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CreativeLive

Light Shaping Tools for Professional Photographers

via CreativeLive

Overview

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Light is the photographer’s most powerful medium. Professional photographers know how to shape it and reflect it, divert it and redirect it. They can tame its harshness and coax it into a subtle glow, use it to dispel troublesome shadows or highlight a striking moment. 


Effectively curating light during a shoot can bridge the gap between mediocre images and truly captivating photography. All it takes to bend light to your will is knowledge of the right gear, and when to use it. Tony Corbell is a professional photographer and a master of studio lighting. Join Tony for this course, and you will learn:

  • How to use light shaping tools and their specific uses
  • How to creatively use reflectors of all kinds
  • How to use soft boxes, umbrellas, ring flashes, and other unique tools in the studio
Tony will draw on his decades of experience to teach you a full technical understanding of the gear you need to shape light to your purpose. 

Syllabus

  • Class Introduction
  • Categories of Light Shaping Tools
  • When to Use Different Light
  • Softbox and Octabox Overview
  • Beauty Dish, Reflectors & Collapsible Reflectors Overview
  • Pros & Cons of Small Light Sources
  • Shoot using One Reflector
  • Shooting with Two Standard Reflectors
  • Shoot Using Grids with Reflectors
  • How to Use Beauty Dishes
  • Pros & Cons of Softboxes
  • Common Uses of Softboxes
  • Subtle Elements of Controlling Softboxes
  • Different Techniques with Softboxes
  • Pros & Cons of Umbrellas
  • How to Control an Umbrella
  • Uses of Umbrellas
  • Different Techniques with Umbrellas
  • Group Shot with Umbrellas
  • Differences Between Collapsible Reflectors
  • Shooting with Black & White Collapsible Reflectors
  • Shooting with Silver & Gold Collapsible Reflectors
  • When to Use the White Translucent Collapsible Reflector
  • How to Use the Large Octa Softbox
  • Shooting with a Large White Deep XL Umbrella
  • Shooting with a Large Silver Deep L Umbrella
  • Shooting with a 4x6 Softbox
  • When to Use Specialty Light Shaping
  • Shooting with a Hard Box
  • Shoot to Incorporate a Fresnel Light
  • Shoot Using Ring Flash
  • Studio Lighting Photo Critique of Student Work

Taught by

Tony Corbell

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