Studio photography…..you mean all that white background stuff?

Studio photography…..you mean all that white background stuff?.

Studio photography…..you mean all that white background stuff?

Studio photography…..you mean all that white background stuff?

One of my favourite courses to teach is the DPS introduction to studio workshop in Dublin. This course is aimed at students who are looking to take up studio photography but have never used a studio before.

Who here likes high key photography on a white background? The reply is often less than resounding.

Over the last 5-7 years there has been a big trend in studio photography towards this type of image:

While there is nothing wrong with this type of lighting, in fact for certain subjects like children that won’t sit still and like to run around it as well as events it can be fantastically useful; I do however find it very BORING.

This type of light is flat and just produces an even light. And while that is great for looking at products on eBay, I feel it does a terrible disservice to portrait photography.

I personally like to use low key photography, its adds drama, mystic, and sometimes a moody feeling.  Like this:

Believe it or not this type of lighting is much easier to sculpt and requires less equipment than high key lighting.

I’m am also asked about studio equipments and manufactures etc, but what I try to teach my students is that the most important thing they can learn in the studio is lighting and lightning patterns. I tend to teach them 8-10 lighting patterns and simple tips on posing, post processing and what to look out for at point of shoot. When I was in college, I was really turned off by the type of high key commercial lighting I learned in the studio, I am happy to say that after a stint working in a studio, I was delighted to learn that there was so much more to it. In effect the studio can be a photographers playground if only we move away from washed out backgrounds.

 

Dublin Photography School run studio photography courses in Dublin as well as teaching all things photography, DSLR, Photoshop and Creative Courses,