Photography Workshops and Master Classes

Several years ago, I met a fellow photographer - albeit, he was an amateur, a very good one (the difference is not the quality of the work . the difference is that one does it for love, the other does it for money). He is now a new friend and fellow photographer named Marco, an Italian. His day job is as a top children's heart surgeon. His passion for photographing people takes him all over the world, seeking out that special face, interesting enough to be captured on film/file.

During our brief encounter in my brother's hairdressing salon, we had found common ground and a need to explore each other's pictures. He asked me if I would visit his photographic society to meet the other members and discuss the possibility of me giving a talk about my fashion photography. I said to Marco, "Whatever will I talk about?"

Well, first off, he said, there is something very magical in the expressions of my models and in the atmosphere of my pictures that he would love to have in his. He asked me how do you achieve this. Shocked at his remark, I said, "No, I can't, because I don't know myself." You have to find out he said because this is what you should talk about. We spent the next couple of hours disgussing photography and the feelings and techniques of managing your subjects whilst shooting.

During my visit to his camera club, we arranged for my talk to be done nearly 9 months later, so I had time to think about my talk and to get myself prepared.

For days, I looked at my work and examined myself whilst shooting assignments. It was maybe 6 months later whilst photographing a bridal-wear collection for one of my clients that something clicked. (No pun intended!)

I had decided that I would like to start shooting with wider lenses to change the style of my bridal-wear pictures. I shoot for so many bridal-wear designers, so I have to make them look and feel different to the each other. It also helps to use a short zoom, because during most of my shoots, I can take a variety of images from full length to portrait shots from the same distance, so my client gets much more usage out of the shots.

While moving in closer to my model, I noticed a big difference in the expressions in her face and her body language - they changed, as I got closer. I experimented more and began to play with this for the rest of this shoot. Not only could I see better, it also created a much better flow of the energy and communication between my model and myself. For years, I have been shooting fashion pictures using medium-length telephotos, at times so far away that my models could not hear me directing them. An amazing thing had happened. I could see and control so much more in my pictures. Not to say that I will never use long lenses, just that I prefer the new results that I am getting with wide lenses. In fact, most of my recent projects I have shot with a wide zoom.

I find that by doing the poses and expressions in my face that I want, my models seem to mirror mine. If I act daft, they act daft. If I laugh, they laugh. If I pull a sad face, they pull a sad face - which always makes them smile :-)

Since this experiment, I have been adapting my directions to my models in much the same way, obviously changing my energy levels to match the levels I want in my pictures. If I want a nice soft and gentle feel, I express this in my voice and my manor and my body. If I want high energy, I do high energy. If I want my model to leap, I will leap.

Think about this as if you were a conductor. The next time you attend a concert, watch him or her, and watch the orchestra. They mirror him - fast tempo, slow tempo, and medium tempo. You can do the same with your models.

Fashion pictures for me have RHYTHM and TEMPO. If you want to express high energy or tempo in a picture, the shoot has to be high energy or tempo, or visa- versa.

I look at pictures and sometimes wonder how boring the shoot must have been. I love to change the tempo up and down whilst I'm shooting, I would hate it if anyone viewing my pictures did not feel this energy. This is why I strive to make my shoots exciting for myself, my model, the other members of my team, and, most important, for my clients.

As a photographer, you are the conductor, your models are your orchestra, and your clients or viewers of the pictures are the audience. So you have to direct and entertain. Your performance will reflect in your pictures.

I want you to try a little experiment. The next time you have people over to your house or you get a moment with some people at work, pick a volunteer. Face each other, one or two feet apart, don't speak, and don't look at each other. In fact, do your best to imagine they are not there. Stay like this for 30 seconds and remember how this feels. Stay in this position but hold each other's hands, look into each other's eyes, smile at each other, don't speak. Instead of imagining they are not there, do the opposite. Try and send them all of your good energy. Stay like this for 30 seconds. Remember how this feels, and compare the feelings. Ask your friend or colleague and the others to explain how it felt for them. The next time you are shooting pictures, remember all of these feelings.

Bruce runs courses, master classes and workshops that give students an insight into the fascinating world of fashion photography. Instructor and photographer Bruce Smith teaches the fundamentals of preparing for a fashion shoot and setting up and photographing a shoot. "Introduction to Fashion Photography" is intended for anyone who wishes to shoot fashion images for fun in order to impress family and friends or for those who have a burning desire to become a professional fashion photographer.

Bruce's objective is to helps young photographers, initially to produce single fashion shots and eventually to produce fashion stories that would not look out of place in today's fashion magazines.

With a fashion photography career spanning 30 years, Bruce has shot projects in many parts of the world from Alaska to Thailand. For the past 3 years he has been giving workshops, lectures and talks in various parts of the UK as well as abroad, teaching hands-on the skills and techniques he has learned during his professional career.

There are several variations to the courses that photographers can take, from an online 8 week intense practical asignments course to 5 day master classes in beautiful settings in the South of France and Italy. Bruce teaches studio photography on his fashion and beauty or Glamour and Fine Artistic Figure and Nude photography workshops, held every month in fabulous studios in South West London. Students can expect to learn a lot of the secrets behind Bruces amazing fashion, beauty, glamour and fine artistic figure and nude photographs.

His work can be seen on his web sites:
http://www.brucesmithphoto.com
http://brucesmithphotoworkshops.bravehost.com/online.html

You can read the many letters of thanks from his former students. There is also a students gallery where you can see the standard of photography his students are achieving in a short period of time whilst attending his photography master classes and workshops.

---

Digital Wedding Photography: Myth Vs. Reality

1. Myth: Digital photos are pixilated or fuzzy. Reality: most... Read More

Picture Framing for Photographers - Part 2

There are two sources for obtaining the moulding for making... Read More

Creating Personalized Photo Calendars

About Personalized Photo Calendars:Photo Calendars are 12-month, wall-hanging calendars that... Read More

Market Your Photography Business

Setting up your own photography business it easy, you don't... Read More

Photographs Everywhere, But Is It Really Art?

I once heard a lady say to a photographer that... Read More

10 Things You Can Do to Protect Your Photographs from Infringement

While it would be nice to live in a house... Read More

Tame Those Memories

Family vacations, summer weddings and family reunions are in full... Read More

Disposable Underwater Cameras

Disposable digital and film cameras (also called single-use cameras) provide... Read More

What Should You Look for in a New Camera?

These parameters are discussed at 2 levels: -Based on... Read More

Digital Camera Disc Formats

As it is a fact that digital cameras are comprised... Read More

Review of the Photek Product Shooting Tent

Here's the challenge. You have to photograph small items for... Read More

How Many Megapixels Do We Need?

Are you having megapixel envy each time you walk by... Read More

Removing Spot Scratches in Your Treasured Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Probably one of the most common problems you will be... Read More

Photo Equipment Lists

You arrive at your photo shoot excited about the images... Read More

Sony Digital Cameras - Always On The Innovation Frontier

Sony was the first company to introduce digital cameras into... Read More

8 Simple Tips for Taking Great Baby Photos

Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way... Read More

Use A Tripod!

Using a tripod is essential when taking photos - and... Read More

How to take Great Photos of Your Pet

We all love our animals. They do such funny, adorable,... Read More

Digital Image Files ? Megapixels, Megabytes, or DPI?

When I promised readers that I was going to do... Read More

The Advantages of Underwater Camera Housing

You will need an underwater camera housing to keep your... Read More

Photography Has No Gender

Women photographers are fortunate. Unlike other titles, photographer has no... Read More

Start a Photography Business from Home

Anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary skills... Read More

How to Take Better Photos of Your Baby or Toddler

Every Mom wants to take great photos of their babies... Read More

Digital Film Processing is Really the Only Option for Truly Quality Prints

Digital photography has taken off like wildfire these days, primarily... Read More

Digital Camera Metering

Looking at the most intricate details of the digital camera... Read More

The Alligator Farm - Home to Beautiful Winged Creatures

Your first thought when you read "Alligator Farm" might be... Read More

Is Digital Photography Expensive?

Being such a fascinating device as the digital camera, this... Read More

How to Easily Start Up Your Own New Photography Business From Home

With modern technology in the form of SLR digital cameras,... Read More

The Venice Rookery

Love is in the air at the Venice Rookery. The... Read More

Kodak Digital Cameras - The Giant Comes To Digital

George Eastman, founder of Kodak is world renowned today. Digital... Read More

Digital Cameras and Digital Photography

Before you rush into buying your digital camera this holiday... Read More

Guidelines for Printing Great Photos at Home

So you have this great digital camera and you've taken... Read More

Four Unique Ways for the Pet Portrait Artist to Stand Out

The warm feelings are flowing all around when the pet... Read More