When you think of photographers who make education feel electrifying, Lindsay Adler is always near the top of the list. Energetic, precise, and visually driven, she has a remarkable talent for taking complex lighting concepts and breaking them down into beautifully digestible steps.
In her Adorama YouTube video on lighting different skin tones, she walks us through a topic every modern photographer must master: how to honour and illuminate every shade of skin with intention. The result is not just a technical lesson, but an artistic reminder that light is a language and every skin tone speaks it differently.
Let’s explore the key insights from the video, wrapped in that signature Cxlective creativity.
From the moment the video opens, Lindsay adopts a guiding-hand approach calm, confident, and deeply intentional. She doesn’t rush through the topic. Instead, she talks with photographers, not at them.
Her teaching flows through three qualities:
• Demonstration over theory
She doesn’t just tell you what works she shows you, placing models with different skin tones under the same light so you can visually compare how each responds.
• Step-by-step adjustments
Move the key light. Change the fill. Add a rim. Adjust exposure. She allows you to watch the process unfold in real time, showing how subtle tweaks transform the image.
• Celebration, not correction
Instead of treating darker or lighter skin as “difficult,” she presents every skin tone as an opportunity to create something beautiful and intentional. That positivity is refreshing and needed.
2. Seeing the Skin, Not Just the Light
One of the clearest messages Lindsay delivers: Skin tones don’t need “fixing” — they need understanding.
She shows that:
Deeper skin tones absorb more light but glow beautifully when highlights are introduced.
Lighter skin tones reflect more light and need shaping to maintain texture.
Mid-tones bridge both worlds and respond strongly to modifier choices.
Her emphasis is on sculpting, not just brightening. It’s a mindset shift that elevates your lighting technique from technical to artistic.
3. Lindsay’s Key Techniques from the Video
Here’s how she guides viewers through the essential steps:
A. Start With a Base Light Setup
Lindsay begins with a neutral, soft key light — often a large softbox — placed at a flattering angle. From here, she introduces changes one element at a time, so you understand why each adjustment matters.
B. Add Separation for Deeper Skin Tones
To prevent darker skin from blending into the background, she demonstrates using:
A rim light
A hair light
A carefully chosen background tone
This creates dimension without overpowering the subject.
C. Control Highlights for Lighter Skin Tones
With lighter skin, Lindsay explains the importance of:
Pulling the model slightly farther from the light
Using diffusion to maintain detail
Reducing fill if the image looks washed out
She shows how these choices protect texture and shape.
D. Lighting Multiple Skin Tones Together
One of the strongest segments is when Lindsay demonstrates lighting two models with different skin tones at the same time.
Her approach is brilliant:
Place the subject with the deeper skin tone closer to the key light.
Shape the fill for the lighter skin tone so the exposure doesn’t overpower the darker one.
Use rim lighting to unify both subjects without flattening them.
She makes it feel effortless , a testament to her teaching skill
4. The Art Behindthe Technique
What makes Lindsay Adler’s guidance so compelling is that she frames lighting as something emotional and expressive, not mechanical.
She encourages photographers to consider:
• Mood
Soft or dramatic? Neutral or warm?
• Intent
Do you want the skin to glow? Contour? Pop against the background?
• Story
What feeling does your subject carry, and how can light amplify it?
By doing this, she turns lighting into a conversation between photographer and subject — not a rigid formula.
5. Practical Takeaways Inspired by Lindsay
Here’s your quick-grab cheat sheet:
Use a large, soft key light to start — it flatters every tone.
Move deeper skin tones closer to the light to enhance glow and richness.
Watch for specular highlights — on deeper skin, they add dimension; on lighter skin, they might need softening.
Separate the subject from the background using rim or hair lights.
In group portraits, light for the deepest tone, shape for the lightest.
Keep testing — small adjustments make big differences.
6. Final Reflection
Lindsay Adler doesn’t just teach you to light different skin tones she teaches you to see them.
To appreciate how a highlight dances, how a shadow shapes, how a tone interacts with colour and texture. She reminds us that diversity is beautiful, and that photographers have the power and responsibility to portray that beauty boldly.
So next time you step on set, carry this mantra with you:
“Let the light celebrate the skin in front of you.”
Because when you light with intention, every shade shines.
