. With a decade working as a photographer, his photographs explore the limits of light, frames and expressions.
In this course, Victor will teach you to turn around the classic way of illuminating a portrait. Starting from the review of the classic portrait, you will go on to experiment in the studio with traditional lighting and some elements until you get to challenge the limits of photography.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 9 downloads
What will we do in the course?
1 minute, 26 seconds
Background of the photographic portrait
14 minutes, 38 seconds
Creative process
8 minutes, 20 seconds
Materials and tools
2 minutes, 32 seconds
Photo I: Layers of color (Part 1)
5 minutes, 45 seconds
Photo I: Color layers (Part 2)
15 minutes, 20 seconds
What's included in this course?
You will meet Victor, who will explain his career in the world of photography, his specialization in portraits and tell you about his references in this field.
You will start with a brief walk through the history of the portrait, seeing some examples. Next, Victor will tell you what his creative process is like. You will see the necessary materials and equipment for your photo shoot (hand flashes, studio flashes, leds , flashlights, modifiers ...).
Camera and action! You will start shooting by experimenting with the color and two lights: continuous and flash , and you will make a bust plane. You will go deeper into the lighting, direction of models, composition, techniques and key points for the second photo that will be a medium vertical plane and the third photo, which will be an entire vertical plane. You will play a part with Capture One and the final part will be taken in the dark with double direct exposure.
You will go to the development and retouching part, selecting and making some adjustments to the best images of the third session with Capture One; you will choose the three that best fit your project, you will do the pre-assembly of the edition and you will look at the relationship between them. You will make exposure, contrast and clarity adjustments to give them a similar and unified look .
Then, you will edit them in Photoshop, looking at specific aspects such as the high-pass approach. Finally, you will export the images to the web, also seeing how to adjust your photographs to share them on social networks.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
A series of three photos linked by the same graphic concept, made with different lighting techniques: camera intervention, light on lens and double exposure.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
To photography enthusiasts and people with basic knowledge of photography and lighting who want to learn and experiment with studio lighting.
Requirements and materials
You will need to have basic knowledge of photography, lighting and Adobe Photoshop.
As for materials, you will need a camera with manual controls, a tripod, a flash speedlite or studio, a flashlight or continuous lights, and color filters.
Reviews
- 1 year ago
Excelente
- 1 year ago
Good course, creative and inspiring!
- 2 years ago
Excelente curso com uma didática excepcional!
- 2 years ago
Bien explicado, ayuda a tener nuevas ideas en las iluminación
- 3 years ago
Buen curso , Ayuda a probar nuevos tipos de iluminacion
In his commercial office called Icónica Institucional Photography, he works with a team of professionals with whom he makes portraits and photographic coverage for companies and different institutions.
In parallel, he performs more personal work, also based on portraits and experimentation with the expressive use of light.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Preparation
- Background of the photographic portrait
- Creative process
- Materials and tools
- U3
Shooting
- Photo I: Layers of color (Part 1)
- Photo I: Color layers (Part 2)
- Photo II: Darkness and movement
- Photo III: Double exposure
- U4
Development and retouching
- Integration of double exposure
- Image selection
- Revealed in Capture One
- Retouching in Photoshop and Export
- FP
Final project
- Lighting techniques for photographic portraits
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
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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.
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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FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for people with basic photography knowledge who want to deepen their skills in advanced portrait and lighting techniques.
It’s recommended to have basic photography and camera handling skills to get the most out of the course content.
You’ll learn how to direct models, combine continuous light and flashes, experiment with light painting, double exposure, and editing techniques to create artistic and professional portraits.
You’ll need a digital camera, flashes (studio or speedlights), continuous lights, color filters, lighting accessories, and access to editing software like Photoshop.
Yes, the course includes lessons on advanced portrait editing, color adjustment, masking, skin retouching, and exporting for web and social media.
The course explores techniques using continuous light, flashes, mixed light sources, grids, color gels, reflectors, and exposure control to achieve creative and professional effects.
Yes, you’ll learn how to apply light painting and double exposure to create experimental portraits with unique and expressive results.