Photography & Lighting Tips for Better Photos
Photography tutorials on lighting, posing, composition, exposure, and gear, plus behind-the-scenes shoots and interviews, from a photographer who also does the editing. More than 80 free and PRO video tutorials from Aaron Nace on shooting photos that are better before you open Photoshop.
What You’ll Learn
The best edit starts in camera. These tutorials cover the shooting side of PHLEARN: how to expose, light, and compose so the RAW file gives you something worth editing, and how to plan a shot around the edit you have in mind.
- Exposure and camera control. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, metering, histograms, and shooting RAW, explained for people who want to stop shooting on auto.
- Light. Natural light, window light, reflectors, speedlights, and studio strobes, and how the light you choose changes the retouch later.
- Composition. The rule of thirds and when to break it, leading lines, negative space, color in composition, and framing for a crop.
- Posing and directing. Portraits, groups, couples, and athletes, with the small direction changes that fix most awkward photos.
- Shooting for the edit. Plates for compositing, bracketing, focus stacking, shooting backgrounds and textures, and product setups.
Where to Start
The Photography & Photo Editing Learning Path starts behind the camera with Photography 101 and follows each shoot into the edit. For the free lessons only, see Free Photography Tutorials, and for professional shoots with the full setup, Behind the Scenes.
Free and PRO Tutorials
Free tutorials are complete lessons, not previews. PRO tutorials go deeper and longer, and they include the sample images, RAW files, actions, and presets used in the lesson so you can follow along on the exact same file. A PHLEARN PRO membership unlocks every PRO tutorial on the site, including all of the ones in this category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need expensive gear to follow along?
No. Most tutorials use a single camera and natural light or one modifier, and the gear tutorials are about using what you have. Where a specific light or lens matters, the tutorial says so and explains the alternative.
Should I shoot RAW or JPEG?
RAW, if you plan to edit. It keeps far more highlight and shadow detail and lets you change white balance after the fact. Several tutorials here show exactly how much you gain in the edit.
How do I light a portrait with one light?
Put it close, put it large, and put it slightly above and to the side. The one-light tutorials in this category show the setup, the exposure, and the edit that follows.
Where to Go Next
Every shoot ends in an edit, so the natural next stops are Photo Editing and Retouching. For the PRO photography courses, including full lighting setups, see PRO Photography.
Start Behind the Camera
The Photography & Photo Editing Learning Path begins with Photography 101 and follows each shoot into the edit.
On This Page
PHLEARN PRO
Every PRO tutorial in this category, with sample and RAW files, plus the full PRO library.
Master the fundamentals of Lighting and Composition! In this tutorial, we’ll use Photoshop and Camera Raw across nine scenarios to master highlight sculpting, dynamic framing, border cleanup, and much more!.
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 3 hours
8 Sample Images (JPEG Files) | 1 Sample Image (RAW File) | 9 Sample PSDs
Stop worrying about permanent mistakes! Discover our non-destructive workflow using masks, smart objects, and more to transform your images while keeping original pixels perfectly safe. This tutorial includes both JPEG and RAW files, so you can follow along.
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Medium | 2.25 hours
14 Sample Images | 13 Sample PSDs
Learn how to capture better images with a drone with some helpful tools and settings, then use Lightroom to create stunning HDR photos!
Sample Images Included
Lightroom | Photography & Lighting | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
4 JPEG Sample Images | 4 RAW Files | 1 PDF Guide
How many photos do you need to create the perfect HDR? Find out as we create three HDR images using one, three, and nine exposures in Lightroom Classic.
Sample Images Included
Aaron sits down with wilderness landscape photographer Josh Cripps as he shares 10 tips to help us improve our landscape photos!
Guest Interview
Photo Editing | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
1 PDF Guide
From websites, to Grubhub, to Instagram, food photography is everywhere. Learn how to work with a client, how to photograph food using lighting and styling techniques, and how to bring it all together with retouching in Photoshop.
Lightroom, Photoshop | Photography & Lighting | Medium | 4.75 hours
45 Sample Images | 1 Photoshop Action
Learn how to create beautiful, soft portraits in Photoshop! Join us as we walk you through a maternity photoshoot before diving into the post-production, covering dodging and burning, frequency separation, and more!
Photoshop | Retouching | Medium | 5.5 hours
2 RAW Sample Images | 2 Photoshop Actions
PHLEARN sits down with fine art and fashion photographer Rob Woodcox to discuss his work, his inspirations, and how he turned his passions into a creative business.
Learn portrait retouching, background retouching, and creative compositing from fine art and fashion photographer, Rob Woodcox! And along the way, Rob gives valuable insight into his process and how to run a successful creative business!
Photoshop | Compositing | Medium | 6 hours
66 Sample Images
Aaron sits downs with photographer and Photoshop artist Natalia Seth to discuss her colorful, imaginative work and her rise to Instagram stardom.
Photography & Lighting | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
Go behind the scenes of a product photoshoot and also see part of the post-production process as Aaron demonstrates how to retouch and extend a background in Photoshop.
Sample Images Included
Join guest instructor Ross Floyd as he breaks down the theory and fundamentals of lighting objects, how to accurately represent products in an image, and the business side of building and maintaining strong client relationships.
Photography & Lighting | Medium | 3 hours
15 Sample Images
Learn the fundamentals of shutter speed to freeze time or capture dynamic motion! Be sure to check out our other videos in this series covering aperture and ISO.
Sample Images Included
Anyone can learn the fundamentals of how a camera works. As you do, you will become more well-equipped to discover your creativity through photography. Master ISO with the PHLEARN team and Star Wars LEGO!
Sample Images Included
Photography & Lighting | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
8 Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
Anyone can learn the fundamentals of how a camera works. As you do, you will become more well-equipped to discover your creativity through photography. Master aperture with the PHLEARN team and Star Wars LEGO!
Sample Images Included
Photography & Lighting | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
10 Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
If you’re looking for a camera that will inspire you to go out and take photos every day, look no further than the Fujifilm X100F. Join us as we share what we love about this small and powerful camera!
Sample Images Included
Photography & Lighting | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
Fujifilm X100F RAW Samples
Creating a great black and white image involves more than just dropping the saturation on a photo. We hit the streets of Chicago to focus on five photography fundamentals that are crucial for creating beautiful images in monochrome.
Sample Images Included
Get familiar with three of the fundamental rules for creating strong composition in a photo. And while creative rules are made to be broken, we’re confident that by using these techniques you’ll see a huge improvement in your own images.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
4 Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
Join us as we demonstrate how to work with clients and shoot in a professional studio environment . Afterwards, we take you through Lightroom and Photoshop where you’ll learn retouching techniques like dodging and burning and blemish removal.
Photoshop | Photography & Lighting | Medium | 7.25 hours
9 Sample Images | 1 Photoshop Action | 1 Photoshop Brush | 1 Photoshop Gradient
Make sure you’re getting the images that you and your clients want while helping your photoshoots run smoother than ever. We break down how to shoot using tethered capture in Lightroom.
Lightroom | Photography & Lighting | Easy | 30 mins
5 Sample Images
The last in our series of Horror movie posters! Join us from shoot to edit as we create a dark and creepy poster with some DIY special effects.
Sample Images Included
Add creamy, beautiful bokeh to your photos in Photoshop using this simple technique! Help your photos look magical and make more friends in the process.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Photo Effects | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
3 Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
To show the versatility of reflectors, we created six different lighting setups using a combination of reflectors and v-flats. A v-flat is a large reflector made from two 4’x8′ sheets of poster board taped together.
Watch a high-end studio photoshoot featuring full wardrobe, makeup, and pro lighting. Then see the images come together in Lightroom and Photoshop as we prepare the photos for client delivery. Special thanks to NVRLND, Shea Coulee, and Naomi Smalls.
Lightroom, Photoshop | Compositing | Advanced | 14 hours
39 Sample Images | 1 Photoshop Action | 1 Photoshop Brush
In this tutorial, we walk you through the process of photographing and compositing images together to create the invisible effect.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Compositing | Medium | 30 mins | 1 video
9 Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
Learn how to make a see through frame effect in Photoshop!This fun tutorial is perfect for beginners. Creating a see-through frame effect takes just a couple of minutes and anyone can do it!
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Compositing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
2 Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
Follow along during our photoshoot where we pour black liquid on Aaron’s head, then take the image into Photoshop for finishing touches, including blacking out his eyes.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Photo Effects | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
1 Sample RAW File | 1 PDF Guide
The most in-depth introductory photography course out there! Learn all about lenses and the fundamentals of exposure. See over 20 locations and photoshoots where we fuse techincal theory and practice.
Photography & Lighting | Easy | 14.75 hours
50+ Sample Images
Follow along as we demonstrate how to pull off a levitation effect in stunning fashion. Learn pre-production best practices, compositing, environmental retouching, adding atmosphere, and amazing effects with light.
Photoshop | Compositing | Easy | 5.5 hours
13 Sample Images | 3 Photoshop Brushes
Aaron shares some awesome techniques for sorting through hundreds of Photos to quickly choose the best ones. It is the photographer’s job to sort through all the images from the shoot, save yourself some time with these tips.