What Don Will Share:
The objective of this class is two fold: First, to provide Students with instruction on the tools and technique of studio portraiture. To facilitate their learning, Students will observe the instructor create images in class. Second, Students will be given
time to apply the information practically through “hands on” class time while under the watchful eye of the Instructor. Stationary and live models (including the students themselves) will be used for in-class demonstrations.
Assumption:
Students know basic photography and camera operation. The student should be familiar with f stops, shutter speeds, iso, & proper exposure.
Goals:
Light - To open the students’ eyes to “see” light and contribution it makes to a photograph.
Equipment -
Students will be given instruction in the proper use of studio portrait lighting equipment and
the opportunity to work with lighting equipment in a studio setting.
Patterns -
Students will become familiar with the 6 lighting patterns of portraiture.
Practice -
Students will be given time to apply knowledge “hands-on” while being observed by the Instructor.
This will build confidence in their ability to recognize proper portrait lighting and will demonstrate that they are equipped to reproduce proper portrait lighting in their own studio environment.
Composition -
Principles of composition will be presented and studied.
Emotion -
Students will be guided to consider the emotional aspects of portraiture and will be coached on how to incorporate emotion into their own images.
Print Competition -
Discussion will center around the benefits of competition and the reason for participating.
Assignments:
Students will photograph an egg in hard and soft light. These images will be the basis of learning to “see” light. The images will also provide relevant discussion on composition.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of portrait lighting and light patterns by photographing
fellow students and models.
Students will photograph an object, but must show various “emotions” simply by changing the quality and/or direction of the light.
Students will create a self portrait - for the fun of it! Show different emotions/moods by changing the quality/direction of light as well as by changing gesture and posture.
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What Steve Will Share:
Steve Bedell is known as the 'Natural Light Ninja'. Studying with Steve will give you the confidence to find, analyze and use light to create portraits in locations most photographers would just walk by. Over 90% of Steve's portraits are created using just daylight and an occasional reflector. Steve's last eight images submitted to PPA have been natural light portraits. All eight were accepted and four were selected for the Loan Collection.
This will not be a 'find the overhang and shoot there' class. Steve actually prefers sunny days to shoot and calls high noon 'sweet light'. Sunlight gives us a powerful energy and color that is lacking on overcast days. You will learn how to harness and control that energy.
Taking this class will give you the confidence to create beautiful portraits at any time of day in almost any location with a minimum of equipment.
Topics covered will include individual and group portraits, natural light and window light, and - surprise - portraits taken using multiple hot shoe flash units!
A little bit about Steve . . .
Steve Bedell owns and operates a small retail location studio in Dover New Hampshire. Steve is responsible for all photography and marketing, and his wife Lorraine handles sales and client interaction. Both have been in the industry for over 25 years. Steve holds both the Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman Degrees from the Professional Photographers of America. He has also been awarded the 'Image Excellence' Award for 13 plus Loan Collection images. In his last 3 PPA entries, he has been awarded the Photographer of the Year Award every time, once Platinum and twice Silver. At the 2009 New England Regional judging (PPANE) one of Steve's natural light portraits was the highest scoring print in the show with a 98. All but one judge scored the print 100.
He has also been named the NH Photographer of the Year seven times for having the best total print case score. He has won many Best of Show, Court of Honors, Kodak Gallery and Fuji Masterpiece Awards.
Steve has been a regular contributor to SHUTTERBUG magazine for many years and has presented programs at the state, regional, and national level. His main area of expertise is in natural lighting. He has published many articles on it and has produced three educational DVD's on the subject. He also publishes EPhoto, an educational newsletter mailed twice monthly to over 2,000 photographers.
Steve's work has been featured in THE RANGEFINDER and PPA MAGAZINE. His work on documenting the elderly was recently featured on WMUR TV in New Hampshire.
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