Lighting & Portraiture

© Alana Campbell

The Lighting & Portraiture Certificate Program offers intermediate photographers the technical skills, artistic background, and practical training needed to create compelling portraits and confidently shape light in a variety of environments. Students will develop their personal portfolios while gaining professional experience producing high-quality portraits for editorial, commercial, or artistic purposes. This program is based on in-person courses yet includes a number of online classes.

The program combines hands-on lighting instruction with creative approaches to photographing people. Through studio demonstrations, practical photoshoots, assignments, critiques, and the study of contemporary and historical portraiture, students will learn to work confidently with natural and artificial light while strengthening their ability to communicate with and photograph their subjects. Courses explore professional studio practices alongside the creative decisions that shape a portrait, including lighting, composition, gesture, environment, identity, and visual storytelling.

Topics include:

Natural and artificial lighting, studio strobes and continuous lighting, light modifiers and lighting setups, tethered photography workflows, light metering and exposure, mixed-source lighting, portrait composition and framing, working with and directing subjects, contemporary environmental and studio portraiture, self-portraiture, identity and representation, visual storytelling, editorial and commercial approaches, editing & sequencing and professional best practices.

Objectives & Outcomes:

  • Gain confidence controlling and shaping natural and artificial light

  • Develop practical experience using studio lighting equipment, modifiers, and professional lighting setups

  • Understand how lighting, composition, gesture, environment, and perspective contribute to effective portraiture

  • Strengthen communication and collaboration skills when photographing people

  • Apply lighting techniques creatively across studio, environmental, editorial, and commercial situations

  • Expand your knowledge of historical and contemporary approaches to portrait photography

  • Explore identity, representation, narrative, and self-portraiture as creative strategies

  • Develop a personal visual approach to lighting and photographing people

  • Build a cohesive portfolio of technically accomplished and visually engaging imagery

Submit Application
Personal Consulation
Upcoming Courses
Request Certificate

Special Benefits

The Lighting & Portraiture Certificate Program offers the following special benefits:

  • 20% discount on 5-8 classes included in the program (introductory discount rate)

  • 15% discount on Private Lessons (saving $19 per hour)

  • 15% discount on Portfolio Reviews (saving $19 per hour)

  • 15% discount on Mentorship Programs (saving $165-$300 per mentorship)

  • Membership upgrade from Individual to Individual+ level (worth $40)

  • Extra Digital Lab (12 hours) or Lighting Studio (4 hours) coupons (worth $120)

  • Personal guidance from the Education department throughout the program

  • Free participation in exclusive in-person Student Critique Groups

  • Potential to be highlighted on HCP newsletters and/or HCP Instagram account

  • Official HCP Digital Advanced Photography Practices Certificate

Your savings will total at least $671 and can surpass $1200 depending on the courses you choose, whether you decide to expand your Certificate Program (see Program Structure), and whether you enroll in a Mentorship Program.

Program Structure

The Lighting & Portraiture Certificate Program requires the completion of three mandatory introduction courses, one-two mandatory advanced courses, and one elective course (5-6 courses in total) during a period of up to one year (12 months). Students can choose to expand their program and add 1-2 additional courses at the program’s special discounted rate (earning extra savings). Please carefully review the courses in each category, important notes, and program’s prerequisites below.

  • Students must complete all three courses successfully and pass an intermediate exam afterwards:

    • Introduction to Portrait Photography (in-person)

    • Lighting I (in-person)

    • Portraiture with Available Minimal Lighting (online)

    Upcoming Mandatory Introduction Courses

  • Students in this stage can choose to specialize in only one of the following paths:

    Commercial & Editorial Path

    Students must complete at least one of the following 8-week courses:

    • Lighting II: Commercial & Editorial Photography (in-person)

    • Fashion Photography (in-person)

    Fine Art Path

    Students must complete at least two of the following 5-week courses:

    • Conceptual Photography (online)

    • Self-Portraiture: Creating Narrative Through Identity (online)

    • Fine Art Portrait Photography (TBA)

    Upcoming Mandatory Advanced Courses

  • Students must complete at least one course from any of the following categories:

    Technical Courses

    • Photoshop I (in-person)

    • Photoshop II (in-person)

    • Lightroom II (in-person)

    Portraiture Courses

    • Classic Portraiture, Art, and Impersonation (online)

    • Contemporary Portraiture, Art, and Impersonation (online)

    • Introduction to Dance Photography (in-person)

    • Performing for the Camera (online)

    Upcoming Elective Courses

  • In addition to courses included in this Certificate Program, students may enroll in up to two professional practices courses from this list at the program’s discounted rate (Expansion Courses may not be credited toward certification):

    • Lightroom I (in-person)

    • Introduction to Video for Photographers (in-person)

    • The Art of Editing & Sequencing (online)

    • The Business of Photography (in-person)

    • Studio to Screen: Crafting Your Artist Website (online)

    Upcoming Expansion Courses

    • A different selection of courses in the program will be offered each term (not all listed courses will be available). Students will have multiple courses in each stage to choose from.

    • Elective courses can be taken after or in parallel to Mandatory Courses.

    • Registration to this program is allowed retroactively after successfully completing any of the Mandatory Courses.

    • Students with initial studio lighting and portrait photography experience may be approved to skip Introduction to Portrait Photography and/or Lighting I pending passing a proficiency exam and will need to complete additional elective courses towards their certificate.

    • Past courses taken from 2023 onward can be credited toward this certificate pending students attended at least 70% of classes and pass relevant proficiency exams (Lighting I only). No retroactive discounts will be applied.

    • All courses (expect for expansion courses) must be completed within a period of 12 months.

    • Students’ decision to expand their program must be made before certification.

  • The Lighting & Portraiture Certificate Program is designed for Intermediate and Advanced photographers. Students applying for this certificate program must meet all the following prerequisites: 

    • Have successfully completed a Photography I course or be comfortable using their camera equipment in Manual mode.

    • Have successfully completed a Lightroom I course or be proficient in Adobe Lightroom Classic.

    • Meet the prerequisites of each course they register for at HCP.

    • Be Mac OS proficient if they wish to use HCP’s Digital Lab Computers.

    Note: Having previous studio lighting experience is not a prerequisite for this Certificate Program!

Tuition & Enrollment

Enrollment in the Lighting & Portraiture Certificate Program is open year-round. To enroll in the program, please submit the application form, include samples of your work, and specify any courses previously completed at HCP that you would like to credit toward the program (see Special Promotion). 

Approved applicants will be asked to pay a $250 deposit which will be applied toward the tuition of the last course in their program. Once completing this payment, students will receive their personal discount code and may register for courses at their own pace.

This program’s financial benefits offer at least $671 total savings. The overall tuition may vary depending on the specific courses students study as part of their program. The minimal overall tuition is $2044 (instead of $2555). Students are not required to pay the full tuition upfront. Instead, students need to pay only the discounted tuition of each course at the time they register for it, allowing them to adjust their studies to their schedule and available budget at any given time.

Please review the Certificate Programs FAQs and Policies pages. Email education@hcponline.org or call 713-529-4755 ext 104 with any questions or requests for personal consultations.

Submit Application

Certification

HCP’s official certificates can be shared on websites, LinkedIn, social media, emails, and other digital platforms.

To receive their Photography Foundation Certificate, students must:

  • Attend and pass all courses they would like to credit towards their certificate following the program’s structure (excluding Expansion Courses).

  • Pass an intermediate exam – after completing the Mandatory Introduction Courses 

  • Submit a portfolio of 10-20 images demonstrating technical control and visual coherence

All program requirements must be completed within a period of one year (12 months).
Once ready, please submit a request to receive your certificate.

Request Certificate

Faculty

Fred Agho

Fred Agho

Deborah Feingold

Deborah Feingold

Kristy Peet

Kristy Peet

Austin Cullen

Austin Cullen

Alana Campbell

Alana Campbell

Gabi Magaly

Gabi Magaly

Anthony Francis

Anthony Francis

Scott Nidermaier

Scott Nidermaier

Mark Chen

Mark Chen