Portrait Photography - Lighting and Posing Models

Badgley connects lighting and posing with the intended feeling of a portrait. An introductory module leads into commercial and editorial shooting before editing and finalizing the images. The examples help learners consider how subject direction and light work together rather than treating retouching as the only route to a finished photograph.

What you will learn

• Compare portrait lighting and subject direction
• Review commercial and editorial shooting choices
• Finish a consistent selection of images

Who this suits

Useful for a developing photographer who wants more confidence working with a model and is interested in the relationship between lighting, pose and visual mood.

Before you enroll

The provider marks the course beginner and lists five hours of work. Review the demonstrated lighting and editing setup before buying equipment or software. Working with a person requires clear agreement about the session and image use. A course certificate does not replace practice communicating with different subjects.

Coursera offers paid enrollment or subscription access. Check the enrollment screen for assessment and certificate terms, trials and any financial-aid options. Provider access terms can change; review them before paying.

Put it into practice

Plan two simple lighting approaches for the same consenting subject. Record the direction you gave, compare the resulting mood and explain which choices came from lighting rather than later editing.

Source and review

This overview is based on the provider's published information, checked on 13 October 2026. It is an editorial assessment, not a claim that we completed the resource. Time filters are approximate study ranges; projects and exercises can take longer.

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