Steve Roe

Are you thinking about setting up your own portrait studio? It’s an exciting step, but I know how overwhelming it can look at first. When you see pictures of professional studios packed with lights, stands, and all sorts of portrait photography accessories you can’t even name, it can feel mind-blowing. I still remember stepping into a studio for the very first time. It was intimidating, not just because I was worried about breaking something, but because I had no idea where to start with all the equipment in front of me.

There are a few conditions that almost feel like photography on easy mode: rainy nights, foggy mornings, and golden hour. Each of them brings its own mood, atmosphere, and colours that make shooting a pleasure. Rainy nights and foggy mornings have always been the backbone of my work, giving me that sombre and cinematic feel I love to work with.

There are tried and tested methods in photography that simply look pleasing to the eye. Even someone who has never studied photography or had any real interest in it will still find certain photos more appealing than others, even if they can’t explain why. That’s because these techniques create balance and naturally guide the viewer’s attention to the right places in the frame.

Colour saturation is how we can make our photos come to life with an added pop of vibrancy and rich tones. We can even control the saturation across separate colour channels, allowing us to select one or two colours to deliver impact in our shot. However, saturation can come at a cost. There’s a fine line between results looking natural and unnatural, something that beginners can find hard to navigate. Throw skin tones into the mix, and that line becomes even trickier.

Colour grading can make or break a portrait photograph. It dictates everything from how the image is perceived to the overall mood. Bright and punchy, dark and moody, all of it can be achieved with a high-quality colour grade. However, it’s a fine line to tread, with beginners often going overboard and creating distracting palettes or undermining the atmosphere they are aiming for.

When you think of portrait photography using natural light, golden hour probably comes to mind first, and for good reason. It casts a beautiful, warm glow that flatters your subject and makes everything look stunning. But golden hour isn’t the only time worth shooting. Throughout the day, different types of light can still offer excellent opportunities for natural light portraits.