Studio Portraits

Studio Portraits marks students’ first experience working in a professional lighting environment. In this project, students learn how to use the photography studio’s Dynalite lighting system, experimenting with softboxes, umbrella lights, and a variety of seamless paper and pop-up backgrounds. The focus is on understanding how controlled light shapes the face, creates mood, and separates the subject from the background.

The portraits in this gallery reflect an important transition from available light to intentional, studio-based lighting. Students make decisions about light placement, direction, and intensity while considering pose, expression, and background choice. This project emphasizes collaboration, problem-solving, and precision, giving students a foundational understanding of studio portraiture and how lighting design dramatically influences the final image.