Photo How To

Environmental portraits are a lot of fun to make, even if people pictures aren't your thing. One reason is that you don't need any special gear, or even a simple flash, if you understand how to work with whatever illumination exists on location. And this holds true whether you're shooting during the day or after the sun drops below the horizon.

This tutorial concentrates on shooting at night in the urban environment and features highly acclaimed fashion photographer Daria Koso who lives in Florida but travels for jobs to cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Los Angeles. Her work has been appeared in numerous notable publications including Harper's Bazaar, L'officiel, and Glamour.

Koso turns up the heat in this fashion-inspired episode with a holiday theme. You'll follow her on the streets of Miami's picturesque Design District as she explores various settings while revealing her favorite techniques for photographers of all skills levels.

The 17-minute lesson is packed with practical low-light photography advice on composition, camera settings, posing and more that will enable you to balance dazzling lights from storefronts, vibrant neon signs, and lamp posts, with moody shadows to capture attention-grabbing photos with a holiday sparkle.

And don't worry if you don't have access to professional models, because a spouse, significant other, or a willing friend will do just fine—especially if you provide a bit of simple direction and encouragement. You'll even pick up some great ideas for helping your subject select an appropriate wardrobe.

As you see, Koso's model is adorned with three glamorous looks—a bold red dress appropriate for the season, a fierce and trendy leopard-print outfit, and dreamy white lingerie. So take a close look, get inspired, and set up a nighttime Portrait session of your own. Both you and your model will marvel at the results.

And for those of you who are willing to carry a simple strobe, Koso explains how easy it is to master a unique motion-blur effect with flash to create dynamic, creative images that jump off the screen. After watching the video pay a visit to Koso's instructional YouTube channel where you'll find more great tips for expanding your portraiture skills.

On a related topic, be sure to watch our earlier tutorial from another experience pro who demonstrates the benefits of using a hand-held light meter to nail perfectly exposed photographs when shooting at night or under other challenging lighting conditions.