Mastering the skill of lighting on location takes planning in addition to technical savvy. Photographers must be capable of scouting an appropriate location, assessing how time of day will affect the outcome, and determining what quality of light will best facilitate the mood of the picture. Will it be a blend of ambient and artificial light, or does the strobe dominate? Do we use direct or indirect light, hard or diffuse? How do we adapt to organic changes in the physical environment?  This workshop is designed to help answer these questions.

The class begins with a little tech talk on basic physics of light, practical understanding that directly applies to photography and be will put to use throughout the workshop. We will move on to discussing and working with subtleties of natural light and then the integration of artificial light. Students will discover how equipment choice can affect the mood of an image by experimenting with various light sources and modifiers such as bounces, diffusion material, umbrellas, soft boxes and grids. Basic as well as more complex lighting setups will be demonstrated and discussed. Emphasis will be placed upon utilizing the surrounding environment to the photographer’s advantage. The goal is to provide each student with basic knowledge for seeing and working with light on location and the confidence to use natural and artificial light in various conditions.  

The workshop will include hands-on shooting sessions working with models. Students should have a digital or flim SLR camera capable of manual exposure settings and a hot shoe or sync connection.

One-week (five-session) workshop

Dates: Monday - Friday, July 29 - August 2, 1:30-5 pm

Tuition: $445 + $125 model, equipment and location permit fee 

Enrollment limit: 15 students

Skill/Experience level: A basic understanding of photography fundamentals is required.

5 Session(s)
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri  1:30 - 5 pm,  July 29 - August 2

Instructor(s): Jock McDonald
Location: JDPW