When taking an epic portrait lighting is crucial. Here are some tips that will help you understand lighting and exposure to take epic portraits.

Lighting for an Epic Portrait – Expectation

To be able to understand better the concept of a well-exposed subject and background I will share 2 different pictures one with a well-exposed background and one with a well-exposed subject.

Epic Portrait – well-exposed subject

For this portrait, the subject is well exposed. Many times when you expose the subject well, you will have an overexposed background. this is a tradeoff that you have to take oftentimes when you don’t have any type of lights with you. that is why the lighting for an epic portrait requires some sort of artificial light.

Epic Portrait – well-exposed background

In this portrait, the background is well exposed while the subject is underexposed. this is not the ideal shot because the interest of a portrait is the subject that is why the subject should be well exposed all the time. to be able to take an epic portrait you want to expose the background well and use a light to expose the subject well. even if you don’t have a flashlight you could improvise and use the light of your phone, the light of a house, the lights of a car. just use your imagination and use lights in creative ways.

Here is a link to some portraits that I did. Also, check some of the portraits that my professor Caryn Esplin has taken.