Pixel Photo Fest

Lee Varis guides you through a new creative process for still life lighting and shooting. Explore different classic still life genres for small objects using continuous light sources, and flash lighting. The basic strategy is to make several exposures with different lighting directions, and then blend these exposures together in Photoshop layers. Learn different approaches for glassware, sculptural items, flowers, musical instruments, and translucent materials.

ATTENDEE INFORMATION:
To participate in this workshop, you need to have a sturdy tripod with a camera that can be set to long exposures, like 8 seconds or so (you might want to review your manual for how to do "timed exposures," or shoot manual on "bulb") We are going to explore various light painting techniques involving various light sources: flash, and continuous light, LEDs, etc... We will have some very simple set-ups with flowers, and glassware to photograph, but if you have some small objects that you would like to work with, please bring them. You will also want to bring a small flashlight, the cheaper, the better—something small, like a penlight. No flashlight? Don't worry, I'm sure we'll have some to share. We will be working in groups, in some cases, taking turns to shoot and "paint with light." While not absolutely necessary, you might consider bringing a laptop computer with you, if you'd like to practice assembling multiple exposures in Photoshop. Some familiarity with Photoshop is necessary to get the most out of the concept of "lighting in layers" but any software that supports layers with multiple files can work (Affinity users are welcome) Finally, be prepared to have fun—this is a learning experience, and failing is part of the process. So be patient, and ready to try something new, even if you don't come away with any award winning photos!