Portrait Photography: Natural Light for Unique Atmospheres
A course by Danny Bittencourt, Photographer and Writer
Joined February 2020
Learn to take portrait photographs that evoke emotion by using natural light as a compositional element
Joined February 2020
Creating ambiance in your photo portraits means being able to convey even more meaning and depth. Photographer and writer Danny Bittencourt specializes in artistic images that express both emotions and stories using natural light as a compositional element.
In this course, learn to build an atmosphere to shoot photo portraits using natural light. Danny teaches you to prepare your shoot right down to the last details, then shows you how to edit and polish your material for a striking portfolio.
Alongside Danny you can also learn Fine Art Self-Portrait Photography and Hybrid Photography for Creative Experimentation as well as boost your career with Professional Photography: Managing Your Freelance Career.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 17 downloads
What's included in this course?
To start off, learn a little about Danny Bittencourt's journey so far and the importance of portraiture throughout her career. She also shares her biggest influences and how they've inspired her work.
Next, discover how to use narrative and ambiance to compose images interlaced with meaning. Danny teaches you to explore different types of light from windows and use its natural effects to create the mood you're looking for.
Now it's time to prepare your photoshoot! Put together a detailed storyboard including everything from photographic plans to external elements such as clothing, location, and color scheme. Then take a look at how to assemble equipment as well as build your set before you start shooting.
Wrap things up by choosing your best images and move onto post-production in Adobe Photoshop. Danny gives you some final tips to strengthen the atmosphere of your piece and turn heads in the photography world with an impactful portfolio.
- 95% positive reviews (60)
- 2,035 students
- 13 lessons (2h 39m)
- 17 additional resources (10 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Portuguese, German, English, Spanish, Italian
- Portuguese · Spanish · English · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Shoot a photo series of between three and five photos with a coherent mood using natural light.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Photographers and anyone interested in portrait photography looking to give their images more meaning.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of photography and Photoshop is essential for this course.
In terms of materials, you need a photo camera of your choice and a computer installed with Adobe Photoshop.
Reviews
Danny Bittencourt
A course by Danny Bittencourt
Danny Bittencourt is a visual poet from Brazil who works in artistic production, education, and writing. As a photography graduate, she specializes in visual poetry. She also has a master's in education with a focus on cultural studies. She dedicates herself to sharing her research and experiences through conferences, workshops, and courses given across Brazil, Argentina, and Portugal.
Her work has been featured in magazines such as Vogue and LensCulture. She is also the author of Fotografia Fine Art, published by iPhoto Editora; Fotografia Híbrida, released independently; and A luz da janela, published by Chiado Books.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
What and how to say?
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What is a narrative?
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Identification and meaning
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Lighting
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U3
Saying
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Planning and routing
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Stock list
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Preparation
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Execution
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U4
Choose and edit images
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Image curation
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Creative Editing and Finishing 1
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Creative Editing and Finishing 2
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Portfolio construction
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FP
Final project
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Professional Portrait Photography: Create Unique Atmospheres
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
The course is aimed at intermediate photographers who already know the basics and want to refine their personal portrait and natural lighting skills to create images with an artistic feel.
Professional gear isn’t required. A DSLR or mirrorless camera, tripod, reflector, and access to natural light are enough. Some exercises can even be done with smartphones and simple materials for sets and lighting.
You’ll learn natural window lighting techniques, how to build atmosphere, direct models, pick color palettes, do creative Photoshop editing, and how to plan and execute personal portraits with strong visual storytelling.
The course covers the creative process from setting your intention, choosing scene elements and wardrobe, building visual narratives, to experimenting with hybrid techniques and editing to craft original, expressive portraits.
Knowing Photoshop isn’t mandatory, but the course includes creative editing lessons, color adjustments, and texture work in the program. Basic familiarity helps, but key steps are shown in video.
Yes, there are specific modules on hybrid photography, demonstrating how to incorporate elements like paint, rust, or natural materials to add unique textures and moods to portraits.
The course teaches model positioning, using windows, homemade diffusers, and adjusting light intensity to create dramatic, expressive atmospheres inspired by artists like Vermeer.
Adobe Photoshop
I like Danny's courses very much! I guess i took all of them)
Me encantó este curso, es justo lo que buscaba. Los cursos de Domestika suelen ser muy sencillos, pero este está a otro nivel. Muy bien estructurado, muy claro y muy inspirador. Aprendí mucho, pero sobre todo me dejó motivada para tomar accion y aplicar todo lo aprendido en mis propios proyectos. No puedo esperar para hacer los otros cursos de Danny.
Learned a lot good course
This was an amazing course! Danny went through everything in such a clear and helpful way. It was great!!
Danny Bittencourt é minha querida professora, tenho e estudo todos os seus livros e cursos; sua sensibilidade é tocante, sua didática cativante e sua fotografia inspiradora. Sem dúvida, um orgulho nacional e um presente mundial.