If you’re a Lightroom Classic , Lightroom or Photoshop / Camera Raw user ...
I have just added the finishing touch steps that I used on the recent portrait of my friend Steve Healy onto the Adobe Lightroom Community Page so that you can save as a preset, download and install to use ... and adjust settings to taste.
Just use this link: https://lightroom.app.link/B4mq80BlSIb
So here’s a date for the diary …
In conjunction with Westcott and B&H Photo and Video, on the 15th May @ 3pm EDT (8pm UK) I'll be on "Westcott Wednesday" going through the WHY, WHAT and HOW of using Constant Lighting when taking portraits.
Thid will be the latest installment of the regular Westcott Wednesday series hosted by B&H in which I’ll be, as the description says …
Join us for this presentation as Photographer Glyn Dewis takes us through a journey shifting from traditional flash to constant lighting in portraiture. With a mix of image examples and behind the scenes, Glyn will explain how constant lighting has become the cornerstone of his portrait work, injecting a newfound level of creativity and enthusiasm into his photography.
“At first, using constant light almost felt like cheating but I’ve since completely changed my mind because aside from being under no illusion of the results I get and the ease of setting up, more than anything it enables me to concentrate even more on the person in front of my camera and the concept we’re working on.”
Oh and this event is FREE , will last about 1 hour and will be over on the B&H Event Page on YouTube ( LINK )
This is the recording of a live broadcast where I chat with portrait photographer Krishen Nagar about the art of alternative fashion and cultural portraits. We talk about his style and subject matter, working with models, his lighting, his kit and more, plus the importance of being genuine and not following the crowd. It's a conversation that'll resonate with anyone trying to find their own voice in portrait photography.
Recently I was back with friends in the studio taking portraits, and this time getting Steve in front of my camera to try out some ideas I’d stumbled across when browsing Pinterest that I thought would be another good excuse to get my L60-B constant light out for.
I’ve used Pinterest for years as a great place for not only finding inspiration by looking at the work of photographers I admire like Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger, but also a great tool for looking how other photographers pose their subjects, which lets face it can be awkward at times.
Finding a balance between what you want but also making the pose look natural and the subject comfortable can be challenging to get right but I’ve always found it a massive help when you can guide your subject on what you’re looking for by showing them a picture.
Anyway, these here are some of the looks and poses I was really interested in …
Model for the day was my dear friend Steve Healy whom I’ve known for years.
There was a time when for quite a while we’d not met up because of Steve moving away to Devon but I’m glad to say that when we finally made the move to the South West , we’re now able to meet up fairly regularly to just hangout out and take photographs. This we will certainly be doing more and more of!
Anyway, Steve drove over to my house in the morning and then we both jumped into my car and headed to South Wales to catch up with the gang; some of my closest friends which to be honest are more like family … Ian Munro and Anthony Crothers.
This was the first time Steve had met up in person with Ian and Anthony even though I’m sure they felt like they knew each other anyway having messaged back and forth many times on social media and also in the chat room during my Sunday LIVE Broadcasts on YouTube. Needless to say … Steve instantly became ‘one of the gang’ 😃
So after a traditional meet up at Costa in Brynmawr, South Wales to fuel up on coffee, we then went to the studio and cracked on …
So the first portrait I really liked the look of doing was the one inspired by this portrait of Robert De Niro taken by Mark Seliger …
Steve had brought along a dark grey casual suit-type jacket which was ideal. He’d also bought a white shirt to wear underneath but when setting up we all felt that even though you’d only seen a small portion of it, it would be too distracting, so instead Steve kept with the black T-Shirt he was wearing.
For this I portrait as it was to be a fairly tight crop of Steve on one side and just a little bit of ‘dead space’ to the left, the 7’ x 5’ background would be plenty big enough and so this was set up with the rear supporting leg shortened so that the background took up less floor space and could be closer to the wall.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … I absolutely LOVE this light!
I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I say that positioning the light (L60-B) to get the Rembrandt Lighting Pattern 100% BANG ON took just a few seconds; such is the convenience and ease of doing so when using because … What You See Is What You Get
Bottom Left: iPad Pro with Pinterest App open showin the ‘reference’ image
To achieve a quality of light that was neither hard or soft but somewhere in between, and also to minimise the amount of light that would spill onto the background, I opted to use the Westcott 24” Rapid Box Switch Beauty Dish and with the outer diffusion panel fitted.
Westcott 24” Rapid Box Switch Beauty Dish with Outer Diffusion Panel
Sony A7RIV
Sony 85mm f/4.0 G Master
Aperture: F/4.0
Shutter Speed: 1/60sec
ISO 1250
Once set up and with any light in the studio that wasn’t contributing to the portrait turned off, I could then start taking portraits of Steve but what was really useful here was that everyone could see EXACTLY what the shots would be like without having to look at the back of my camera each time or look at my iPad Pro that I was tethering to; again because What You See Is What You Get
Studio lights and ‘any’ lights not contributing to the portrait turned off.
This made it so easy for anyone who wanted to make a suggestion and move in to maybe get Steve to angle himself differently or change the position of a hand.
It just worked and worked so incredibly well, making EVERYONE feel involved.
Here’s the out of camera Raw file …
Original Raw file in Adobe Lightroom Classic
Here’s the final retouched image which was worked on using both Lightroom and Photoshop …
Final Retocuhed Portrait
Here’s a summary of the retouching steps carried out in both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop …
Straighten & Crop
Colour Correction*
Denoise
Masking (Enhance eyes - Iris and Pupil only)
*Had to do this manually as ‘somehow’ I forgot to use my Colour Checker Passport … Doh!
Clean Up
Dodge & Burn
2010
Dreamy Glow (20%)
Colour (CN16)
Color Mixer (Reduce Orange & Red Saturation on Steve’s face)
Masking (Radial Gradient to Shape Light)
Masking Exposure on Face
Add Grain
For the 2nd portrait of Steve, this was the photograph I used as the initial inspiration / idea …
For this we went with the exact same set up albeit positioning the light camera left this time as opposed to camera right as it was for the first portrait.
Below is what the set up looked like before turning off the lights in the studio that weren’t contributing to the portrait …
Using the single L60-B coming in from high up and angled down produced exactly the lighting that was wanted (below) however I felt that the shadow side of Steve’s head was a touch too dark …
To add a touch more light onto the shadow side of Steve’s head, rather than use a 2nd L60-B we just used a Silver Reflector which also had a white side to it, however between the two surfaces, the silver side gave the best result …
Here’s the ‘out of camera’ Raw file …
Out of Camera Raw file in Lightroom Classic
Here’s the final retouched image which was worked on using both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop …
Final Retouched Portrait
Retouching steps in both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop were pretty much the same as in the first portrait, however there was one very definite difference.
When taking the 2nd portrait, we all felt that although Steve sitting on a stool worked, it did make him look a little squashed because of the height of the stool he was sitting on and also how his jacket sat, so we also tried a few shots with Steve standing …
With Steve standing it definitely stopped him looked squashed, however when looking at the images later in Lightroom Classic I was torn because I liked the pose and expression on Steve’s face from the seated shots.
So now in the retouching I was thinking I could either (a) do a head swap or (b) do the opposite of a technique I used to do when photographing physiques … and that’s what I chose to do.
Here’s a short video showing exactly what I did in Photoshop to reduce / remove the ‘squashed’ look …
Following the photo shoot we all the headed over to Abergavenny for what was a delicious bite to eat at The Angel … THANK YOU Steve!
So there you go, all of the steps that I went through from the initial idea, the kit, the set up and the final edit.
As always if you have any questions / comments, please do make use of the section below and I’ll be sure to reply.
Oh and don’t forget, if you’re interested in getting ANY of the Westcott kit including lighting, modifers, backgrounds etc then drop me a line as I’ll be able to give you a Discount Code for 10% OFF
Cheers
Glyn
This is the recording of a live broadcast where I chat with UK-based documentary wedding and street photographer Kevin Mullins. We talk about his process and his approach when photographing a wedding to capture those special moments, along with his kit, his style and everything else that goes into turning a passion into a successful business. If you're drawn to a documentary way of working, whether at weddings or out on the street, Kevin's experience is well worth hearing.
Kevin Mullins website: www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk
Kevin’s Lightroom Presets: LINK
Royal Photographic Society Retouching Workshop: LINK
I was reminded not to underestimate how what we do can positively impact others when I received an email from someone who subscribes to my newsletter. Battling cancer over the past three years, and unable to drive, they'd struggled to get out with their camera, and for them, as for so many of us, photography provides escapism. Seeing my Adapt video lifted them and gave them the drive to plan to go out that weekend with their camera, staying local, because there's always something to photograph. I originally made Adapt as a form of self-medication during a very testing and uncertain time for all of us, when Covid restrictions forced me to try other genres of photography, and that has 100% made me a better photographer.
The Display 123 from Calibrite takes the technical side out of screen calibration, making it possible for everyone with a simple three-step process, but it's not aimed at the professional. It isn't suitable for displays using newer LED technology, such as the Apple MacBook Pro M3 and the Apple Pro Display XDR, where a device like the Calibrite Display Pro HL would be needed; the Display 123 could profile those only in sRGB. For displays using backlit technology it'll calibrate the screen, albeit without the additional parameters that more expensive, high-end devices offer, which is why it's more of a consumer device.
The Display 123 is NOT suitable for the new LED technology Displays such as in the New Apple Macbook Pro M3 and Apple Pro Display XDR; for these a device like the Display Pro HL from Calibrite would be needed. The display 123 COULD prolfile these displays however only in sRGB. For all other displays using Backlit technology (which is currently the majority of displays on the market, the Display 123 will Calibrate the screen albeit without the additional parameters that more expensive / high end devices can. The display 123 is more aimed at the Consumer as opposed to the Professional.
For more information check out the Calbrite website ( LINK )
One thing I always do when taking portraits is shoot tethered, and while that used to be with my camera connected to my MacBook Pro, it had changed to my iPad because it's way more portable and convenient. I use the Capture One app for tethering, which works incredibly well: open the app, plug in your camera, or connect wirelessly, and you're up and running. The only problem is that out of the box the iPad screen is too contrasty; it's set up to give the richest colours and deepest blacks for apps, movies, games and looking at pictures, which isn't ideal for tethering. My 6th generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro has Reference Mode, and in this video I go step by step through calibrating the screen for the best results when tethering, editing and viewing photographs.
This is the recording of a live broadcast where I chat with concert photographer Scott Diussa and discover his process, his kit and his tips and tricks for photographing live music and events, including some of the biggest names in the industry, and all with limited time and space. Scott also shares some of his Lightroom editing techniques for bringing out the best in images taken in challenging lighting conditions, which is useful well beyond the concert hall.
Scott Diussa’s Link Tree: imagesrock.com
KelbyOne Lightroom Conference: bit.ly/lrconf2024
Royal Photographic Society Workshop: bit.ly/rps-editing
This is the recording of a live broadcast where I chat with the wonderful talent that is Jesse Feyereisen and go behind the scenes of his cinematic toy photography. Jesse shows how he lights, photographs and edits to create such incredible imagery of toys and action figures, turning small figures into scenes that look like stills from a film. If you've ever wanted to try toy photography, or you simply enjoy seeing a creative idea taken all the way through, there's a lot to enjoy here.
© Glyn Dewis 2026
