About me
Damien Lovegrove
Photographer · Adventurer · Tutor
I began my career as a BBC cameraman, and later became a lighting director, eventually teaching at the BBC’s renowned training academy in Evesham.
That early grounding in light, composition, and visual storytelling has shaped everything I do. After leaving broadcasting, I built a fabulous career in wedding and portrait photography, earning accolades including Portrait Photographer of the Year from both the Master Photographers Association and the British Institute of Professional Photography.
What makes me tick
Hands-on, generous and encouraging.
My approach to teaching is hands-on, generous, and encouraging. You’ll learn, you’ll laugh, and you’ll develop skills that transform your work.
Whether you're refining your technique or redefining your style, I’m here to help you do it brilliantly. Over the years, I’ve coached photographers like you from around the world, and I love nothing more than helping others grow in confidence and skill.
In 2013, I was honoured to receive the ‘Master Craftsman’ qualification from the Guild of Photographers in the UK, a recognition of both technical excellence and creative vision.
- Portrait Photographer of the Year: Master Photographers Association
- Portrait Photographer of the Year: British Institute of Professional Photography
- Master Craftsman, Guild of Photographers
Your mentor
Portraits with depth, mood and narrative.
Whether you are watching one of my training videos or enjoying my online courses, I'm here to teach you how to create portraits that go beyond the surface: images with depth, mood, and narrative. If you're eager to elevate your craft, master lighting, and explore creative storytelling while enjoying the journey, you’re in the right place.
A deep technical knowledge underpins my artistic vision, and I’ll use this to show you how to harness light, both ambient and artificial, to create photographs with soul, narrative, and elegance.
My work
Recent bodies of work
Hollywood style
One of my favourite genres in recent years has been Hollywood style portraits.
Enduring Beauty
Another body of work I'm currently working on is a personal project called Enduring Beauty.
Complimentary guide
A guide to posing portraits.
Natural, relaxed poses that help people look and feel their best.
Join my newsletter and I'll send you this mini guide, drawn from forty years of directing people in front of the camera.
Films, courses, books and tools
Learn at your own pace.
Portrait Lighting Mastery Pro
Fifty-five lessons on shaping light for portraits, from first principles to the finished photograph.
Explore the course
The Director's Light
Thirty-two cinematic portrait shoots in Italy's forgotten palaces, filmed from the first lighting decision to the finished photograph.
Discover the film
Portraits eBook
Three hundred and sixty pages. The essential guide to shooting portraits, already in the hands of thousands of photographers.
Discover the book
Scattergels
Bring the colour and atmosphere of cinema lighting to your own portraits.
Discover Scattergels