WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FLASH MAKES!  

Today Michael and I finished our preparations for a new class on outdoor studio portraiture by doing a quick survey of the lake front where the class will be held.  We wanted to assess the variety of different lighting conditions we might encounter during the workshop.  I can tell you right now the workshop is going to be a blast!

In the above example, Michael is in a shaded area on the banks of the lake where our October workshop will be held.  (Can you image how glorious this background will be in late October when the leaves change color?!) 

It is tough to work this gorgeous location using existing light only.  Exposing for the subject (leftmost image) leaves the background blown out.  Plus, even though the exposure for Michael's face is good, the lighting itself is choppy and unattractive.  Exposing for the background (center image), on the other hand, renders the background beautifully but leaves Michael an uninteresting silhouette. 

The rightmost image shows a better, more professional approach.  To achieve the dimensional, studio-quality light on Michael's face, we introduced an off-camera strobe, in a softbox modifier, just outside the upper left corner of the frame.  The power of the flash is balanced to match proper exposure of the background.  Even straight out of the camera, this portrait would have strong appeal for a client.  

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If you are interested in learning more about on-location portraiture, please join our hands-on workshop:

A "Mrs P" Portraiture Workshop: 

"Fall Environmental Portraiture with a Kiss of Flash" 

by Roger Hammons, Ph.D., M.Photog.,CPP and Michael Dunphy, CPP

Like the popular "Bare Studio" workshop we taught last July, the focus of the class will be on identifying portrait locations based on available light and scenery, but this time working outdoors instead of in studio.  Working within the constraints of different lakeside locations, we'll practice shaping the posing and lighting to create a professional portrait.  This is an extremely hands-on workshop, offering students practical experience in analyzing locations and balancing off-camera flash with existing light across a variety of scenes, from easy to challenging.  Students will also practice interacting with non-professional models to build posing skills and confidence.  And, as always, we plan on having a lot of fun doing so!  

Michael and Roger will work with small teams of students, both together and separately.  Each student will experience two different approaches to on-location portraiture and be encouraged to develop his/her own perspective!  

Location:  Wheaton, Maryland

Date:  Friday, 10/27/2017 (with rain date the following Friday 11/3/2017)

Time:  11am - 3pm 

Fee:  $165

Contact:  Roger Hammons, 703-729-3780, to register

The workshop will be limited to 6 students, 3 per instructor, for personalized instruction.