Portrait Photography: Studio Direction and Production
A course by Esteban CalderónPortrait Photographer
A course by Esteban Calderón, Portrait Photographer
Express your creative vision and learn to direct shoots for creating exceptional portraits with artificial light
To create a portrait of someone, it is essential to capture their essence and empower them to become the protagonist of the image. By creating emotional portraits that impact the observer, renowned photographer Esteban Calderón has had the pleasure of portraying celebrities like Lana Del Rey, Finn Wolfhard, Sean Lennon, Shirley Manson, Amandla Stenberg or Megan Fox, capturing the personality of each in his own signature style.
In this course, Esteban teaches you everything you need to create professional portraits: from composition techniques and studio lighting to directing your production team to achieve the perfect shot.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 12 downloads
What will we do in the course?
2 minutes, 37 seconds
Portrait artist references
12 minutes, 5 seconds
Style elements
12 minutes, 14 seconds
Prepare a mood board
6 minutes, 54 seconds
How to define who you will work with
5 minutes, 20 seconds
Technical equipment
6 minutes, 26 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start the course by meeting Esteban Calderón, a renowned photographer who has had the pleasure to shoot several celebrities over the years. Learn a bit about his career and get to know some of his creative references in the industry.
Finding some visual references is essential for starting your project: prepare an inspirational mood board by collecting images of different subjects, lighting styles, and color palettes. Use them to guide you in the creative direction of your project.
Esteban shows you how to select an effective production team and find the right subject to photograph. Review some essential elements for a great session, including the right photo equipment, lenses, lighting needed so you can get the ideal look.
Review the basic rules of portrait composition and the different crops that exist. Go through some basic lighting schemes that establish specific moods, including commercial and editorial setups.
Start shooting! Learn how to work within a team and strategies for setting up your set. Ensure that everybody knows the job they have to do (makeup, styling, etc.) and see how to achieve optimal results with both commercial and editorial lighting setups.
Make a selection of photos and begin processing them in Adobe Lightroom. Learn how to retouch imperfections with Photoshop, including skin treatment, hair straightening, and clothing adjustment.
Finally, learn the most effective ways to promote your work and how to share your photos effectively on social media.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
An editorial portrait and a commercial portrait made using the composition and lighting techniques learned during this course.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
For anyone with some photography knowledge who is in the process of specializing or becoming professional in the field.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, photography knowledge is required, including basic skills in studio lighting and how to use Photoshop and Lightroom.
In addition, a reflex digital camera, basic lighting equipment, and a computer with the previously mentioned software is necessary.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Es un EXCELENTE curso. Muy clara la manera de explicar las cosas. muy dinamico! 100% recomendado! Excelente profesor.
- 7 months ago
Me encantó, fue muy atemporal y calido
- 8 months ago
Muy buen curso, muy claro, con buenos tips y práctico.
- 8 months ago
Que bueno que tome el curso, bien explicado y con ejemplos practicos!!
- 10 months ago
Very good course and very professional tutor
Esteban is passionate about working with people to capture their essence in each shot. By employing a clean, minimal style that focuses on the protagonist of the image, he has captured famous personalities like Lana Del Rey, Finn Wolfhard, Miguel Bosé, Eiza González, Sean Lennon, Shirley Manson, Amandla Stenberg, Megan Fox, and more.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Inspiration and preparation
- Portrait artist references
- Style elements
- Prepare a mood board
- How to define who you will work with
- U3
Photographic production
- Technical equipment
- Basic rules of composition of a portrait
- Lighting schemes
- U4
Shooting
- How to manage the human team?
- Prepare the studio
- Editorial Shooting
- Editorial Shooting 2
- Commercial shooting
- U5
Postproduction and dissemination of your work
- Image selection and development
- Retouch
- How to move your work
- FP
Final project
- Portrait Photography: Studio Direction and Production
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for photographers with basic knowledge who want to refine their portrait, lighting, and editorial production skills.
It’s recommended to have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, portrait lenses (ideally 85mm), flashes or light modifiers, and access to digital editing tools like Adobe Lightroom.
You’ll learn model direction, composition, lighting, mood board creation, session organization, digital retouching, and how to professionally promote your work on social media.
Yes, the course covers freeze-frame and panning techniques to create dynamic, expressive portraits, along with tips for camera control to achieve professional effects.
It will guide you through selecting and editing images, structuring your portfolio, curating visual consistency, and strategies to promote yourself on social media and in magazines.
Yes, you’ll learn to apply minimalist lighting, chiaroscuro, and other setups to craft powerful atmospheres and visual stories in your portraits.
Yes, it includes techniques for directing models, choosing poses, and effective communication to capture authentic, expressive portraits for editorial or commercial shoots.