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| Photo Illustration: An Introduction to Digital Product Photography |
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| Instructors:Charlie
Borland/Hannah Cole Duration: 4
Weeks Cost: $195 Starts: Sep 12, 2008 |
Our world is dominated by images of products for sale and everywhere you look magazines, brochures, the web, and advertisements, all show products for sale. These were photographed to motivate the buyer to want the product. This makes product photography a huge business for photographers. But it is not as simple as just taking a picture of the product. Lots of thought, creativity, and photographic skill go into making a product look appealing to the buying public.
There are lots of lighting techniques, tips, and tricks that you can use to create good images to sell products. If you want to shoot product photography, do you have the skills and studio setup to do that? Does your friend have a jewelry or clothing store and need you to photograph product? Maybe you work for a company that sells products and does not have a staff photographer and there is an opportunity for you. Maybe you have an Ebay store and wish to shoot products for it.
Lighting and styling products is a very complex subject and any successful photographer
will tell you that lighting is one of the most important aspects of great photographs.
If you understand the basics of lighting and where to place your lights for
a nice portrait, then you are ready for Charlie Borland's Photo Illustration:
An introduction to Digital Product Photography. Charlie Borland is an award-winning
commercial photographer who will share his knowledge in a step-by-step approach
to moving from lighting novice to lighting pro.
During Charlie's 4-week online course, you'll receive some in-depth and insightful lessons on lighting and how it works! You will gain a powerful understanding of light, both in its quality as well as its direction; not only which light or lights to use, but when and where you should apply them!
With a career spanning 25 years, Charlie has the experience to back up his advice: he produces photography for annual reports, advertising, catalogs, and editorial clients. He has worked for many Fortune 500 companies as well as many well known magazines. This course will include weekly lessons, tutorials, and tips, followed by practical assignments and in-depth critique of your work.
Do you know how to light a simple box of candy to be used in an advertisement?
How to properly place highlights on a perfume bottle? Do you know what light
modifier to use for lighting metal? Can you correctly place highlights to make
a product look incredible? Can you light food to make it look delicious? Do
you know how to use Photoshop to lighten and darken areas of a product? Have
you shot a product in several digital captures and composited in Photoshop?
The world is now digital and 'shooting for Photoshop' is the new way.
Every lesson you receive includes examples of shoots created by Charlie featuring lighting placement and the strategy used to capture the best possible product shot. This 4 week course will cover products in the studio and on location. These weekly assignments are intended to help you focus on the exact principle you need to progress to the next level in your photographic art. Assignments will include photographing the following subjects: metal, glass, food, packaging, clothing, plastic and wood, as well as a few large products on location.
And every lesson you receive is written in an easy to understand text and amply illustrated with color photos. If you are serious about owning your own studio, this course will pay for itself a hundred times over!
Course Outline:
Week 1: Introduction to the principles of tabletop and product lighting, lighting tools and accessories.
Week 2: Photographing metal, glass, flat art, and knockout backgrounds.
Week 3: Large products, food, apparel, catalogs, and window light.
Week 4: Location and small studio sets. How to use constant and strobe light for effect, and Photoshop compositing techniques.
Course Requirments:
You need a good understanding of f/stops and shutter speeds and how they work. Any lighting experience is helpful, and a basic understanding of Photoshop.
This course is designed for those who are just getting started and wish to gain understanding of basic product photography. It is about learning serious lighting and critical thinking for those who plan to get into professional photography. The only way to instruct this course and for students to learn how lighting works, is to have the equipment at hand. What you will need to own, buy, or rent (if available in your area), is the following equipment:
- 3 monolight strobes of 250 watt seconds or greater.
- 5 light stands for these lights (2 light and 3 heavy duty)
- One small lighting boom
- One 20 degree grid spot or the complete set
- One large softbox
- One small softbox
- Two 32" umbrellas
- Spring clamps from the hardware store (As many as you want to own)
- Some foam core and silver board. (White poster board and shiny silver metallic poster board)
- White and grey seamless background paper
Flash Meter such as Sekonic, Minolta, Gossen, or other reputable brands. This
is not mandatory, but useful if you don't like to test to establish proper
exposure. Purchase from your favorite camera store or online.
If you do not own the lighting equipment and are interested
in purchasing a kit containing everything required for this course, click
here to view the packages available at Adorama.
Instructor: Charlie Borland
 Charlie Borland is an award-winning commercial photographer based in Oregon. Charlie travels extensively for a wide range of clients. People are his forte, on the job or at play. With a career spanning 25 years, he produces photography for annual reports, advertising, and editorial clients.
His photographs have been seen in National Geographic Adventure and Traveler, Outside, Women's Sport and Fitness, Newsweek, TV Guide, CIO, Sports Illustrated for Women, Time, Backpacker, and Sunset, to name a few.
Charlie's partial client list includes: Xerox, NW Airlines, Fujitsu, Tektronix, Nike, Blue Cross, Nationsbank, Precision Castparts Corp., Mentor Graphics, Texas Instruments, Pacificorp, Cellular One, Sequent Computer, Early Winters, Cascade Bancorp, and Associated General Contractors.
Charlie has been involved in the stock photography business, operating a stock photo agency out of his studio for 8 years before merging with Definitive/FPG and later Getty Images. He is co-owner of online photo agency www.fogstock.com, and Director of Aspen Photo Workshops. (www.aspenphotoworkshops.com). His blog is: www.thecommercialphotographer.net
What students are saying about Charlie Borland
and his courses?
Instructor: Hannah Cole
 An
Oregon native, Hannah pursues her passion for photography & adventure together
by exploring the moments in time where images balance in grace and power. Inspired
by portrait photographer Annie Leibowitz and environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy,
Hannah specializes in lifestyle & sports photography with a deep appreciation
for all artistic mediums. She studied photojournalism and multimedia at the University
of Oregon where she earned national academic recognition for her photo essay
published in FLUX Magazine, an award-winning student magazine published by the
School of Journalism & Communication. Additionally, one of her images was nominated
for best sports photo of the year by the University in 2004. Locally, her images
have been used by the Register-Guard Newspaper, the City of Eugene, the Lane
Arts Council, the University of Oregon, Eugene YMCA, and the YOGA Group. Hannah's
images have also been used commercially by Ouzel Outfitters and Riot Kayaks.
Outside of photography, Hannah is a talented multimedia artist, an avid yogi,
and a whitewater kayaker.
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