Taking photos of family and friends to capture moments in time is something we all love to do.
But what if you knew how to elevate those moments from mere snapshots to beautiful portrait photos? Imagine if you could effortlessly…
And what if you could choose to use these skills for your own personal pleasure, or for others as a paid portrait photographer?
This beginner-friendly course is simple to follow yet gives you the knowledge, skill, and confidence to shoot and edit perfect portrait photos every time you push the shutter.
Click on the topics below to learn more
Through 18 engaging course modules, you’ll learn everything, from capturing your family’s personality, spirit and story in beautiful memories to magical first grandchild moments, special celebrations, adorable pet portraits and how to set up and run your own portrait photography business!
Click the module headings below for an overview of what you’ll learn in this portrait photography course.
Take a look at the meaning and history of portrait photography in our inaugural module. Learn the real differences between candid and formal and see how portraiture has evolved and diversified over the generations.
We also get into the technical nitty-gritty by looking at the pros and cons of every type of camera. Learn about your camera’s capabilities and spot the opportunities you may need to take to take your portraits from snapshots to works of art!
In this module we’ll explore the camera settings that are specific to portrait photography. With custom graphics and simplified animations, we’ve broken down the jargon and made camera settings easy to understand. You’ll know the difference between an F/stop and shutter speed in no time!
Without light photography is impossible so it is crucial you understand where you can source light and how to change its qualities. Other courses may skip over this as it could sound boring, but not with us, so you’ll be one step ahead of the others. We’ll discover the kit and modifiers you can use outdoors, at home or even in a studio to make your portraits dazzle!
You shouldn’t just take a picture of someone without considering your surroundings. Learn about creating moods, telling stories and finding ways to embellish your portrait by adding the right props. Without this module, your pictures will look like everyone else’s.
Take the professional’s approach and compose your portrait correctly when you’ve learnt about our composition hints and tricks. You’ll realise there’s more to framing as you discover the Rule of Thirds, Balancing Elements, Symmetry, Golden Ratio and so many more!
By now you’ll understand the basics of light, but you need to become a Master of It to infuse your portraits with mood, atmosphere, feelings and connotations. We’ve compiled all the best portrait lighting techniques and even designed simple diagrams for you to download so you can try them out when you’re offline.
Portrait photography is 50% skill and 50% personality so it’s important that you make a great first impression with your subjects. After giving you our instructions for setting up your own home studio on a budget, we’ll focus on preparing yourself to work with people. From communication tips to downloadable questionnaires we’ll make sure you’ll never be lost for words.
Working with groups of people can feel daunting to a new photographer but we’ll help you overcome any worries with this comprehensive module jam-packed with posing solutions and perfect action shots (along with all the essential camera settings). By the end of it, you’ll be able to create family portraits that will be cherished for a lifetime.
They say ‘never work with Children and Animals’ but Modules 10 and 11 will break the barriers of this stigma and show you how with clever communication and preparation that you can capture children’s portraits that will melt a mother’s heart. Pick up essential posing and lighting tips for newborns, toddlers, school kids and even teenagers in this comprehensive lesson.
They are one of the favourite topics amongst our iPhotography students, therefore we’ve dedicated a whole module to animal portraits. Whether they burrow, beg, fly, purr or roar we’ve got the only camera settings, best practises and preparation techniques you’ll ever need to make sure your animal portraits are as sharp as an Eagle’s claw.
One for the lovers out there who really want to make a beeline into couples, engagement and wedding photography. It’s becoming a fast-rising niche in the photography industry to capture romantic and wistful couple portraits. In Module 12 you’ll find countless posing suggestions, alongside subtle alternatives on top of the best lighting techniques to flatter your couple, regardless of age. We’ve also custom designed in-depth analysis into body language to help you build the story of your lovers and what you’ll need if you need to do if you hear the chime of wedding bells!
Let your imagination flourish when working one-on-one, it’s a great place to start your portrait journey for the more creative photographer. Learn about shooting to a brief, contrasting textures and creating a unique style under our fashion photography section. You can also test your skills when learning about commercial headshots, sports & fitness and the ever-alluring boudoir photography.
Advanced your creativity in one simple lesson as you discover the beauty in detail shots, light paintings, conceptual portraits, abstract cropping as well as alternative uses to props. This is where you get a chance to develop your own portrait style. In part two of this module, we will also uncover the truth about black & white portraits – when to use it, why to use it and how it can go so wrong!
This is our compendium of crafty little tricks that professional portrait photographers use every day – how do we know this? Well, this course was written by some! Get ahead of the competition and make your portraits stand out of the crowd with secret sections about ‘shooting to sell’, customising bokeh, freelensing, cheap lighting & atmosphere effects (and so much more). These hacks will make your shoots easy and budget-friendly.
We see hundreds of microblogs every day posting the same old articles such as ‘3 mistakes all photographers make’ etc. They are normally very superficial and vague about how to overcome them. We’ve lived through these mistakes and want to tell you what the truth of being a portrait photographer can mean. Find out how to overcome online criticism, self-doubt, creative blocks and jealousy. But being good teachers, we’ll help you with preparation tips, planning suggestions, foresight, adapting common sense and being honest. This will make your portrait journey a much happier adventure.
As we slide the camera to the side and swap it for a keyboard, we’ll take you through a range of important editing tutorials using the latest Adobe Photoshop CC software. We’ll cover simple exposure adjustments, how to colour balance, adapting contrast and airbrushing in easy to follow videos.
We up the ante and deal out some more creative editing videos in our last module as we’ll show you how to remove backgrounds from your portraits and incorporate new ones. You’ll also discover the secrets of professional re-touchers and find out how to transform your subject and flatter their features using advanced tools in Photoshop. After this lesson, you’ll never look at a fashion model the same way!
The Portrait Photography Course is designed and led by iPhotography head tutor, Stephen Walton.
Stephen has over 15 years experience running a high-end portrait photography studio, photographing over 10,000 clients – from regular people and pets, to household name celebrities.
Stephen has packed this course with all his finest tips, tricks and processes that will help you shortcut the learning curve to shooting stunning portraits.
Each course lesson is filled to the brim with step-by-step instructions, exercises, cheat sheets, home studio tips, and even how to even make money from portrait photography.
Through this fun and unique course, Stephen reveals the behind-the-scenes insights into the life of a pro portrait photographer.
Even if you’re a beginner photographer you’re about to discover the secrets of timeless portrait photography. While amateurs focus only on what people look like, you’ll know how to effortlessly capture the true character and emotions of your subjects to create memories that are cherished forever.
Often, half the battle of a great portrait shot is making your subject feel at ease and unguarded, while following your instructions.
Whether it’s a family get together, a newborn baby, or your four-legged furry friend, you’ll discover all of our clever communication tricks and techniques for working with people (and pets) of all age ranges and group sizes, so that you can always capture perfect moments in time.
You’ll discover the essential portrait photography kit you need to suit any budget.
And you’ll learn a whole range of portrait photography tips, techniques and tricks that only the most experienced portrait photographers know and use to save time and energy while consistently capturing wall-worthy photos.
We’ll reveal the business side of portrait photography and the secrets we’ve used to generate over $10 million in portrait photo sales.
You’ll discover how to build your own home photography studio on even the smallest of budgets.
And you’ll get all the worksheets and instructions you need to generate a healthy second income, should you decide to take your newfound skills further.
Your portrait photography course is exactly what I would expect from the iPhotography brand. It has been a pleasure taking the course!
I found the module about lighting techniques pleasant and fascinating.
Studio photography seemed always a bit too hard for me, but with the downloadable lighting setups provided with the course it became clearer and easier.
I also really liked Stephen’s Stories – we can draw a lot from our tutor’s experience…. I can honestly recommend this course to all beginners and more experienced enthusiasts of portrait photography
I found the course very informative especially the creative portrait section as this is something that I’m really into, especially the UV section which is an area that I’m yet to try.
I found it very easy to follow. The section regarding couples and group shots was great, especially composing several shots to put onto the one photo with the negative space, definitely going to use that idea.
I like the planning and lessons on mistakes. I loved the section on over-editing, this is something I feel will help a lot of people. All round a very good course!
The course looks great and has some very in-depth, helpful lessons that will assist anyone wanting to drive their portrait photography forward.
Congratulations. An excellent addition to the iPhotography Courses I am sure it will be very popular and cause an immediate stir.
I really enjoyed this course! I loved the lighting section, it had great information in it, and was in-depth.
I love the editing modules! I like how it really starts with the basics and then goes to more advanced steps, that will be very helpful to so many people.
I think this course really covers everything. It was awesome!
I thought the portrait photography course was very comprehensive, far and above some teaching videos I have watched. It was very pleasing well laid out and it led you through everything step-by-step.
The rule of third was brilliantly explained – a rule I thought I had a full grasp of. I thought the editing was well explained and interesting. I’m always looking to improve my photography and editing skills so there is information that has already improved my portrait photography.
Buy the Portrait course today and you'll also unlock a special package of 10 practical portrait assignments that you can do at home.
Follow the simple step-by-step instructions for each (optional) assignment, then submit your results to your assigned course tutor.
You'll receive constructive feedback and personalized tips that will help you refine and master these techniques and rapidly improve your portrait skills.
You'll get lifetime access to our private, purpose-built Photo Feedback Gallery.
Upload your photos to the gallery, and you'll get constructive feedback and encouragement from experienced tutors and fellow students alike, who help and support one another without judgement.
As you progress, you'll earn virtual awards, medals and recognition for your achievements, no matter how small.
The Photo Feedback Gallery is a fun and integral part of your learning experience. There's no better or faster way to build your confidence and skills than through positive feedback from supportive, like-minded photographers who want you to succeed.
Read some of the independent reviews posted about iPhotography™ on Facebook, Trustpilot & Google Reviews:
You could spend a lifetime in frustration, battling with your camera settings, or trying to figure out the perfect poses, and yet still end up frustrated because your portrait shots aren’t as sharp or as well composed as you expected.
Or, with just a little time invested in the iPhotography Portrait course you can gain complete mastery of your camera and uncover the secrets to capturing timeless portraits of friends, family, and pets that will be cherished forever.
We’ve poured everything into making what we believe is the best online portrait photography course available. However, if after buying it you are unhappy for any reason (or no reason at all), just let us know within 30-days and we’ll happily issue you with a full refund. Signing up to an iPhotography course is risk-free.
Yes. the iPhotography Portrait Course has been designed to take you from the most basic of steps, right through to advanced portrait photography techniques, and even how to make money as a portrait photographer!
We’ve made learning portrait photography easy and enjoyable for beginners by creating this engaging and immersive online learning experience. The course features video tutorials, animation, quizzes, worksheets and more.
Whether you are an absolute beginner picking up a camera for the first, or a keen amateur with decent knowledge already, by the end of this course we’re confident that you’ll be nothing short of astonished by the rapid improvements in your portrait shots.
Yes. This portrait photography course assumes no prior knowledge of portrait photography. You’ll learn exactly what you need to know to capture stunning portrait shots.
In the first few lessons, you’ll learn all about the camera equipment you need (and what you don’t need). You’ll discover how to achieve professional-grade results using the camera and equipment you already own.
And we’ll even show you how to build your own studio on a budget if you want to take it that step further. You’ll gain a deep understanding of which camera settings to use, detailed instructions for when, where, how and why you should use them, and so much more.
But, remember, camera settings, lighting, equipment, editing, etc are only one part of becoming a highly competent portrait photographer. The other part, of course, is about working with people.
Through this portrait photography course, you’re also going to discover the behind-the-scenes professional secrets (along with many psychological tricks of the trade) for building instant rapport with anyone.
Whether you’re dealing with babies and young children, teenagers, couples, families, working professionals, couples, and even pets, you’re about to learn all the tricks and techniques for working with them, putting them at ease instantly, instinctively choosing the perfect poses, and capturing beautiful moments that will evoke pure elation.
By the end of this course, you’ll have complete mastery over both the technical and the people aspects of portrait photography.
Naturally, any experienced photographer can take a good portrait shot, but our intention with the iPhotography Portrait Course is to give you the skills and techniques that will transform your ‘good’ to a consistent ‘outstanding’.
More often than not it’s the subtle tweaks, the unconventional tips, and the little-known tricks of the trade that elevate an already competent photographer’s results to that higher level.
And you can only learn these secrets from highly experienced pros who have lived and breathed portrait photography.
iPhotography Portrait Course instructor has years of experience at the highest level, capturing over 4.5 million professional portraits of everyone from the general public, to household name celebrities. You’re in very good hands!
Yes. You can start capturing beautiful portrait photography using whatever camera you already own. You will find a standard DSLR or Mirrorless camera adequate enough (or any camera with fully manual controls).
By using the tips, tricks and techniques we reveal you’ll notice an immediate improvement to your portrait shots.
And when you’re ready, you’ll know how to achieve next-level results by using items you already own or through acquiring budget-friendly gear that produces pro-level photographs.
We all know someone with ‘all the gear and no idea’, that’s why our underlying philosophy is about teaching you the core portrait principles first.
We’ll then show you the tricks and techniques that rely less on the gear and more on the photographer.
By the end of this course, you’ll know how to take stunning portraits photos and capture beautiful memories with whatever camera and equipment you have to hand.
Yes. The iPhotography Portrait Course goes above and beyond how to just take great portrait shots.
You’re about to also learn the closely-guarded step-by-step secrets to making money from your portrait photography!
Secrets learned from capturing over 4.5 million professional portraits and generating sales of over $10 million!
What kind of positive difference could a second stream of income make to your family’s life?
And even if you’re not ready to step out and become a paid portrait photographer, simply having this insider knowledge gives you the peace-of-mind assurance that, no matter what happens in the world, to your job or, with the economy, you always have a solid income-generating skill to fall back on.
If you’re looking at this as a potential career, then this really is the best online portrait photography class.
The moment you sign up to any iPhotography™ course, you’ll unlock a whole range of extra benefits that make your learning faster, more fun, and more engaging than typical online courses. All of these benefits are included in your course purchase today:
Lifetime access with no additional fees or subscriptions necessary.
Engaging training modules digitally accessible from anywhere, 24/7.
Foil seal embossed printed Certificate of Achievement shipped to your door.
Earn badges as you progress through your courses and engage in our community. Badges are great motivators!
Take part in our regular, fun photography challenges and annual contests. Win courses, gift cards and valuable equipment!
Practical photography assignments with full tutor support so that you can put what you're learning into practise.
Access a whole library of extra training, resources, worksheets, and downloads to support your learning.
Packed with interactive quizzes, puzzles, and games to make your learning fun, fast and effective.
An instant global network of 100,000+ photographers at all ability levels.
Built-in note taking technology enables you to take and store your course notes online. Print your notes with 1-click or download as Word files.
Use our interactive camera simulator to quickly and easily understand every button, dial and setting on a typical DSLR, without having to read lengthy manuals.
Edit your photos like a pro using iPhotography's built-in online photo editor. No need to pay for expensive editing software like Photoshop!