Posing workshop with John Denton “Pose it light it shoot it”
March 9th, 2017
I had the pleasure on 8th March 2017 to attend the "Pose it light it shoot it" workshop with John Denton. It was both highly informative and valuable as regards training and development. John Denton is one of the best photographic trainers I have ever had pleasure in working with and his relaxed and yet effective style of running workshops helps to get the best from you as a photographer. As regards to basic principles he has 3 main ones:
1. You need to understand changes in light as this is paramount to working outside or in a studio setting
2. You should shoot for fun with no fear of failure
3. You should shoot nudes to get experience of 'posing someone with nothing to hide behind'
Understanding changes in light is paramount to working outside or in a studio setting. You should always have fun on any shoot you do
The practical bit
John Denton showing how to use natural light for headshots and portraiture
The confusing part of portraiture for me is getting camera settings and available light to produce a dramatic shot. John talked about metering in camera and explained things in a simple way to adjust shutter speed using the needle in the viewfinder and when it sits on '0' is when the light and camera settings marry together. Now this doesn't apply all the time as you may want to over or under expose a particular image to produce different effects, but it was a baseline to from which to start
A headshot with Isla Rose using natural window light
The next part was on nudes and glamour photography using natural light. Due to the nature of the imagery, I will only be showing the shots where no nudity is visible due to business obligations and to maintain viewer discretion. Though daunting in terms of never having shot a nude model before, it was a supportive atmosphere and the shots came out brilliantly.
Headshot only from nudes shot at the workshop
Nudes taken using natural light can produce graceful stunning images
Props in portraits
Adjusting camera settings to reduce power of a harsh light source to give a soft portrait look
Props can be used in portraits to give a different mood to a portrait to capture the interest of a viewer. In this instance we used a simple Venetian mask and a slip dress to create an alternative style of portrait using very harsh lighting. Camera settings were adjusted to use a faster shutter speed to give a different feel to the image and soften the light
Location portraits and fashion style shoots
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The wrap up
The things I gained by doing this workshop were experience, motivation and a new found enjoyment for photography as a pleasure not just my occupation. As a professional photographer, we tend to not worry about continuing development and making improvements. Rugby players and sports people tend to practice and hone their skills. We tend to get complacent and expect different results when we ourselves don't do things to change our skills. As photographers we should help each out, we should network with other photographers as a means to bounce ideas and even to just talk over coffee or your favourite tipple. When you're stuck in a creative rut it's very easy to continue to stay in the 'safe zone' instead of moving out of your zone of comfort to create something new and inspiring. This workshop has given me the confidence to shoot more regularly, not just to produce work for clients but also to make sure to hone skills and shoot for the fun of photography
"If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got" Henry Ford