Expressive Photography: Playing with Light

Begin by getting to know your teacher, Martina Matencio. Hear about her professional background and how she turned her passion for photography into a career. She talks about her life experiences that have influenced her style and shares some of her biggest sources of inspiration.

Start your project by searching for your own sources of inspiration and compile ideas to help you plan your photoshoot. Martina explains how she approaches her shoots and goes over her favorite photography equipment.

Next, follow your teacher's lead and experiment with natural light and chiaroscuro. She gives you some tips on how to position your model based on the direction of the light and shows you how other factors such as direct or indirect light can drastically change your photos. Discover how to create new atmospheres by playing with different objects and learn how to direct your model, focusing on body position and gaze, to get powerful, expressive poses.

Now it's time for the post-production phase. Martina explains her criteria for selecting the best photos. Once you've chosen the final images, upload and edit them in Lightroom using certain presets depending on the lighting in your photos. To tie everything together, post your work on Instagram and discover how to cultivate a specific look for your account by finding the perfect balance between color and composition to captivate your audience.