Lighting Techniques

Two Lights, One Setup: How Karl Taylor Builds Airy Beauty Shadows That Don't Go Dark
Video Tutorials

Two Lights, One Setup: How Karl Taylor Builds Airy Beauty Shadows That Don't Go Dark

There’s a specific problem I run into constantly when I’m retouching beauty work: the shadows look either completely flat or oppressively dark, and neither one feels right. Flat shadows make skin look two-dimensional, which means I end up doing twice the work in post trying to sculpt cheekbones and collarbones that should have been lit properly on set. Dense black shadows swing to the other extreme, giving the whole image a dramatic, almost harsh energy that doesn’t match the soft, polished aesthetic most beauty clients want.

What Landscape Photographers Know About Light That Every Beauty Retoucher Should Steal
Video Tutorials

What Landscape Photographers Know About Light That Every Beauty Retoucher Should Steal

There’s a reason I keep a folder on my desktop called “Not Beauty.” It’s full of tutorials from photographers who have nothing to do with my usual world of skin smoothing and color grading, and it’s one of the most useful folders I have. When I burned out on wedding photography years ago and moved into beauty retouching, I thought I was leaving landscape and nature work behind entirely. What I didn’t expect was how much the discipline of outdoor photographers would reshape the way I think about light, patience, and the decision-making that happens before you ever open Lightroom.