Lighting Fundamentals

lighting for photographers

Studio lighting has an air of magic about it. It has infinite possibility but with so much equipment and apparent complexity it is easy to be frightened off.

Whilst at UCA I developed a series of lighting workshops to teach lighting technique to photographers of a range of skill levels. The focus of the workshops is on understanding how light works, with the aim of giving students an approach to considering lighting that is transferable to any equipment or situation.

These workshops cover both flash (from Broncolor to Speedlights) and continuous lighting (Arri, Dedolight, Kinoflo), metering and balancing light sources and colours, and understanding light modifiers. We also cover other practical studio knowledge; managing grip equipment, being a good citizen in the studio environment and working safely.

The workshops start with basic introductions and get students working with light as quickly as possible. These then develop through a series of lighting challenges to reverse engineering complex lighting from a film stills or photographs.

Beyond UCA I've taught lighting workshops in China (NJNU) and in commercial studios in London.

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Student image created as part of a lighting fundamentals workshop, exploring the capabilities of a single light source, working with light angle, distance and exposure
5"x4" large format film Wista camera technique workshop using ARRI tungsten continuous lights in the studio
Mixed lighting on location; balancing flash and daylight exposures when lighting a figure, at Nanjing Normal University in China. Shooting with a Hasselblad H1D tethered to a laptop, light from Broncolor Mobil packs, Chimera light shapers
A student photograph created during a continuous lighting workshop using Canon EOS digital cameras and ARRI tungsten lights. Students were challenged to match lighting, pose, and colour treatment from a set of supplied images
A student photograph created during a continuous lighting workshop using Canon EOS digital cameras and ARRI tungsten lights. Students were challenged to match lighting, pose, and colour treatment from a set of supplied images
Image created as part of a lighting reverse-engineering task, recreating the signature lighting style of photographer Jill Greenberg. Shot using a Hasselblad H3DII-50MS, light from Broncolor flash and Chimera shapers.

alex kent

Lighting Fundamentals

lighting for photographers