1 Light, 5 Game-Changing Portrait Techniques You Need to Know

[@MartinCastein]

The first 500 people to use my link skl.sh/martincastein12241 will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare!

[@DenmarkL-j5v]

You are a natural teacher. This video is so succinct, with such easy to follow instruction. Thank you.

[@MartinCastein]

Thank you it’s great to get feedback like this

[@goodlawyer1813]

As a portrait fan, I really love your style of photography

[@FreemanFamilyFoolery]

This was very helpful. Thank you for being a great teacher

[@DGLuxton]

This was surprisingly helpful. I love all the nuanced tweaks to standard lighting. Plus it’s a dead simple approach

[@RicePhotography]

great video! very straightforward and easy to understand

[@billio8497]

Thanks

[@MartinCastein]

Thanks very much!!!

[@chrisburnard5157]

Thank you very much Martin. Really, really useful, subscribed.

[@MartinCastein]

Then it was worth making for me. Glad you liked it!

[@dannykistler4192]

Love it, you explain it in a very simple and easy to understand way. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@MattInWA]

Subscribed - great technical description and you have an effective teaching style. I'm about 2 months in to really digging into photography and KZbin is an incredible resource.

[@MartinCastein]

Welcome aboard!

[@renees8262]

Whelp, another Martin video. Off to watch it 15 times…. Merry Christmas! Honestly this is exactly what I have been needing.

[@MartinCastein]

Hahaha love this comment thank you

[@Twobarpsi]

Excellent video Martin! I knew nothing about these set ups. I have so much to learn. Your explanations and diagrams really make this understandable.

[@MartinCastein]

Thanks buddy!

[@francocba7301]

Finally Someone who talks about the meaning of the effects of lightning

[@Princejp-m6k]

Priceless info - thank you for this!

[@MartinCastein]

Very welcome!

[@fluidj]

This was great. I Would love a copy of each of those diagrams! I’ll take a stab at drawing them up myself.

[@MartinCastein]

Releasing it as a free ebook in next 24 hours with lots more detail will be on my website

[@KIDSonCONGAS]

Excellent tutorial. So simply explained, can't wait to try this - thank you!

[@longingbydesign]

Your videos are always worth the time. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@MartinCastein]

Glad you like them!

[@philipogunbona8602]

Thank you very much Martin for this wonderful tutorial. Could you please comment on the lens focal length and camera settings. What difference will these parameters make? Thank you.

[@lerrynhawke3375]

Christmas day started awesome!!!! Thanks Martin, I'm gonna play with these today

[@jfhector]

Ah, I thought that only the softbox’s size relative to the distance of the subject mattered when it comes to the softness of the look it gives. I.e. I thought that having a large softbox further away was equivalent to a smaller way closer in adjusted for power. Now you’ve helped me realise that those two cases are very different because of course with light coming from further away there’s less light falloff on the relief of the face. This explains the results I was getting without being able to explain them. Thanks!

[@tristanpottier]

Thank you for all this useful knowledge you shared with us 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@MrDeano41]

great vid as per usual. I've tried to dabble in flash portrait shots, and never worked out.. that deffo helped Martin thank you.. wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas have a great one 👍

[@MartinCastein]

Happy to help

[@surgical_vip]

Merry Christmas Martin. You are a credit to photographers as well as KZbin. I got into photography a yeat ago with a canon 500d and have since switched to a 5d mark ii after seeing many of your videos

[@MartinCastein]

Thank you very much that really appreciated

[@MartinCastein]

Merry Christmas

[@BelowZero]

Great advice! Thanks for sharing your lighting techniques.

[@moritzschneider2735]

I will try it out thanks

[@cameraz99]

Learned some good techniques here. Thank you.

[@atephoto]

I really enjoy this video. Thank you!

[@rainerwunderlich8023]

Great work, helpful, inspiring, Martin. Looking forward. Greets 🙏

[@DrWasim]

Great video! Thank you ❤

[@dennismwallentin296]

Excellent! So simple but yet so powerful - thank you 👍 Enjoy the holidays 🌲🧑‍🎄🥂🎉

[@nickjuno8338]

Another great how-to video. Thank you Martin and Merry Christmas!!

[@stephentalent]

Thank you. Yet again so much value here.

[@donsoley746]

Hello Martin - just nominated you for the MPB award!

[@MartinCastein]

Haha wow thank you! I doubt anyone will know me but it is really appreciated!

[@michaelschmitt5413]

Thank you. Your videos are so helpful !!! The sample images you shared are wonderful !!!

[@marcthibault8723]

Thanks for the video! Great info! 🇨🇦

[@Drew-photo]

Merry Xmas &thank you for all your content and sharing this with everyone ❤️

[@MartinCastein]

Merry Christmas to you too and thank you

[@dmytrohryshyn]

Very Merry Christmas Martin. Thank you for another banger video. 😀😀😃😃

[@MartinCastein]

Thank you merry Christmas to you too!

[@MichaelMCDoesntExist69]

Just got a Speedlight and a radio remote for it to use the Speedlight off camera and now this Video 🤩🤩 Truly a Christmas gift here mate, thank you so much and of course merry Christmas man 🤩

[@MrDunk66]

Excellent as always!

[@MartinCastein]

Thanks again!

[@skantzose-class7160]

As always, great tutorial. Would it be too much if I asked you to consider doing one on posing? Cheers

[@MartinCastein]

I will

[@GuillermoCalderonbodas]

Loved it! ❤ Merry Christmas!

[@MartinCastein]

Thank you! You too!

[@MartinV.]

Great Video!

[@Ricky.DeSilva]

Great video, thanks! Happy holidays

[@allee2445]

Awesome video! How big of the soft box do you use?

[@MartinCastein]

3 foot by 2 foot

[@dance2jam]

Happy Holidays Martin. I'll get another chance to wish you a great New Year. Till then, as always, thanks for the video. 2 quick comments from my short personal experience. With one light/one modifier, I slowly moved the light the subject like the hands of a clock, noting the difference in light/shadow it produced. That was useful in compartmentalizing split, Rembrandt lighting, loop lighting front (straight on) lighting. Then worked on drawing the circle on the other axis (i.e. top/down, bottom/up). When I have the time, I repeat the setup quickly with a mannequin. Again, this helped me - and then I worked on the concept of short/broad side lighting. Is there a particular reason you stay away from "clamshell" - or was this just your "one light" setups? QUESTION: I'm sure you are aware that you and many others talk about Rembrandt lighting at 45 degrees. My first exposure (sorry) to lighting was with Joel Grimes who says that it's near 90 degrees (soft box slightly in front of the model (the leading edge), and slightly above, producing the traditional triangle. I did go back and look at Rembrandt paintings and when I light my subject that way, I do get the 'traditional" look - one could argue it's overutilized. Just curious about you finding it at 45 degrees. Keep them coming - and take time for you!

[@TiborJager]

Min. 4:13 the "Light Far" has very soft shadows in contrast with "Light Close" for the same softbox; it is strange!

[@jayse1195]

Merry Christmas sir!

[@Steve-jl8pq]

lot of superb information, thanks

[@MartinCastein]

My pleasure

[@wd2809]

Thanks:) u are great

[@MartinCastein]

Thank you too!

[@L.Spencer]

It got really interesting at 7:30 - that short lighting can be overdramatic and too moody rather than a romantic looking portrait. So I think first it's important to know what techniques give what kinds of vibes, then second to know what we're going for in the shoot. I don't have those squared away, I'm usually just thinking, "I want to try multiple lights, or a gel, or Rembrandt lighting." And my eye doesn't see that I'm going way too dramatic. Well, I like that style now, but I need to get a much better overall idea of what styles there are and how to get them.

[@MartinCastein]

You were 90% there already 🙂

[@PixPete]

Fantastic advice as always, Martin. I experimented with a few of these setups while taking my current 'selfie' profile pic, and in the end decided I quite like the 'broad' lighting for myself. Took a lot of heat from other photographers for that choice, but feminine or not, I could not give a sh!t haha :)

[@MartinCastein]

Broad light works well for men too I should do a video about that one day too!

[@VanijaMi]

Absolutely great! Would you say these lighting setups work for those wedding/birthday situations where you have a specific part of the space or like a decorated corner where people get their pictures taken? Thanks.

[@MartinCastein]

It works for anything but do test shots first so you know it works

[@lerrynhawke3375]

And just incase I get rubbish prezzies this year I bought myself the studio portrait online course! Merry Xmas Martin

[@MartinCastein]

Hahaha thank you

[@TristanFaransa]

Thanks again, Sir. In your course "Studio Portrait Editing" the presets are included?

[@MartinCastein]

Yes they are

[@martinsrensen3869]

Awesome 💪😍

[@johannorling9613]

I may be interested in your editing course, but I need to know what programs you use to achieve these lovely results, so that I will be able to follow it. Would be sad if it turns out there is gear used that I don’t have or can’t afford…

[@MartinCastein]

The course is editing only you will need lightroom classic and photoshop.

[@danbalam0218]

Great video! Love your no-fluff, educational approach! One Question; what size/brand/model lightbox do you recommend using? I'm still new to lighting and want to buy a single versatile modifier before succumbing to too much GAS.

[@MartinCastein]

Hi thanks, I use a 3 foot by 2 foot softbox I wouldn’t go smaller, larger is good too

[@Dngrov257]

You are the best!

[@MartinCastein]

Thank you!

[@MarkJKLawrence]

Another great video, thank you Martin! I assume that using a video lighting setup with a softbox will give much the same result as a flash, as long as you compensate for what will presumably be a lower output?

[@MartinCastein]

These were mostly with a softbox and you can achieve most looks with a softbox 🙂

[@MarkJKLawrence]

@@MartinCastein Cool, thanks Martin! :)

[@Boohooooo]

I may have missed it, but are these photo samples done with flash or continuous light?

[@MartinCastein]

Most are flash, some are natural light but you could do it with continuous light, in all cases though its 1 light source. Its all the same in that regard, light is light, so if you want to use a video light go for it.

[@agent9727]

Ok, this is something my broke-one strobe light-a$$ needs😂 Thank you❤❤

[@ShareseVHatch]

Another excellent tutorial, Martin!! Your photography and teaching skills are superb...plus, the English accent makes your videos even more pleasant to watch! 😁

[@MartinCastein]

Hahaha thank you and I will try to exaggerate my accent in future videos haha

[@kalaiarasan6906]

❤