 |
Beyond the Image PodcastAuthor: James Patrick: Photographer, Marketer, Storyteller
Develop beyond the image in your creative career! Hosted by photographer, best selling author and marketing strategist James Patrick, this weekly podcast is made for photographers and creative entrepreneurs who are looking to do more with the work they love. This show will give you the tools, resources, insights and information you need to amplify your creative profession! Beyond the Image is part of the IconRefined.com network. Connect with host James Patrick at JamesPatrick.com or on Instagram @JPatrickPhoto Language: en Genres: Arts, Business, Entrepreneurship, Visual Arts Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
The 7 Biggest Portrait Lighting Mistakes I See Photographers Make
Episode 701
Tuesday, 8 September, 2026
Great portrait lighting isn't about owning more lights. It's about understanding what your light is actually doing. After photographing more than 800 magazine covers and working with photographers for years, I've seen the same lighting mistakes come up again and again. In this episode of Beyond the Image, I break down the 7 biggest portrait lighting mistakes I see photographers making and, more importantly, how to start thinking about lighting differently. We'll look at mistakes like relying too heavily on the brightest part of the light, only lighting the broad side of the face, misunderstanding feathering, and other common habits that can make portraits look flat, harsh, or simply less intentional than they could be. The goal isn't to give you another collection of lighting rules to memorize. It's to help you understand why your light is behaving the way it is so you can make better decisions on set and create the image you actually have in your head. And if you want to take that further, I created a free Creative Portrait Lighting Recipe Book with 16 practical lighting setups you can recreate in your own studio, along with real-world techniques designed to help you expand your lighting repertoire and develop your own creative style. Get the free guide here: Creative Portrait Lighting Recipe Book If you've ever looked at a portrait and thought, "I know something is wrong with the lighting, but I don't know what," this episode is for you.
