Swiss Strobist – the next level

The Swiss Strobist group started in 2008, since when I’ve been organizing meetups and workshop days regularly. Since then, attendees have learned the basics of off-camera flash photography, where to buy equipment and which equipment to buy, and how to get the best results in a variety of situations.

I’m happy to announce that starting in June, I’ll be taking these workshops to the next level. Moving away from the previous days with large groups of attendees, I’ll be leading affordable half- and one day courses both on location and in the studio. Each course is specially prepared for photographers who have learned how to use a Cactus trigger or PocketWizard, but who have only covered the basics in Strobist photography and now want to know what to do with this comparatively new technical know-how.

For the first of these training sessions, I’ll be spending the whole day with a small group of photographers, showing them how to take the basics of what they’ve learned at previous Strobist days to the next stage. Using both off-camera flash photography and a variety of techniques with ambient light, reflectors and diffusors, the aim of the day is to apply the technical know-how to a real photoshoot. This means that I won’t be focusing on technical aspects of Strobist photography, but rather the more creative side of a photo shoot. I’ll be covering how to visualize your ideas, how to plan for a photo shoot before the day itself, and how to work with a subject or model. Although there’s a lot which a photographer can achieve using off-camera flash, there is additional skill in knowing when not to use it. I’ll be showing you how to “think on your feet” and adapt to location conditions which can so often disrupt a planned photoshoot.

The morning session will summarize the preparation aspects of a photo shoot and the technical basics: primarily covering details of equipment we’ve heard about and seen during previous Strobist days. After a break for lunch, we’ll then take what we’ve learned and use it on a portrait shoot: using the immediate environment to create a diverse range of different photographs. Using the equipment we have available and the basics we’ve summarized in the morning, we’ll work with a model to create both traditional and “conceptual portraits”: the latter tapping into what I’ve learned in the past three years working on my One Frame Movie series.

Attendees will get to take photos with the available equipment and their own cameras, so that they can go home with their own shots from the day and be able to use them for reference in future photoshoots. They’re also welcome to bring any of their own lighting equipment with them – bought or home-made! – so that they can learn a little more about how to get the best results with it.

Details of the first workshop of 2011

The first workshop day will be on location in Zurich on 11th June. In contrast to previous workshop days, numbers will be limited to eight attendees, so that each photographer can get the most out of the day. Each photographer will have the chance to work one-on-one with the model and have personal guidance and assistance throughout the day. The cost of the day is Fr. 125 per attendee.

Get in touch to reserve your place on the course

Please visit the Training Courses page of my website for full terms of attendance and to register for this course. I look forward to seeing you! You will be able to make your payment for attendance by credit card via Paypal if you have an account with them, or via online banking transfer.

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