Portrait Photography Workflow: Shoot to Retouch

This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.

All photographs featured throughout this course are real, original images captured and edited through authentic photography workflows. The course also includes a lesson exploring modern AI tools and techniques for photographers.

Learn how to create clean, professional looking portrait photos from the initial lighting setup all the way through the final edit.

In this course, I walk you through the portrait photography workflow I have used for years, starting with studio lighting and backdrop setup. You will see how to plan a shoot using a virtual lighting setup, understand where to place your light, reflector, backdrop, and subject, and learn why simple lighting can create strong results.

We will also go over the camera settings I recommend for this type of portrait work, including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, lens choice, and why these settings help create a sharp and clean studio image.

After the shoot, we move into Lightroom Classic, where you will learn how to develop RAW photos, adjust exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, vibrance, and saturation. I will also explain the difference between RAW and JPEG so you understand why RAW gives you more flexibility when editing.

From there, we move into Photoshop for retouching and cleanup. You will learn how to remove background distractions, smooth out seamless backdrops, create a helpful Photoshop action, clean up skin, sharpen important details, and use Photoshop AI tools like Generative Fill to extend backgrounds, fix problem areas, and explore creative edits.

This course is designed for photographers who want a practical shoot to retouch workflow without overcomplicating the process. By the end, you will understand how to light, shoot, develop, and retouch portrait photos with a simple and repeatable workflow.