Cinematic portrait photography · By Chien
Your room.
Your light.Your frame.
I’ll show you how I build cinematic portraits — and how to try those choices with the space and light you already have.
From a simple portrait to your own connected series.
Full-course plans from €299.
The next step in your photography
Make the choices
behind the image.
If you like cinematic photographs but struggle to make your own ideas work, start here. We’ll turn the things you notice in an image into decisions you can test in your own shoot.
Know what you’re
trying to make.
Build a short brief, find useful references and choose a space, a person and a few photographs that belong together.
Change something
for a reason.
Look at the light, the frame and the colour. Decide what to keep, what to simplify and what to test next.
Bring your
photographs together.
Choose your strongest images, give them a clear order and work on an edit that feels connected across the series.
Inside the way I work
See the photograph.
Understand the decisions.
I’ll use my own work to explain what I look at. Then you’ll take one of those ideas and try it with your own photographs.
Where does your eye go first?
Look at the person, the bright areas and the space around them. What holds the frame together?
What does the light reveal?
Read the visible light and shadow, then choose one change to test in your own setup.
Why does this colour belong here?
Connect the palette to the scene, then carry that choice through the final edit.
My photographs / Your starting point
Different scenes.
The same questions.
A room, a night street, a colour that changes the atmosphere. We’ll look at what makes each image work, so you can make decisions for your own idea.
Give every choice a job.Composition, light, colour and the edit work together.
The programme
From the first idea
to your own series.
Seven core modules, with practice along the way. A bonus block helps you choose and present the work you want to make next.
33 core lessons + 5 bonus lessons.
Suggested practice pace: 6–8 weeks.
Personal feedback plans give you 12 weeks.
01Your first cinematic portrait4 lessons / A clear starting point
Understand how the person, space, light and edit work together. Prepare the kit you have, connect settings to the task and make a simple portrait.
Practice: one finished frame and three choices you can explain.02Turn an idea into a shoot plan5 lessons / References, location and preparation
Break down a reference, write a short brief, prepare the person and build a practical shot list. Make a second plan for when the first one changes.
Practice: a shoot plan you can actually carry out.03Composition, space and the person5 lessons / Framing, gesture and the moment
Look at camera position, distance, scale and framing. Compare gestures and moments, then decide what belongs inside and outside the image.
Practice: explain and improve a small set of your photographs.04How I work with light6 lessons / Read the image, plan the next test
Read light direction, contrast and separation in my photographs. Connect visible details to a sensible plan for your own practice, without adding equipment for its own sake.
Practice: test a lighting choice and explain what it changes.05Colour and atmosphere4 lessons / Palette, reflections and effects
Understand what colour, reflections and atmosphere do inside a scene. Compare colour versions and choose a palette that supports your idea.
Practice: a colour decision with a clear role in the image.06Three projects, brought together3 lessons / Detailed breakdowns of my work
Follow the relationship between the idea, the person, the space, the light and the selection in three completed projects.
Practice: break down your own project and plan the next shoot.07From the original file to a finished series6 lessons / Selection, editing and export
Choose a sequence, build the edit, refine local details and make sure the final files work together. Editing uses Lightroom Classic and selected Photoshop steps.
Practice: a connected series of 6–10 photographs.BShow your work and offer a shoot5 bonus lessons / Direction, portfolio and your offer
Choose the direction you want to take, build a focused portfolio and explain the work you offer in a way people can understand.
Practice: a clear portfolio direction and a shoot offer.When you want my eyes on your work
Know what to try next.
With a feedback plan, I’ll look at your assignments, explain the main things I notice and give you three practical next steps.
Read it. Try it.
Come back to it.
Personal comments you can keep beside you while working on the next photograph. I’ll help you choose the main changes to test.
“The face already stands out from the background. First I’d remove the bright detail on the right. Then I’d compare the camera position a little lower.”
Illustrative example of my feedback style, not a student testimonial.See the suggestion
on the photograph.
A personal screen recording with my voice, usually 12–20 minutes. See what I’m looking at and revisit the explanation while you practise.
- A focused review of your assignment.
- Framing, light and colour suggestions shown on screen.
- Three next steps in writing.
- One follow-up clarification for each review.
Your way to learn
One course.
Choose your support.
Follow the lessons and check your work independently, get my written feedback, or see my suggestions in a recorded video review.
Full course included
Self-Paced
Work through the course in your own time. Practise with your photographs and decide what to improve using clear self-check criteria.
- 7 core modules + 5 bonus lessons.
- 33 core lessons in the programme.
- Practical assignments and lesson materials.
- 24-month course and community access.
- Technical help with course access.
Independent practice. Personal reviews are not included.
Full course + my written reviews
Written Feedback
Get clear comments on your work. I’ll explain what is working, what I would change and what I’d suggest trying next.
- Everything in Self-Paced.
- 8 personal written reviews from me.
- 12 weeks from an agreed start date.
- Three next steps after every review.
- One follow-up clarification per review.
- Your own private Discord feedback channel.
Written feedback to read again while you work. Live calls are not included.
Full course + my recorded reviews
Video Feedback
Go through your photographs with me on screen. Watch what I would change, understand why and revisit the recording while practising.
- Everything in Self-Paced.
- 8 personal recorded video reviews.
- 12 weeks from an agreed start date.
- Typically 12–20 minutes per review.
- Three next steps in writing.
- One follow-up clarification per review.
- Your own private Discord feedback channel.
Personal recorded reviews you can revisit. Live calls are not included.
Your access. Course and community access lasts 24 months from the full opening of your purchased course edition. Your lesson access continues after your personal feedback period ends.
Your feedback. Eight reviews in total: seven module assignments and a final re-review. Send up to 5 photographs per regular assignment, or 6–10 for the final series. Reviews are returned within 5 business days.
Your teacher / Chien
I want you to understand
the choices behind my work.
I’m Chien, the photographer behind @tdmc_19. I work with people, real spaces, light and colour to build cinematic portraits.
In this course, I’ll show my photographs and explain specific decisions. Why I left so much room around a person. What the light is doing. Why I chose that colour or that moment.
Then it’s your turn to try the idea, see what changes and decide what to do next.
Chien / TDMC19
See more of my photographsA few things you might ask
Before you begin.
Have a different question? Ask me on Instagram and tell me what you want to work on.
Do I need expensive lights or a studio?
You can start with a simple room and the light available to you. You’ll need a camera you can use, a suitable lens and a person to photograph for shooting exercises. Choose extra equipment for the task you want to practise.
Can I learn at my own pace?
Yes. The suggested practice pace is 6–8 weeks, and course access lasts 24 months from the full opening of the purchased edition. Written Feedback and Video Feedback have a separate 12-week support period from an agreed date.
Are all the lessons available now? What language are they in?
Course development is in progress. Before purchasing, check which lessons are published, the remaining release dates, and the recording and feedback languages. You can choose and purchase your package on the course enrolment page.
How do personal reviews work?
You submit your assignment in a private Discord channel. Written Feedback includes eight written reviews; Video Feedback includes eight recorded video reviews with a short action plan. Each plan includes one clarification per review, without new files: send it within 7 calendar days, and I’ll reply within 3 business days. New photographs or edits use another of your eight reviews.
Does Video Feedback include live calls?
These are personal screen recordings with my voice, usually 12–20 minutes each. You can watch them in your own time. Live calls and a separate additional set of written reviews are not included.
When does my feedback start, and can I pause?
We agree on a start date within 90 days after the full course is available, usually after your first 14 days with the lessons. One agreed pause of up to 14 days is included. Delays on my side extend the affected feedback period.
What if my final review falls after the deadline?
If your first final-series submission is complete and received before the feedback deadline, you can send the updated series for your eighth review within 7 calendar days of my reply, even after the main feedback period has ended. The total remains eight reviews.
Can I upgrade later?
Subject to availability, you can upgrade Self-Paced within 90 days of the full course opening: €200 extra for Written Feedback, or €500 extra for Video Feedback at these prices. Written to Video Feedback is €300 extra while your original feedback period is active and reviews remain. Used reviews and your existing deadline stay the same.
What software do I need for editing?
Editing is shown in Lightroom Classic with selected finishing steps in Photoshop. You’ll need a computer and compatible software for those exercises. Software, models, studio hire and equipment purchases are separate.
Choose your plan.
Make your next frame.
Choose the support that suits how you want to learn and complete your purchase on the course page.