The 10 portrait lighting mistakes that every new photographer makes

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Whether you're new to lighting or you have been doing it for over 20 years, everybody started off in the same place and everybody made a bunch of mistakes. So if you’re just starting out and you do any of the things I’m about to talk about I’m not mentioning these things to make you feel bad and I’ve made all of these mistakes and occasionally I still make them.
1. Raccoon eyes
One of the most common mistakes that you can make is placing your light too high. As a result you won’t see any illumination on the top sides of your subjects eyelids and if you’re really high you won’t see any illumination on their eyes whatsoever. Lowering the light just slightly will really has your images to come to life but make sure you don’t go so low that lit is striking the underside of your subjects nose.
2. Catch lights
Once you’ve lowered your light enough so that you see illumination on the top sides of your subjects eyelids, you also want to make sure that you see catch lights in their eyes. Simply put, catch flights are reflections of your light. If you don’t see them, just lower the light ever so slightly until they show up, because almost every image it can benefit from a little sparkle.
3. No Fill
A lot of times people take a single flash and they put it off to one side and it creates a lot of shadows which go jet black and there’s absolutely no detail. So what you want to do is use what’s called fill to, well, fill in the shadows.
4. Using green tinted continuous lights
Beginners always like to use continuous lights because a lot of the times they’re quite affordable. But the continuous light kits that are often found online use either a compact fluorescent lightbulbs or cheap LED lightbulbs, like the bulbs you would use in your house. The problem comes from the fact that these lightbulbs may have a green or magenta bias which will lead to your skin tones being the wrong color.
5. You’re Too Flat
Normally the first light anybody uses is a camera mounted flash. You could point it directly at your subject but if you do you’re going to get very very ugly light. Thats why is it far more common for people to bounce it off of a white ceiling. The only problem with this sort of lighting is that often times the light doesn’t really have a direction or a shape to it and you’re just simply getting the job done. If you’re able to move the flash a few feet to the left or right from your camera either using wireless technology or a hard cable it before you bounce it, you will greatly improve your results.
6. You have to bounce off something
I see this one every time I go to a graduation. Some one in a Gian room or outdoors has their bounce flash point towards a distant black ceiling or the sky. In order to bounce light you have to have a nearby surface that reflects light.
7. Too close to a white backdrop
Most photographers have shot on a lit white backdrop and most beginners have had a problem where their images look really hazy, because the backdrop is too bright. If this happens you need to reduce the brightness of your background lights so that the background is just barely brighter than your subjects face.
8. No Separation
Once the person has lit their subject the background in the recorded photo may be the same color or brightness as their hair or their clothing and then what happens is that the subject blends into the background. So there are a few ways that you can solve this. You could move the subject closer to the background and this will make the background brighter. You could move the subject further away from the background and this will make the background darker.
9. Red Wall
A common problem that everyone runs into when shooting on location are color casts from objects or walls, referred to as color contamination. You want to make sure that where you position your subject is not adjacent to let’s say an orange accent wall because your shadows could be orange. And you also want to make sure that if you are trying to get a white background that there isn’t a brown floor in front of it that will kick yellow light back into the shot. This is part of the reason why you often will see a white backdrop swept under and in front of the subject.
10. Subtly
Good Lighting for the most part is all about subtly. You don’t have to show your work with the force of a hammer all of the time.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:57 Raccoon eyes
00:29 Catch lights
01:56 No Fill
02:36 Using green tinted continuous lights
03:20 You’re Too Flat
03:59 You have to bounce off something
04:40 Too close to a white backdrop
05:13 Red Wall
07:00 No Separation
08:07 Subtly
08:44 Conclusion
Music: Evolution by Bensound bensound.com/

[@jimwlouavl]

Thanks. You’re the first presenter to tell the difference between a hair light and a kicker.

[@JohnGress]

Wow thanks!

[@yuvrajdeval5713]

All tips are good but listen to it on 1.25

[@AnthonyToglife]

Another great video by the lighting king! I've definitely made some of these mistakes over the years, lol. It's always fun to look at older videos and point out all the things you would do differently now. Growth is never-ending.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! So, so true! I recently watched a video I made about a year ago and I’m making progress.

[@Justshanedavis]

One of the best tutorial style videos I’ve seen thus far. Amazing !!!

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!!

[@robertinn5308]

Thank you for these tips and pointers. Great help for beginners and reminders for the "experienced." I appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and experience.

[@JohnGress]

No problem! Thank you Robert!

[@QuantzPhoto]

The titles for these mistakes are vastly underrated! Haha

[@JohnGress]

Finally someone appreciates me! =P Thanks!

[@sternschnupper]

"the curse of the racoon" 😂😂😂

[@peterthart531]

I definitely made almost all of these mistakes. Experience teaches us to look for each of them on every shoot. Your point about the sledgehammer is the most important one for people with thousands of shoots under their belts (like me). Too often when we get to a plateau in our development and try to light our way forward whereas it's really about other elements.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@-WhizzBang-]

But were they really mistakes? Photography is like art, it is very subjective. Just because someone else's OPINION says it is a mistake, doesn't mean that it is! I find there are way too many PIXEL PEEPERS in photography, who say light should be this way, shadows should be that way, just because that is THEIR opinion, doesn't mean that is universally that way it should be. Bottom line, Take these videos with a grain of salt, and do what YOU think is best for you@!

[@rayokasali]

This was concise but very impactful. Great content John 👌

[@JohnGress]

Glad to hear it! Thank you!

[@Musiqfan23]

Very informative. You're def one of my favorites. Thanks.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@MrCgs60649]

Thanks for shedding a little light on this topic.

[@JohnGress]

My pleasure! Thank you!

[@WealPower]

I'm really enjoying these videos. Thank you for the content!

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@jetsetfool]

I’m learning so much from you. Thank you!

[@JohnGress]

You are so welcome! That is great to hear!

[@kiteroble2084]

Thank you so much for all your great advice! 😍😍😍

[@JohnGress]

You are so welcome! Thank you!

[@_HMCB_]

Really helpful video. Valuable tips. The best part: you’re easy to listen to. Enunciation and pace make for a calm learning experience. A mistake I see too often. Imagine being a newbie like me and feeling anxiety because the pace is so rushed. So thank you. 🙏🏼 P.S. - I’ve never seen a KZbinr with such thorough description notes. Amazing channel.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! I really appreciate it! This helps to keep me going. 🙏🏼🤗🙏🏼

[@gphotographybyg]

Yesssss! Just about every image can benefit from a little sparkle!

[@JohnGress]

Lol 🙏🏼🙏🏼🤣🤣🤗🤗

[@umahaghadazah]

Your tips are amazing! I’m really learning from you!

[@JohnGress]

I'm so glad to hear it! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙏🏼

[@NebulaChavez]

Thank you for SHARING and TEACHING - LOVE IT

[@JohnGress]

You are so welcome! Thanks!

[@mcjiehembile3992]

Thank you for sharing, I've learned a lot of things.

[@JohnGress]

That’s great to hear! Thank you!

[@sylviahoke7513]

superful helpful john. thank you.!

[@JohnGress]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks!

[@Pezinokrm]

Excellent tutorial on lighting 👏 one thing I might add with respects to White backgrounds is to over expose it by a 1/2 stop for clean white.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! I probably should have added something like that. Normally I am tethering and looking at the white value.

[@jamesmonahan9408]

Fabulous! "mimic the best lighting reality."

[@JohnGress]

Thanks James!!

[@ShaneBaker]

Good practical tips. Thanks.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks!!

[@etzermentor2466]

You on point thanks for sharing

[@JohnGress]

Thanks Etzer! I appreciate you.

[@janlasalle8845]

A good review of tips..thank you.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! I hope it helped!

[@RDennisCrawford]

Thanks Brother for the excellent video

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@sastrydasigi7010]

Great tips!

[@JohnGress]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks!

[@anujasharma9677]

Good one John

[@JohnGress]

Thanks!

[@timrosenthal46]

That was great , thank you

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@stanae75]

Oh my goodness I feel like you were speaking directly to me in this video...Lol. Thank for the tips!

[@JohnGress]

Lol. No problem! Happy to help. 😀

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

thank you for the effort and the sharing. a YT vid both informative and entertaining. thumbs up.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@stephaneMichaux]

thank you so much for your vidéos ! really helpfull 👍🏼 Hi from Paris (FRANCE)👋🏼

[@JohnGress]

You're so welcome! Merci!

[@mfieldsphotography]

Sooooo, I'm not the only one who has made these mistakes? LOL!!! Great video, John!

[@JohnGress]

LOL all of us! Thanks!

[@notyourbro3782]

And here i am learn from your channel to do my own brand photoshoot with only myself :")

[@JohnGress]

That's great! Best of luck!

[@chrisbastow7737]

Brilliant tutorial! You can’t buy experience! 👍

[@JohnGress]

Thanks Chris!

[@lim2001burger]

Great video - definitely guilty of “the sledgehammer” 😅

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! Its fine every now and then but a rubber mallet will often do. =)

[@talesfrombookend]

Thanks! I was having my key light a little bit too high. This really helps.

[@JohnGress]

Glad it helped!

[@tedebaer1]

Thank you!

[@JohnGress]

Sure thing!

[@kartikthaker09]

Very informative

[@JohnGress]

Great to hear!

[@cerec69]

Shooting tethered is a really quick way of seeking where you can improve your shots. I know it’s not always easy but worth it if the opportunity arises. I’m still not great but it’s helped me.

[@JohnGress]

Good tip!

[@martinsmith6049]

I did it and the model got to see the pics on a monitor straight away... we were all buzzing because we knew the results were coming in

[@johnbrott7174]

Very Cool...

[@JohnGress]

Thank you!

[@allentay]

Great video

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@pogolas]

Really like your content. To be honest, when I saw this video’s lighting, I though it was a demonstration of a bad WB, and you would mention it as one of the ten mistakes.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks. Video is more about the look than accuracy.

[@NnennaRG]

Amazing

[@JohnGress]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@nicholsonsaint-ange4927]

How high over the subject and how far » feet » should i place my strobe light for a soft and nice exposure ?

[@philipvaughan1027]

Great video , thank you John. Please can I ask where your backdrops are from. Thanks Phil from the UK

[@JohnGress]

Thanks mate! They are from Gravity Backdrops.

[@davidrodgersphotography]

Another great and informative video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🙏. Can I ask what your opinion is on parabolic softboxes? I recently watched a video, ( can't remember by whom) that made the point that the benefits of a parabolic modifier are lost when the light from it is subsequently diffused.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! I think I heard someone reference this video recently. For what it’s worth the Elinchrom Litemotiv 120cm I use is great because when I have it coming from the side turning it a few degrees can really change the brightness of the background and it can really isolate the light on the upper half someone’s body when shooting fully body. I also plan on getting a Parabolix 35D soon to possibly replace my beauty dishes.

[@BretKerr]

I have a parabolic with honeycomb on an Aputure 300LS , and I can use it at 24% as continuous light for headshots. Easy to switch from video to headshots in the corporate in-house studio I work in.

[@manoharmgr8235]

வீடியோ மிகவும் பயனுள்ளதாக இருந்தது மிக்க நன்றி Very useful This video , big thank you (R.MANOHAR ,Chennai.India)

[@JohnGress]

Thank you!

[@wagerlifeofquarantine8884]

Thank you John gress I really appreciate, but I have a problem about which side to position your lighting to your subject...do you just use either the left or the right side of your subject or you position the light according to how your subject faces...I'd really appreciate if you make a video about this, thank you.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you. I don’t give much through to it unless the person has an abnormality or they tell me what they this is their good side. Basically I’m going to create a shadow and hide what I don’t want to see in there.

[@LoveTech]

Very informative video. One of the best tips you gave: call your mom...

[@JohnGress]

So true! Thanks.

[@nilofido411]

👍 👍👍👍👍 10 out of 10, maybe 9.75 out of 10, cheap continuous lighting is very bad, on the contrary professional continuous stage lighting can be awesome if properly used, unfortunately they costs a fortune, not only to buy but to run

[@JohnGress]

True, continoius lights don't really offer a lot of bang for the buck for photographers who need versatility.

[@nilofido411]

@@JohnGress indeed... but if you have access to a power supply you can do amazing things with a few KW on Arri’s lights

[@HURPSYYEMRAY1]

Tnk you

[@JohnGress]

You’re welcome 😊 Thank you!

[@scottsremodelingllc5447]

which do you recommend for outdoor portratis, Elincrom sb-500 or Elincrom 500 monolights w/external plug in battery pack (Paul C. Buff)?

[@JohnGress]

I would recoomend in this order the Elinchrom FIVE (amzn.to/3Um6V61), ELB 500, Elinchrom ONE (adorama.rfvk.net/5bZgYL) and ELC 500 (amzn.to/2PzMLGP ) with a vagabond.

[@deepakp1508]

U make amazing photos and would also please create a tutorial on editing please

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! I have them on my website The Academy with John Gress. There is a three day free trial if you want to check them out. johngress.com/academy/

[@mycroft983]

Maybe use a light meter on the background????

[@GEETONKIMAHFAL]

Sir.I have Canon 6-D camera.what lense you recommend for portrait .Brand is very expensive .What else you advice?? Tour way of presentation is very humble and cool .thanks

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! On a full frame camera I would get an 85mm lens.

[@GEETONKIMAHFAL]

@@JohnGress Can you advice best in Sigma or Tamron or some other brand ?? please ..applreciate

[@stefanialaspalmas9773]

I dont know why but you have Malkovich vibe in the way you speak :D

[@ISOCZAR]

#6 cracks me up every time I see a photographer outdoors and their flashing constantly popping off mostly sweaty wedding photographers

[@JohnGress]

For the record that is not one of the mistakes I made or sill make! LOL

[@ISOCZAR]

@@JohnGress lol it happens to the best of us

[@pearllocket]

Cheers :)

[@JohnGress]

Sure thing!

[@lnsphotographybgh]

Hi sir,I used to see your each tutorial ,and follow u,from a long time.can we get a vedio for posing the subject male female,and veterans.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 .Thanks in advance.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks. I covers this in a video I posted previously. It’s on my members only website but there is a three day free trial of job want to check it out. johngress.com/photographer-john-gress-talks-with-model-jason-cates-about-working-with-models-and-posing/

[@mokong214]

Guilty on #6 😅😅😅

[@JohnGress]

We’ve all been there.

[@DiviPhotos]

cool video

[@JohnGress]

Thanks!

[@saeed_kia]

Make some tutorials about posing plaese

[@JohnGress]

There are some tutorials about posing on my website, The Academy with John Gress. If you want to check them out, there is a three day free trial. johngress.com/academy/academy-access/posing-more/

[@alsteiner7602]

After watching 20+ videos in 7 days my mom has said "enough with the phone calls"

[@JohnGress]

LOL! I need to call mine.

[@alandrew3327]

Classic photography tutorials.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks!

[@allenlloyd5875]

After they find a cure, I hope you can start up some classes again.

[@JohnGress]

Actually I am going to announce two of them today or tomorrow, I just need to edit the videos on this page, but here is a link johngress.com/workshops/ =)

[@carlton2457]

Your video made me feel.. what a fool i am..

[@JohnGress]

To error is part of the process. You'll get there!

[@ruigsantos]

Great video John! Thanks! (IG: @ruigsantos)

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much! Happy New Year!

[@ruigsantos]

@@JohnGress Happy New Year to you too John! 😊

[@fredriksvard2603]

Continuous led:s don't have problems with color accuracy, this is dated advice.

[@obeliskjones7626]

Dude, the creepy smile at the end of every single segment,,, Yeah, stop doing that.

[@Doesntmatter666]

💀

[@yeahbaby8715]

Mistake number one, badly balancing your color temperature...

[@-WhizzBang-]

But are they really mistakes? Photography is like art, it is very subjective. Just because someone else's OPINION says it is a mistake, doesn't mean that it is! I find there are way too many PIXEL PEEPERS in photography, who say light should be this way, shadows should be that way, blah blah blah. Just because that is THEIR opinion, doesn't mean that is universally that way it should be. Bottom line, Take these videos with a grain of salt, and do what YOU think is best for you@!

[@Chris-ey7zy]

Go away