The complete studio portrait day

This workshop is designed for:

• those with no prior knowledge of flash or studio lighting or;
• those who have but are struggling to realise their images.

I’ll start by showing you the different types of gear - lights, modifiers and triggers - that are used in all professional studios and can also be used at home.

I’ll show you how they work together and the get you to ‘build’ a photo to look exactly how you want it, starting with single light setups, moving all the way through to three-light setups.

I’ll show you where to get inspiration for a creative shoot, how best to prepare before you even get near a studio, and how to liaise with your subjects in advance and on the day to help make the shoot more fun and exciting for them and you.

I’ll take you through setting a relaxed tone in the studio and also how to interact with your subjects to help them relax and get the best results from them.

It’s these aspects of studio photography that are most often overlooked, or not even considered, and why even technically accomplished setups can fail.

Remember, fortune favours the prepared.

I’ll also show you some inexpensive, specialist software for Studio lighting that can help you immensely in both preparation and learning.

You’ll be taking the shots and setting up the lights as we go. Experimentation is key to learning.

We will focus on portraiture using non-professional models.

Because it is unlikely you’ll practice your photography with professional models. Instead, I’ll specifically guide you into getting the best from the friends and family that are most likely to be the subject of your first shoots. After all, if you can guide a non-professional and get great results, future work with a professional will be that much easier.

You’ll learn both technical and creative skills for studio photography;

TECHNICAL; starting with how to control the fall and power of light using the trigger attached to your camera along with the effect of different types of modifier on the image, from bare bulb to large octoboxes.

We’ll then talk about shaping light further using reflectors, v flats, flags and finally gobos in an optical projector. We will also look at the differences in lighting for both colour and black and white photography.

CREATIVE; Use colour to express mood, poses to convey emotion - and the other way round! The key to a great shoot is to have a plan when you go in but be flexible enough to go where the flow of the shoot takes you. You need to have prepared to allow for those truly spontaneous moments to emerge.

Classes are limited to 4 students.

WHAT DO I NEED FOR THE DAY?

Bring your camera and any lenses you want to explore

Two fully-charged batteries for your camera

Two memory cards for your camera

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Bill Black