Portrait lighting workshop
Vilnius | Saturday | June 20, 2026 | 5-8PM | €75
Summer solstice arrives on Sunday June 21st, and with it, the worst lighting conditions of the year for outdoor portrait photography! Let’s meet this challenge head-on by learning how to dance with the mid-summer light and shoot beautiful portraits in Vilnius’ famed old town.
In this three hour workshop, you’ll learn how to approach both posed and unobserved outdoor portraits, even with the sun at its highest and most harsh, eyes quickly falling into deep shadows that undermine effective portraits.
You’ll learn the universal principles of lighting the human face, how to befriend the harsh summer sun, to soften it, to cast dramatic shadows, to turn lighting problems into opportunities. We’ll practice three techniques to create a wide variety of looks, from the glamorous to the dramatic: finding helpful light modifiers in nature (buildings, cars, water, etc.), using inexpensive, simple modifiers that you can carry with you (flexible reflectors and diffusers), and adding your own light using an inexpensive strobe light that’s powerful to compliment and even compete with sunlight. In the process, you’ll learn how to override your camera’s limited understanding of light, seizing control to achieve the kind of dramatic exposures shown here. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll improve your awareness of light and shadows to position yourself strategically and exploit the sunlight you can’t control.
You’ll also learn crucial techniques for observing human behavior, anticipating telling moments and expressions, and seeing relationships between people and their environment to convey their stories. When it comes to photographing people, whether it’s sunlight, fireworks, the headlights from your car, or strobe lights, the same principles apply.
You’ll need an SLR or mirrorless camera that has manual exposure controls, and to be comfortable focusing and shooting. No previous knowledge of lighting or portraiture is required, only a passion to improve.
Your teacher will be New York photographer Brian Dilg, who has over three decades of teaching experience around the world, has published two books on photography, and is a widely published fine art and commercial photographer and cinematographer whose work has appeared in well over 100 films.
Enrollment is limited to 10 people. Cancellations will be refunded up to 48 hours before the start time on Saturday. If the weather proves unsuitable on the planned date, registered students will be contacted to coordinate rescheduling the workshop, or can choose a refund if the new date isn’t convenient. The exact location in central Vilnius will be sent once you are registered.
