SUMMER SCHOOL 2017 – WEEK 1
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”
– Benjamin Franklin.
Studio photography and lighting is a craft that is practiced, but never perfected. We may strive for perfection, yet despite our best efforts, hard work, and disciplined pursuits, we only ever get close.  In doing so however, we discover a reality not familiar to our own. The frame is our whole universe, and we learn to see through the lens to what’s out there. The images we create become a reflection of ourselves, a mirror. Our Summer School course is about to complete it’s 2nd straight week, and this year marks its 2nd anniversary. The course has developed greatly over the last year, and throughout 2016’s seasonal courses we deliver, we have refined the overall student experience.
We demystify Studio Photography. From camera and software, to lighting and grip, we cover the fundamentals, and strip away what is non essential. If you ever felt intimidated, or insecure in a studio, after day one that feeling recedes. We balance theory with practice, and above all else, we get hands on straight away. I love seeing the expressions on a student’s face when they accomplish something they never thought they would. When you’re inspired, and you realise that you’re not the only person striving for the same goal, your mind becomes limitless. We empower our students to learn and develop their skills over the five days (and they are five FULL days of solid work), that by the end of the week you walk away confident and ready to begin.
Some students have never picked up a camera. Others have never used Manual mode on their camera. And others have never set foot inside a photography studio. The challenge is not to merely teach, but to learn from each and every student, each of which has a fresh pair of eyes and outlook on their reality. To be able to teach the ‘how’ of photography we ask each student to tell us their ‘why’. Why do they create images? Why do certain images move them and others don’t? Why do they keep striving for perfection and work through the failures? The fabric of a good studio photographer is a careful blend of creativity, science and the arts (though, business can help too !).
