Lighting Made Simple
Using Continuous Lights
What You See Is What You Get.
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Everyone wants more flattering light.
Few realize how simple it can be.
About the Course
Lighting has a reputation for being the hardest part of photography to learn — but it doesn't have to be. Scott Kelby shows you a kind of lighting that finally works the way you want: what you see is what you get. No test shots, no wireless triggers, no cryptic power settings — just light you can see and shape in real time. Scott covers exactly what gear to buy, how to set up in under three minutes, and how to shoot tethered into Lightroom through a full live portrait session — walking you through split, Rembrandt, rim, overhead, and a polished two-light look, one step at a time.
Why This Course Matters
Light is the single biggest factor in how professional your images look — and it's the skill most photographers quietly avoid because it feels too technical.
Continuous light tears down that wall, because you can finally see what your light is doing. Watch a shadow deepen or a highlight roll across a cheekbone as you move the light, and lighting stops being abstract theory and becomes something you feel. Better still, the principles you'll pick up here — how a light's size, angle, and distance change everything — are the foundation behind every great portrait ever made, with any kind of light. Learn them on a setup this approachable, and you'll carry that skill into every shoot for the rest of your career.
Who's Teaching You
Learn from one of photography's most trusted teachers
Scott Kelby has taught more photographers than just about anyone alive — through bestselling books, live workshops, and KelbyOne itself. He has a real gift for making the technical feel easy, and here he turns it on lighting.
Scott Kelby is a photographer, award-winning author of more than 100 books, and the founder of KelbyOne. He's known for a friendly, no-nonsense teaching style that strips the intimidation out of complex topics — exactly what makes him the perfect guide for learning to light a portrait with confidence.
What You'll Learn
Skills you'll use every time you shoot
From your first light to that final edit — here's what you'll walk away knowing how to do.
See your light before you shoot
Adjust power smoothly from 0–100% — none of flash's locked, factory-set preset steps — and watch the light change in real time, with no wireless triggers, test frames, or guesswork to slow you down.
Build a kit without overspending
The exact LED light and softbox Scott uses, with onboard controls for brightness and color temperature, plus the few add-ons worth owning — pro-quality light for a fraction of the cost of flash.
Set up in under three minutes
Go from packed case to ready-to-shoot fast, and learn why a big softbox is the secret behind soft, flattering portrait light.
Shoot tethered into Lightroom
See every frame full-screen the moment you capture it, so you can nail focus and lighting on the spot — and back up to two places at once.
Shape five classic lighting looks
Split, Rembrandt, rim, overhead beauty, and a two-light setup — each one placed and explained, one simple move at a time, on a live model.
Finish like a pro in Lightroom
Convert to black and white, shape your tones and contrast, and apply your edits across a whole set in just a couple of clicks.
The Full Curriculum
7 lessons, start to finish
Tap any lesson to see what's covered.
Scott makes the case for continuous lighting: you see exactly what you’re getting, power adjusts smoothly from 0–100%, the lights stay cool to the touch, and there’s not a wireless trigger in sight. The easiest way to learn lighting, period.
Exactly what to buy — the bi-color LED light Scott uses, what it costs, the softbox and accessories that actually matter, and why this whole setup runs a fraction of the price of pro flash.
Watch Scott build a complete portrait setup from scratch — light stand, softbox, diffuser, and grid — and learn why a big softbox is the secret to soft, beautiful, flattering light.
Connect to Lightroom for a big, full-screen view of every shot, then step into a live session with model Kat as Scott walks through split lighting, Rembrandt lighting, and the settings that bring it all together.
One light, placed just right behind your subject, makes striking rim-lit portraits. Scott shows you how to nail the look in camera, then finish it in bold black and white in Lightroom.
Using a boom arm and softbox positioned overhead, Scott creates the kind of beauty light the pros get flown across the country for — including the subtle tilt that keeps the eyes bright and a fan for movement.
Scott brings in a second light — a kicker aimed at the back of the head — to add depth, separation, and that extra spark of dimension that takes a portrait from good to unforgettable.
From the Course
What you'll learn to capture
Loved by Members
You're in good company
Rated 4.8 out of 5 — "Excellent" — across 1,843 reviews on Trustpilot. Here's what members say.
KelbyOne is so inspiring, exhilarating, fascinating and downright exceptional. Every aspect of KelbyOne is like a good novel that you can't put down. Great technical and useful knowledge.
These courses don't treat you like you're an idiot, but still walk you through step by step. Other members really go the extra mile to help you understand and progress as a photographer.
I am soooo pleased that I found this program. I am learning and growing by crazy leaps and bounds in my photography skills. The teaching style makes everything stick.
The classes are well done and I always learn something new. I especially enjoy the no-nonsense approach to teaching. It keeps what could be a dry topic interesting.
More Than One Course
This course is just the beginning
Lighting Made Simple Using Continuous Lights comes with your KelbyOne membership — and so does everything below. Tap any benefit to see what's included.
The full KelbyOne library covers photography, Lightroom, and Photoshop from first principles to professional technique — portraits, landscape, travel, studio and flash, wedding, sports, street, food, fashion, business, and more. Every course is taught by a working pro, broken into focused lessons you can watch in any order, and available to stream whenever you want. Start a class on your lunch break, finish it that night, and come back to it any time you need a refresher.
KelbyOne releases a new course every single week, so your membership is worth more the longer you hold it. New techniques, new gear, new software releases, and new instructors are added continuously — meaning the latest in photography and post-processing is always waiting for you, and you'll never pay extra for it.
Not sure what to watch next? Curated learning tracks sequence the right courses in the right order so you build skills step by step instead of jumping around. The Photographer's Fast Track is designed to save you years of trial and error, and your progress is tracked along the way so you always know what you've finished and what's next.
Your membership includes a growing toolkit of free Lightroom presets, Photoshop brushes, and other downloadable resources you can put to work right away. Many courses also include downloadable practice files so you can follow along with the exact images the instructor is using — learning by doing, not just watching.
Stream on your computer, phone, tablet, or Apple TV and pick up right where you left off on any device. The KelbyOne app also lets you download classes for offline viewing, so you can keep learning on a plane, a road trip, or anywhere without a connection. Your account works anytime, anywhere.
Learning is easier with people in your corner. KelbyOne members are a welcoming, genuinely helpful community — the kind who go out of their way to answer questions and help you progress. When a technique doesn't click, there's a place to ask, and real photographers at every level who are happy to help.
If you're unhappy for any reason, contact us within the first 30 days of an annual membership (or the first 7 days of a monthly membership) and we'll gladly cancel and issue a full refund. You also get access the moment you join, and you can cancel anytime from your account page. There's nothing to lose by trying it.
Membership
One membership. Everything unlocked.
Lighting Made Simple Using Continuous Lights and the entire library of courses come with a KelbyOne membership. Go annual — now just $169 with code LIGHT30 (regularly $199) — about 46¢ a day.
Everything included
- This course — Lighting Made Simple Using Continuous Lights, all 7 lessons
- Full access to all 1,000+ courses
- A new course every week, at no extra cost
- Guided learning tracks & the Photographer's Fast Track
- Free presets, brushes & downloadable practice files
- Watch on desktop, mobile, tablet & Apple TV — even offline
- Friendly, helpful member community
Still on the fence?
Start monthly at $19.99/mo and switch to annual anytime. Heads up: paying month-to-month works out to $239.88 a year — about $71 more than the discounted annual price.
Backed by a 100% Money-Back Guarantee
Not happy for any reason? Contact us within the first 30 days of an annual membership (or the first 7 days of a monthly membership) and we'll gladly cancel and issue a full refund. You get access the moment you join.
Questions? Answered.
Everything you need to know
Right away. The moment you join, you can sign in and start watching Lighting Made Simple Using Continuous Lights — and every other course in the library — immediately, on any device.
Absolutely. KelbyOne has courses for every skill level, taught in plain language, step by step. This course meets you where you are, and the rest of the library grows with you as you improve.
Not at all. Scott teaches with an affordable continuous LED light and a softbox, and shows you exactly what to buy — but the real skills here, like placing a light and shaping a face, work with any continuous light and any camera that lets you control your settings. If you already own studio lights, you'll put these techniques to work right away.
Annual is the best value — and right now you can get a full year for $169 with code LIGHT30 (regularly $199), about 46¢ a day. Monthly is available at $19.99/mo ($239.88/year), and you can switch to annual anytime.
Yes. Cancel whenever you like from your account page and you'll keep access until your membership period ends. You're also covered by our money-back guarantee — 30 days on annual, 7 days on monthly — so there's no risk in trying it.
Yes. Stream on desktop, mobile, tablet, and Apple TV, and pick up right where you left off on any device. The KelbyOne app also lets you download classes to watch offline — on a plane, a road trip, anywhere.
Of course — KelbyOne has members all over the world. All prices are listed in US dollars (USD), so just keep your local exchange rate in mind at checkout and renewal.
Your best light
is waiting for you.
Join KelbyOne today and stream Lighting Made Simple Using Continuous Lights — plus 1,000+ more courses from the world's best photographers — with a single membership.
Join KelbyOne & Start WatchingOffer ends July 1, 2026
Just $169/year with code LIGHT30 · New courses weekly · Money-back guarantee