Workshops

Note - this workshop is limited to 12 students only

In this 2-day workshop, Toufic Araman, an award winning photographer and one of the best in the region, will introduce you to the world of fashion photography and what lies beyond its glitzy appearance. It is designed for photographers who are interested in exploring both the aesthetic and technical aspects of fashion photography. 

Through a combination of slide presentations, demos and an intensive hands-on shooting experience, you will learn the various elements that need to come together to produce a successful fashion shot!

Day 1
We will spend day 1 in the classroom, beginning with a portfolio assessment then looking at presentations of the work of some fashion photographers, covering the different genres of the industry.

We will then cover the production of a fashion shoot - how to plan for a successful shoot according to the brief from client, figure out the number and style of talents required, how to hire them, how to work with and lead the team, etc.

After the lunch break, we will talk lighting!! We are assuming you are already comfortable with using studio strobes and this session will build on your knowledge by introducing you to the light shaping tools that are most relevant to fashion photography and the visual effects that is achieved by each.

Next on will be dissecting or the reverse engineering of the lighting of iconic pictures taken by world-class fashion photographers: Annie Lebovitz, Steven Meisel, Guy Le Bourdin, Irvin Penn, David LaChapelle among others. This process will teach how to read light when looking at a shot.. you will learn how to copy shots you like in a magazine.. although copying is not the ultimate goal of any photographer who's lookiong to have his/her own style, but it's a necessary step in the learning phase of your development and it's how everyone learns. 

Finally, we will discuss how to break into the business of fashion photography, how to budget your shoots and how to price your services. In this session, I will share with you invaluable insights about the fashion photography market in the UAE and the Middle East that will save you a lot of time and help you avoid common pitfalls. 

Day 2
You will spend the whole day at a studio. There will be 4 different lighting setups (stations), each will have a model that has been professionally styled by a make up artist and hair stylised, and dressed by a wardrobe stylist.

You will be shooting or learning by watching and assisting your team members while they shoot. This will be a hands-on experience to put all you've learned into practice, including dealing with the team members (your assistants), communicating with the model and directing her...etc. You will each have 20-30 minutes of shooting at every station, i.e. a total of 2 hours each. You are guaranteed to walk out of this session with shots that are portfolio-worthy. 
  

Who Should Attend
You are a very confident user of the manual exposure mode. You are familiar with simple lighting set ups and have had some hands on time with lighting equipment. You understand and can set up the different triggering systems.

You are aiming to consolidate your understanding and improve basic techniques as well as be introduced to some new ideas and techniques that will give you the confidence to experiment with different creative outcomes.

NOTE- This class requires a Portfolio Review:
Our sincerest desire is to maintain a consistent level of photographic proficiency. This is an intermediate workshop, therefore, requires a submission of sample images of your work prior to acceptance. Our advice is for you to send us your sample work and wait for our reply within 1 working day before you make your booking. In the case you make your online booking and payment prior to approval, your space will be reserved pending review & approval of your application.

If we do not feel that your application is appropriate, we will call you and discuss other possibilities. If you had already made your booking, you will be given the choice of transfering your booking to other workshops or a refund of your payment less a 6.5% admin fee that we are charged by our payment gateway.

Please email us (to info@gulfphotoplus.com) a selection of 6-8 of your images (in low res) or your website link and we will review and get back to you within 1 working day. Kindly title the email with the name of the workshop.

Type
Two-day intensive workshop.

What you should bring
Your camera, your lens, a few SD/CF cards. Your portfolio or a selection of images you would like to get some feedback on.