Like so many other photographers, you too have dreamed of one day being a commercial photographer. Why not start living that dream today!? Charlie Borland will now make that dream a reality. If you want to make money in commercial photography, you have to understand lighting. Today more than ever, photographers are asked to shoot a lot of variety. Portrait, products, location, architecture, industrial, and a lot more! Good lighting is not just a simple matter of setting up a light or two and shooting away. As every successful commercial photographer will tell you, you must really understand lighting and all of its unique characteristics and variables, if you want to succeed!

Our world is dominated by images. Everywhere you look, whether it is in magazines, brochures, the web, or advertisements, there are products for sale and services solicited and the photography is to motivate the buyer to want the product or service. This is huge business for photographers. However, it is not as simple as just taking a picture and calling it "good enough." Lots of thought, creativity, and photographic skill go into making quality photography.

There are lots of lighting techniques, tips, and tricks that you can use to create good images to sell products and services. If you want to shoot product or portrait 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? Does someone want you to shoot their companies manufacturing plant? Maybe you work for a company that does not have a staff photographer, so they want you to create the company photography.

The Lighting for Commercial Photography course is designed for photographers with little or no experience. Maybe you have lighting equipment and are unsure how it all works. This course really is the next best thing to working side by side with the lighting master himself, Charlie Borland. Whether you are a beginning photographer or you have already experienced the frustration of not really knowing how to make those lights work, then this course is a must for you. Join award-winning commercial photographer Charlie Borland, as he shares his knowledge in a step-by-step approach to making the jump from lighting novice to experienced lighting technician.

During Charlie's 6-week online course, you'll receive some in-depth and insightful lessons on lighting and how it works! Whether your interest is in shooting products, portraits, industrial, interiors, or apparel, the techniques, tricks and 'insider tips' you will receive from this course will set the foundation for many more exciting photo opportunities for the months and years ahead. 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! By the end of this course, you will have the skills and foundation to photograph what comes your way!

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. This course will include weekly lessons, tutorials, and tips, followed by practical assignments and in-depth critique of your work.

Every lesson you receive includes examples of shoots created by Charlie featuring lighting placement and the strategy used to capture the best possible image. 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.

A good understanding of shutter speeds and f/stops, a digital camera and the ability to upload your images for critique is required. This course is designed for those who are interested in making not only the investment in their photographic knowledge but their equipment as well. 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 (2 light/medium and 3 heavy duty)
• One 20 degree grid spot or the complete set of 10, 20, 30 degree
• One large lightbox approximately 36"x48"
• A background system for holding up your backgrounds
• Two 36" – 48" umbrellas
• One portable lighting boom
• A white and grey seamless background
• Spring clamps from the hardware store (As many as you want to own)

Optional/Additional gear:

• A flash meter
• Two more strobe lights (total 5)
• Two more light stands: one medium and one short floor stand type (total 7)
• Color meter
• Canvas background for portraits and products. A neutral color is best
• Small lightbox roughly 24" on the long side
• Wireless trigger such as Pocket Wizard, Cyber Sync, or equivalent

The optional gear is NOT REQUIRED but is listed in case you want a more recommendations for completing your commercial photography gear.

Course Outline:

Lesson 1: Introduction
In this lesson we'll learn the equipment, how to assemble it, the difference between light boxes, grids, and umbrellas. The application of key and fill lights, lighting contrast, lighting ratios, lighting direction, Angle of Incidence, the Inverse Square Law, and specular and diffused highlights.

Lesson 2: Studio Portrait
Subjects covered are business portraits, knockout backgrounds, kicker lights, feathering techniques, small groups, families, kids, and couples.

Lesson 3: Studio Products
Subjects will include photographing a variety of products including glass, metal, packaging, and large products on location.

Lesson 4: Location Lighting
Here we will take what we learned in the studio, on location and cover how to shoot products, portraits, and people at work. Also covered is color balance and mixing strobe with ambient light,

Lesson 5: Architecture and Interiors
Here we will cover how to approach interior and exterior photography, lighting interiors, proper window exposure, and more.

Lesson 6: Advanced Techniques
This lesson is comprised of advanced techniques for all the previous subjects including advanced portrait, product, and location techniques as well as some tips on Shooting for Photoshop.