Photography expert Pye Jirsa guides you through the lessons and virtual workshops that make up Lighting 101, which are designed to cover all the fundamentals of lighting, including:
- How your camera’s flash can help when you’re going for natural-type images,
- How to balance flash with ambient lighting to capture a subject’s motion,
- What are real-world applications and principles of the inverse square law of light,
- What is the most important lighting gear for your camera—and when to use it,
- How to shoot in setups involving multiple bounce points for camera flash,
- What is the easy-to-learn art of coloring light for corrective effect in your photographs, and
- How flash modifiers can help shape light and create different looks for a single shot.
Explore Case Studies in Lighting
After you’ve built a fantastic foundation in lighting, flash, and flash modification, you’ll spend several lessons at the end of Lighting 101 focusing on specific case studies in lighting. You’ll learn the step-by-step strategies and techniques a master photographer uses to arrive at breathtaking shots of desert sunsets, family portraits, and more.
You’ll also gain insights into how photographers in unexpected situations use their knowledge and tools they have on hand when they just have to visually capture something in front of them.
“You’re always going to be in situations where you don’t necessarily have the gear you might need with you,” Pye says. “Or maybe you’re just in a situation where you’ve got to get a shot quick. You have to just use what you have available to you.”
Developing a photographer’s eye and intuition are key parts of this course as much as lighting is. More than just training you how to shoot like a photographer, the in-depth case studies will train you how to think like one, too.
Ultimately, the best way to learn the art and craft of lighting is to get out there and practice. Using the principles, tutorials, techniques, and insider tricks in Lighting 101, the next time you’re out in the world (or in a studio) with your camera, you’ll have the confidence to shoot like a professional.
