Welcome to this one-of-a-kind online course on commercial and fine-art Complex Portrait Photography!

Today we're going to switch gears and talk about how to build a successful career as photographer.

How do you develop your own style? How do you learn when to tune out the thousands of other photographers in the world and listen to yourself?

In this chapter, we're going to go through my favorite tools and take a look at how I use them, and why.

Special effects — the kind of effects we use on set while we are shooting — are powerful tools that can take your photography to the next level.

10 AM EDT / 16:00 CET

Live Session 8 recording is online now!

Editing an image in post-production is no less important than shooting it. In complex portrait photography there is no situation where you would submit a photo without editing it first.

Live Session 9 recording is online now!
IMPORTANT: Watch it if you want to change your course project!

So far in this course, we've been talking mostly about a process for shooting photographs that is built around producing a finished result. A completed image.

How does styling influence our picture? How to tell stories with clothing? Where to find clothes for your shoot? And how to assemble a costume with no clothes at all? How to work with professional stylists? Why experiment? And why you need a creative partner?

Live Session 3 recording is online now!

Testing is essential! Let's take a look at why we test, what testing looks like, and how it can take your photography to the next level.

Live Session 4 recording is online now!

Contrary to popular belief, the most important factor in shooting a successful portrait is not the camera, or the lights, or your Photoshop skills.

Live Session 5 recording is online now!

There is a common saying that 10,000 hours of practice will make you an expert in your field. But 10,000 is just a catchy number. Some people need more time, some make it in less, but the underlying idea is correct: practice is what it takes to master something. Practice is the only way to master something. No one is born a brilliant artist.

Live Session 6 recording is online now!

There is a common saying that 10,000 hours of practice will make you an expert in your field. But 10,000 is just a catchy number. Some people need more time, some make it in less, but the underlying idea is correct: practice is what it takes to master something. Practice is the only way to master something.

Live Session 7 recording is online now!

In this chapter we will take a look at the value of concepting in our professional practice.

Why do we sketch, and what does a good draft look like? What's a digital collage? And how does it help to bring our ideas to life? How does a collage evolve into a proof-of-concept, and what other kinds of proofs-of-concept are there? What are reference images, and where should we look for them? What is the difference between a mood board and a photographer's treatment?

Live Session 1 recording is online now!

What are the most common kinds of locations? How does a location influence our picture? How do we choose a location for a portrait, and what to we do if a location comes attached with an assignment? How to build a set in a random location, in a controlled studio environment, or outdoors?

Live Session 2 recording is online now!