Studio Lighting at Photofusion with Paul Ellis (Workshop)

Saturday 6th February 2010
10.30am-5.30pm (45-minute lunch)

Cost: £40 LIP Member
10 places

This studio lighting workshop is suitable for beginner to intermediate photographers with a good grasp of F-stops!

Paul Ellis has been teaching studio lighting for ten years and has developed this course so that all participants leave the day confident and competent in the fundamentals of studio flash lighting. Any intimidation or fears you have about working studio lights will be put to rest.

The workshop is very hands on. Participants will learn how to build lighting up from the key light, to the fill light, to the effect light, how to light backgrounds, the relationship between the subject F-stop and the background F-stop, how to use a handheld light meter and how to meter correctly, high-key and low-key set-ups, Rembrandt, Loop and Paramount lighting, and how to add drama with smoke and wind. Studio lighting isn't rocket science, its actually quite straightforward and Paul will demystify the process.

Bonus: Course participants receive half price on annual Photofusion membership (£25 instead of £50) and a 50% discount on studio hire for their first session (£75 instead of £150 Mon to Fri, note only members may use the studio).

Directions & Orientation: Photofusion is a 2-minute walk from Brixton Tube Station (last stop on the Victoria Line). Exit left, only one exit and take first left at Iceland into the market Electric Avenue. Then take first right into Electric Lane. Look up and halfway down on your left and you'll see a large vertical Photofusion sign, beneath the sign is a clear glass door and an entry buzzer. We are also 2 minutes from Brixton Train Station (one stop from Victoria) which is at the opposite end of Electric Avenue. If driving the only easy place to park is the NCP car park in Canterbury Crescent, a 3-minute walk away.

Responses to the workshop

"I thought Paul Ellis, the instructor, did an excellent job of presenting studio lighting theory, then guiding us through hands-on attempts to duplicate the masters. The studio was well equipped and the model admirably patient. Thanks for putting it all together." Bart Brownell

"The environment is welcoming, clean and with complete access to the equipment and a useful tea point. The course is extremely well organised: the mix between practical exercises and tutoring is excellent. All participants have a chance to explore the various settings and kits provided. They can all try different things before the teacher explains the correct solution. The excellent tutor is clearly very knowledgeable and it is a pleasure to listen to his anecdotes and examples. This class is an essential step for anybody interested in studio photography and even in lighting in general. I am happy I did go as I learnt a lot of new things about lighting and photography." Giulio Antonutto

"This Saturday I went down the Victoria Line to Brixton to spend the day at Photofusion. The workshop started with an introduction to the workings of a studio and the equipment used, then moved on to some basics on to meter reading and setups. This was all nicely timed, with just the right amount of information being given without overloading us. The next stage was looking more closely at how to build up the lighting one by one into the final shot, all fascinating stuff; working with a model Paul took us through this process looking at the different problems as they arose. The afternoon session involved us first studying a photograph and working out the lighting set-up used, then recreating this with our model and then working in teams from a brief given by Paul - this is such a good way to learn, hands-on and being forced to solve problems. For me personally this was just what I wanted, it ticked all boxes perfectly. Just enough to be challenging but not enough to leave you feeling overwhelmed, an excellent day spent with friendly people. Many thanks, Adrian Capps"