Being a primarily self-taught photographer, I jump at any chance to learn from the established photographers. The most available way to learn from others is to buy their books, read their blog, reverse-engineer their photographs. Books are great, but I jump at any opportunity to attend a workshop and learn directly from the horse’s mouth.
Last weekend I attended the Lighting Essentials Workshop put on by Don Giannatti.
Not only is Don a great fashion, beauty, editorial and commercial photographer, he is also a fantastic instructor. Don realizes that we all learn differently, so he made every effort to insure that all workshop attendees were able to comprehend the lighting and photographic concepts.
The best part of the entire experience wasn’t the gear or the photos or the models or even the knowledge that Don presented (though these were all exquisite); the undeniably best part of the Lighting Essentials experience was Don’s desire and passion to make sure that we succeed in our photographic endeavors. Whether we were hobbyists, full time photographers or if we were preparing to “go pro,” Don had realistic, update advice that would help us succeed. This alone was worth the cost of the workshop.
Don demonstrated a slew of lighting setups, both in studio and out on location. He showed us not only how to see the light, but how to use the light to fulfill our vision.
If anyone were on the fence about attending, I wouldn’t hesitate to endorse Don and his workshop. To see more on Don and his work, visit his blog and his portfolio.