On Saturday 19 September I am teaching a one-day portrait masterclass in New York, at Centra Studio on 8th Avenue. It runs from ten in the morning until four in the afternoon, models and lighting are provided, and you need bring nothing but a camera and a short lens.
I should say at the outset what this day is not. It is not a lecture with a demonstration bolted on at the end. There is no slide deck. You will spend the majority of the day behind your own camera, working with professional models, building each setup as it is taught and then shooting it properly before we move on. People consistently tell me they learn more in that one day than in months of reading about technique, and I think the reason is simple: lighting is not an idea you can hold in your head. It is a thing you have to see fall on a face.
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Where the light comes from
My work is built on a single, low classical light. That is not a stylistic affectation. It is the light of Holbein and Titian, of Caravaggio and Rembrandt, of Lawrence — painters who had no flash, no modifiers and no ability to add a second source, and who therefore had to think very hard about the one they had. When you strip a portrait back to one light, everything that matters becomes visible: where the shadow falls on the cheek, how the eye catches, what the jaw does, whether a sitter looks composed or merely still.
So we begin with one light. Everything else on the day is added deliberately, and only once the reason for adding it is obvious.
How the day runs
We work up through roughly eight setups, from a single source to two lights under tight control. Along the way we cover:
Studio flash from the ground up — the actual role of key, fill, back and hair lights, and what each one is doing to the final image
Modifiers — softboxes, umbrellas, snoots, reflectors — and the reasoning behind reaching for one rather than another
Soft light against hard light, and how completely each changes the character of a portrait
The classical approach: shaping a face the way a painter would, rather than lighting it evenly and hoping
Directing and posing — how to give a sitter something specific to do, so that you photograph a moment rather than an expression
That last point is the one photographers most often arrive without and leave with. Most portraits fail not because the lighting is wrong but because nothing is happening in front of the camera. I will show you how I set a scenario for a sitter, and how I photograph the suppressed version of a feeling rather than the performed one.
Who it is for
Beginners and intermediate photographers who can work a camera in manual mode. If you are already shooting weddings or headshots professionally and want to bring depth and classical refinement to portrait work you are producing every week, the day is built for you as much as for anyone starting out. You will leave with portfolio-ready portraits of your own.
About me
I am a British portrait photographer, based between Los Angeles, London and New York. My portraits are held in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London, and in the Royal Collection. I have won Portrait of Britain four times, in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Over the past two decades I have photographed Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Dame Judi Dench, William Shatner, Ian McShane, Jared Harris, James Purefoy and Natalie Dormer, alongside British prime ministers including Tony Blair and Theresa May, and figures in finance such as Ray Dalio. My two-year project Soldiery, documenting the British Army of the twenty-first century, was exhibited at the National Army Museum and described by the BBC as the changing face of the British Army.
What I teach on this day is what I use in the studio. There is no separate, simplified version for workshops.
What previous attendees have said
One attendee wrote that we covered eight setups, from a single source to two lights under the tightest control, and that the breadth of material was excellent. Another described the day in a single word: inspiring — noting that every question was answered in detail, and that as much time went on drawing character out of a sitter as on the lighting itself.
Details
Portrait Photography Masterclass — New York
Overview
Join Rory Lewis for an intensive one-day portrait masterclass in New York. Rory has spent two decades photographing some of the most recognisable faces in film, politics and public life — sitters include Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Dame Judi Dench, William Shatner and Natalie Dormer, alongside British prime ministers — and his portraits are held in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London.
This is a day of hands-on shooting, not lectures. You will learn more behind the camera in a single day than in months of reading about technique, with ample time to apply each setup as it is taught. Professional models are provided throughout, and you will leave with portfolio-ready portraits of your own.
Who this masterclass is for
Beginner and intermediate photographers who can shoot in manual mode. The day is equally suited to wedding and headshot photographers who want to bring depth and classical refinement to their portrait work.
What you will learn
Studio flash lighting from the ground up — the role of key, fill, back and hair lights, and how each shapes the final image
Lighting modifiers — softboxes, umbrellas, snoots and reflectors — and when to reach for each
Soft and hard light, and how each transforms the mood and impact of a portrait
Rory's classical approach to lighting, rooted in the painterly tradition of the Old Masters
Directing and posing models through inventive scenarios for dynamic, engaging portraits
Details
Date: Saturday 19 September 2026
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Places are strictly limited — reserve now to secure yours.
Common Questions
Do I need to bring any lighting equipment?
No — just your camera and a lens. An 85mm or 50mm is ideal for portraits.
Will I get to work with the models?
Yes. The day is built around shooting time, working directly with the models and the studio equipment.
Is the course aimed at beginners?
Yes — beginners and intermediate photographers who know how to use their camera in manual mode.
About Rory Lewis
Rory Lewis is a four-time winner of Portrait of Britain (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020). Over nearly two decades he has photographed leading figures across film, politics and the military, including William Shatner, Sir Patrick Stewart, David Cameron, Tony Blair, Iain Glen and Natalie Dormer. His work has been exhibited on both sides of the Atlantic, and his portraits have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery, London.
His two-year project Soldiery, documenting the British Army of the 21st century, was hailed as a national success story and described by the BBC as "The changing face of the British Army."