Studio Lighting 101
A course by Julia Robbs , Photographer
Learn how to capture unique portraits by exploring different professional studio lighting setups
As the very foundation of portrait photography, lighting allows photographers to capture the beauty and authenticity of real people. By understanding how light and shadows work together, photographer Julia Robbs is able to create striking portraits that remain true to her subjects. Using the best lighting for the story, her photography helps beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands stay authentic, including Erno Lazlo, Dropbox, Harry’s, Urban Outfitters, Refinery29, Etsy, and Mailchimp.
In this course, Julia teaches her go-to studio lighting techniques for achieving high-quality portraits under any indoor setup, including natural light, beauty shots, and experimenting with filters and gels. Learn how to control lighting to create images that are not only aesthetically beautiful, but which also remain faithful to your story.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 16 downloads
- 90% positive reviews (39)
- 1,760 students
- 13 lessons (1h 50m)
- 16 additional resources (4 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe Photoshop
Capture OneWhat is this course's project?
Create three final images with three different studio lighting techniques: daylight, beauty, and creative.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for amateur and semi-professional photographers who would like to learn or improve their studio lighting techniques.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, basic knowledge of photography and Adobe Photoshop is recommended.
You will need a DSLR camera with a lens, studio lighting, a USB cable to shoot tethered, and a computer with Capture One and Adobe Photoshop installed.
Reviews
Julia Robbs
A course by Julia Robbs
Julia Robbs is a commercial photographer based in New York City. Before moving to NYC, she was raised in France and studied photography in Chicago and Atlanta. Her work aims to be clean, polished, and thoughtful, while remaining authentic to her subjects.
Julia’s photography allows her to travel the world while developing her craft, and covers a wide range of fields, including lifestyle, portraiture, beauty, and fashion. Her client list includes Erno Laszlo, Odette NY, Refinery29, Etsy, Dropbox, Armand de Brignac, Urban Outfitters, Mailchimp, and more.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Introduction
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Influences
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What Will We Do in this Course?
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U2
The Fundamentals
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Understanding the Basics of Lighting
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Putting the Mood Board Together
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Setting up for Tethered Capture
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Setting up Your Studio for Shooting
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U3
Studio Lighting
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Soft Natural Light
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Beauty Lighting: Two Ways
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Studio Photography Using Gels
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U4
Post-Production
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Post-Production and Editing
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Fine-Tune Editing in Photoshop
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Exporting
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FP
Final project
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Studio Lighting 101
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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
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate photographers who want to deepen their understanding of portrait and studio lighting techniques.
You’ll need a DSLR or mirrorless camera, basic lighting gear (like strobes, softboxes, and reflectors), and a computer with Capture One and Photoshop installed.
You’ll learn how to use natural and studio lighting, control light direction and quality, apply modifiers, create mood boards, and edit portraits in Capture One and Photoshop.
Yes, the course teaches how to use color gels and creative lighting setups to achieve artistic and bold looks in studio portraits.
Yes, you’ll master techniques for working with natural daylight, studio strobes, and combining both for unique portrait effects.
Yes, the course covers post-processing workflows, including retouching skin, adjusting color and exposure, and preparing images for final export.
You’ll learn how to build and share mood boards using Google Slides and Pinterest to communicate your creative vision and organize references.
Adobe Photoshop
Capture One
i enjoyed it but it could be more detailed!
Muy buen curso, práctico, puntual, muy buenos ejemplos y muy buena edición
Gostei muito! Muito boa explicação sobre as várias formas de iluminação.
ok
Sorry, but I have to say that I found the course very disappointing. I hardly learned anything about studio lighting. She only made rudimentary settings and didn't explain anything in depth. You really can't learn anything from someone saying that she does something that way because she likes it (and that's what she usually says).