Drawer menu
Lighting can feel like one of the most complicated parts of photography, especially when you are learning. But here is the truth that experience quietly teaches you over time. Great lighting is rarely about doing more. It is about noticing more.
Some of the strongest portraits are created with simple light, used intentionally. Before fancy modifiers, before complex setups, and before heavy editing, photographers learned to read light with their eyes and their instincts. That skill still matters, maybe now more than ever.
If you have ever looked at an image and thought, something feels off but I cannot explain why, chances are the answer lives in the light.
This checklist is designed to slow you down just enough to notice what matters. These five quick checks can be done in seconds, right before you press the shutter, whether you are working with window light, outdoor shade, or studio lighting.
This is one of the simplest checks and one of the most important.
Your subject should always be the brightest or most visually important part of the image. If the background is brighter than the face, the eye will naturally drift away from where you want it to go.
Before you shoot, look at the face. Is it catching the light first? If not, you may only need to shift your position slightly or rotate your subject a few degrees. Often the fix is easier than you think.
When light hits the subject before the background, the image immediately feels more intentional and more professional.
Our eyes are drawn to brightness before anything else. A bright spot behind the head, a blown highlight on a shoulder, or a patch of light on the ground can quietly steal attention from your subject.
Train yourself to scan the entire frame, not just the face. Ask yourself where your eye goes first when you look at the image. If it is not the face, something needs to change.
This does not mean everything has to be dark or flat. It simply means that nothing should compete with your subject for attention.
Often this can be fixed by changing your angle, lowering your perspective, or waiting a moment for light to shift naturally.
Shadows are not the enemy. In fact, they are what give a portrait depth, dimension, and mood.
The key is how those shadows fall. Gentle shadows that sculpt the face can feel painterly and soft. Hard shadows that slice across the nose, eyes, or mouth can feel distracting and unflattering.
Look at where the shadows land. Are they adding shape, or are they cutting the face in half? If something feels harsh, try moving the light source or your subject slightly rather than adjusting your camera settings right away.
Small changes in position often make the biggest difference.
Eyes bring portraits to life, and catchlights play a huge role in that.
Before you shoot, take a moment to look at the eyes. Do you see a soft reflection of light? Does it look natural for the lighting situation you are in?
Catchlights do not need to be large or dramatic. They just need to exist. Even a subtle glimmer can make the eyes feel connected and alive.
If the eyes look dull or flat, try raising the light slightly, asking your subject to lift their chin, or adjusting your own height. Often the fix is simply changing the angle between the eyes and the light.
This is the gut check.
Step back and ask yourself if the light matches the feeling you want the image to have. Soft light often feels calm, emotional, and timeless. Hard light can feel bold, dramatic, or intense.
Neither is wrong, but it should be a choice.
If you are photographing a child, a family, or an heirloom style portrait, soft and wrapping light usually supports that story best. If the light feels distracting or harsh for the subject, it is worth adjusting before you shoot.
Trust your instincts here. If something feels off, it probably is.
Most of my images are done in studio. However, occasionally a client will want to go outside and being in Utah, we have more beautiful places to go to than I can count. Therefore, I am always excited when I am asked to head outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. Lighting is very different outside than it is in the studio. Kind of.... The base fundamentals are the same, but light changes so quickly outside that it becomes something that you add to the list of things to adjust during the session. It is tempting to rely on technical fixes later. Adjusting exposure, lifting shadows, or fixing highlights in editing can help, but they cannot replace good light.
Learning to pause and check your lighting trains your eye. Over time, these questions become automatic. You stop needing the checklist because you feel the answers before you even think them.
This is how photographers develop a consistent style and a confident workflow. Not by chasing new gear, but by mastering the fundamentals that never go out of style.
Before each session, remind yourself that lighting does not have to be complicated. Give yourself permission to slow down, even for just a moment.
Check the face. Check the background. Check the shadows. Check the eyes. Check the feeling.
Then click the shutter.
Photography has always been about light first. Everything else comes second.
If you practice these five checks regularly, you will start to see stronger images straight out of camera and spend less time fixing things later. That is a win worth holding onto.
