Rather take the Neil class but it’s currently too rich for me.
I will contact him but I wonder if the Rory masterclass is appropriate. It’s like $380. I’m a novice and I’m curious with the name “masterclass” if it’s appropriate for me.
newyork wrote:
Rather take the Neil class but it’s currently too rich for me.
I will contact him but I wonder if the Rory masterclass is appropriate. It’s like $380. I’m a novice and I’m curious with the name “masterclass” if it’s appropriate for me.
If you read the description of the Rory class, it says for Beginner-Intermediate. Here’s an excerpt from the class description-
"Do I need to bring any Lighting equipment? No Just your Camera & Lens, 85MM - 50MM Ideal for portraits.
Will I get to work with the models? Yes, plenty of time to shoot, working with the models and equipment.
Is the course aimed at Beginners? Yes and Intermediate Photographers who have knowledge on how to use their camera in manual mode.”
Know how to change your shutter speed, aperture and ISO in Manual and it wouldn’t hurt if you knew how to change your White Balance as well. You may shoot outdoors or indoors with flash and being able to change white balance is a good skill to learn anyway. If you’re unfamiliar with using flash, at least find your camera’s Flash sync speed. Armed with that knowledge you should be good to go for that class.
All that stuff is no problem. Not a veteran shooter but I’m 3 years in so that stuff is fine.
I did write him and he clarified. I also realized after looking at his pictures that I’ve watched videos of his.
I am almost certain my wife is getting it for me for Christmas.
I’ll bring my z8 with a 50 and 85 1.8.
story_teller wrote:
If you read the description of the Rory class, it says for Beginner-Intermediate. Here’s an excerpt from the class description-
"Do I need to bring any Lighting equipment? No Just your Camera & Lens, 85MM - 50MM Ideal for portraits.
Will I get to work with the models? Yes, plenty of time to shoot, working with the models and equipment.
Is the course aimed at Beginners? Yes and Intermediate Photographers who have knowledge on how to use their camera in manual mode.”
Know how to change your shutter speed, aperture and ISO in Manual and it wouldn’t hurt if you knew how to change your White Balance as well. You may shoot outdoors or indoors with flash and being able to change white balance is a good skill to learn anyway. If you’re unfamiliar with using flash, at least find your camera’s Flash sync speed. Armed with that knowledge you should be good to go for that class.
You can take free workshops at B&H. For example on March 10. The guy leading it does a lot of these and he may be able to suggest more personal classes for you that I’m not aware of.
ICP has formal classes. I find them overpriced and the instructors are hit and miss but what you get are access to a wide variety of lighting equipment, models, and studio space. You can develop your skills as well as figure out what lighting equipment you may want before you go down that rabbit hole.
Dan Norton over at Adorama has some great in store events that are free, that will show you much of the basics of portrait lighting. He's also a super nice guy. B&H does as well, but I have enjoyed attending a few Adorama ones.
Something I think is helpful is to have a goal in mind for each shoot, even if the person you're photographing isn't necessarily in need of that end product. A great place to start is learning how to take headshots on a simple white or grey backdrop - it's nice to understand what actors vs models vs corporate types want, because they can differ significantly.
Posing and composition are just as important as lighting. Masculine vs feminine posing, group posing, and posing for different face and body types are all great things to learn.
Looking at your most recent self-portrait tests, I'd move your rim light so it is acting more as a separation light. You want it to be more of a subtle sliver of light. If it is too far forward, then you run the risk of it competing with your key light or spilling onto the nose and face. Key light looks good, but I'd experiment with moving it farther away from you and feathering it a bit away from the background. You'll both get a softer key light, while also minimizing spill onto the background, which could kill the ambiance of the image. A grid will help with minimizing spill onto the background as well, especially if you're working in a tight space.
For now I'd just use a key and fill, and get your placement and lighting ratios dialed in, then add the rim light in where needed. Some images just need key and fill. I'd also highly recommend getting a light meter, as this will help you dial in your lighting ratios more accurately
