Over the years, my “accidental” collection of cameras has grown. I call it accidental because I never intended to collect them. Many years ago, my father brought me a cardboard box full of old cameras that he had bought at a yard sale. My collection began that very day, and an interesting thing happened; as soon as people heard that I “collected” them, they gave me cameras! I didn’t ask for them… I didn’t seek them out… they found me.

There are many cameras in my accidental collection which I love. Some of the cameras are old, some are rare, some are beautifully made, and some, like the Savoy (120 roll film), are just plain cool.

Do you have a favorite camera that you’ve collected?

Here is the Savoy, (photographed with light painting, of course) in fabulous lime green:

Photograph © Harold Ross

My long time friend, John Corcoran (who is also the co-instructor at my group workshops) photographs flowers and people using light painting. Between us, we have over 45 years of light painting experience!

John mainly photographs flowers that he grows himself, and they include orchids, plumeria and roses.

One of the things that John has mentioned is that the first rose of the season is the most perfect, followed by the last rose of the season. I wonder why that is? Is the weather a factor, or is it something that nature does?

Light painting affords us the ability to bring out details, shape and dimension that ordinary lighting can’t. This is one of the main reasons that John and I have been practicing it for decades.

Here is John’s image of one of his “first roses” of the season. This beautiful photograph gained entry into the prestigious ” Art of the State, 2015″ exhibition in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania:

Photograph by John Corcoran

To see more of John’s light painted floral photography, please click HERE

For those of you interested in the pictures that we did recently at the Biltmore House, America’s largest private residence, here are two additional (previously unpublished) images.

Interestingly, one of these images is the first one we shot on our arrival day, and it was another shot done in Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom. You may wonder why this first image is the last to be shown.

On that first day, Jim Ryan, Vera (my wife) and myself were not sure how things would go on the shoot, and we were concerned with several things, one being that we didn’t want to cause any inconvenience for the staff at Biltmore. We were “walking on eggshells” as it were, and so I was feeling a little bit of stress. Added to that was the unknown about just how I would light these challenging locations.

Well, you know what they say… when things can go wrong, they often do. I attached my camera to the tripod, began to compose the image, and Vera set up my laptop for tethered shooting. I’m a big fan of tethered shooting; you can see the image really well due to its large size, checking focus is much easier, and you can check details and straightness of the subject, but most important – the capture software works as what I call “The world’s best light meter”. That is to say, you can determine exactly how under or over-exposed the image is, and you can make a perfect correction in the next exposure. Anyway, back to the point of the story… it turns out that I forgot the thunderbolt-to-firewire cable (a first for me) that I needed to hook up the camera to the computer! Here we were, in the Biltmore House, ready to start the first shoot, all the while with curious visitors passing through the room, and asking questions! Not to mention that I was very cramped in the tight space between Mr. Vanderbilt’s bed and the dresser (I had to use a very wide angle lens.) The result of the forgotten cable was that I wasn’t able shoot tethered and had to rely on the camera screen to judge the image. My stress level went up at that point. Jim was great though – he very quickly went across town to the Apple store and bought a cable, but I still had to begin the shoot without it.

So, the captures made without tethering were more “on the fly” than I’m used to. I didn’t have the camera perfectly straight because the furnishings, having lived through a couple of centuries, were not perfectly straight and level, so it was impossible for me to judge this on the small camera screen. Also, I couldn’t really gauge my exposures. Hence, the post-processing was much more involved, so I did the normal thing – I procrastinated and did this image last!

On to the images…

This view is of one of Mr. Vanderbilt’s ornately carved walnut dressers. On it is a wonderful hand-carved Austrian tower clock, made in 1650. I shot this scene from just to the side of Mr. Vanderbilt’s bed, so this is what he would see as he awoke each morning. Seen behind the dresser are German, Dutch and Flemish engravings, 16th-17th century.

Photograph by Harold Ross

A detail image showing the beautiful (circa 1650) Austrian clock and gilded mirror.

Photograph by Harold Ross

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s bedroom was designed as a feminine counterpart to Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom. It was actually decorated in 1897-98 in preparation for the their upcoming wedding. After their wedding, it became Mrs. Vanderbilt’s private quarters. The oval-shaped room is filled with Louis XV furnishings, and among them, this beautiful inlaid walnut desk, where Mrs. Vanderbilt did her correspondence. The ornate woodwork and cut velvet draperies which are throughout the room can just be seen in the background. 

Photograph by Harold Ross

In this detail shot, one can see the beautiful glass desk set, as well as the hand tooled leather book and some family photographs.

Photograph by Harold Ross

Photographing at the Biltmore House was an honor and a rewarding experience.

Again, a huge THANKS to Jim Ryan, who made this project possible, and who spent many late hours with me shooting and doing post production.

And, for logistical help on the shoot, thanks to Laura Overbey, Collections Manager at the Biltmore, who helped us coordinate everything, and stayed late for us while we photographed the Biltmore House.

Laura also helped us throughout the shoot in Mr. Vanderbilt’s bedroom.

And, of course, thanks to my wife Vera for, as always, helping me every step of the way!

All material in this post © Harold Ross 2015

Photograph by Harold Ross

We have decided on dates for our December workshop!

Our next Light Painting the Still Life Workshop, which will be held here at my home studio (in beautiful Lancaster County, PA) is scheduled for:

~December 4th, 5th, and 6th, 2015

Registration is now open, and the workshop is limited to 4 students.

To sign up please contact us at 717-923-0269 or via email at harold@rossstudio.com

Click HERE for the schedule and details of the workshop.

My workshops involve real teaching of the methods I employ, and this is a technical and intensive workshop… you will be given the training needed to produce work at a very high level. You will be receiving personal, detailed hands-on (literally!) instruction on proper light painting (not light pointing), and my post production process. You will actually learn the subtleties of lighting, using simple and inexpensive lighting tools, and the nuances of using layers and masking in Photoshop to create powerful images!

I’ve been using light painting as my main method of lighting for 26 years.

My co-instructor, John Corcoran, will be bringing a lot of experience to the workshop. He has worked as a professional photographer for over 35 years, and has been light painting for over 20 of those years.

He shoots wonderful floral images and portraits, all using light painting. You can see some of John’s images HERE.

“I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to both of you for an awesome and truly remarkable weekend. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed meeting you both and having the opportunity to share your world a bit. The workshop was over-the-top and so full of rich, relevant, targeted content, and your hands-on guidance made it so much more valuable. It was truly transformative on so many levels and I can honestly say that it seriously exceeded my expectations, and trust me, they were already very high.”
– Mark Hogan, Ontario, Canada, Group Workshop

“The workshop with Harold and John was one of the most intense and one of the most craft altering workshop experiences I’ve ever had!! And I’ve worked with some very good masterful photographers at both Maine Media Workshops and Santa Fe Workshops. Because the workshop included both a shooting skill and computer techniques, the value of the instruction was exceptional.  As far as information gained, I enhanced my Photoshop skills and learned Capture One (sort of!), and also learned the light sculpting technique which I believe will totally change how I look at my own work and how I approach it–that is upgrading a known skill and learning two new ones in three days!!!”
– Carol Peachee, Kentucky, Group Workshop

A month ago, Vera and I travelled to Anacortes, WA. to visit with a group of friends. We had a great time with Hunter Witherill and his wife Tracy, David Grant Best, and Brooks and Maureen Jensen, publishers of LensWork Magazine.

(Speaking of LensWork, I’m honored to be one of the featured photographers in the upcoming November/December issue. If you wish, you can subscribe or purchase a tablet or computer single edition HERE )

The northwest part of the country is just gorgeous; Anacortes is on Fidalgo Island, and so there is a lot of wildlife to see. From the shore, we saw seals, Orca whales, and lots of waterfowl. In the forests are huge spruce, fir and pine tress and surprisingly (to me), Spanish moss! We very much enjoyed exploring the area, but even though our little group was made up of photographers, this was not a “photography” trip. (Thank goodness I can always rely on Vera to create a visual record of our travels!)

David Grant Best and me on the ferry to Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands:

Here I’m photographing the coastline and longing for my old 8×10 camera:

Vera shot this “quiet” picture of sand on the beach:

Spanish Moss (in the northwest!):

The “Weston” tree:

Now, on to the (unplanned) light painting! While in the LensWork offices, I saw their AWESOME guillotine paper cutter! I love old machinery, and especially ones made of cast iron. There is something about the weight of it, both actual and visual, that harks back to a time when things were made to last. The old machines were designed with form as well as function in mind, and when looking at them, you can just imagine the hundreds of hands that operated these beautiful machines.

Here, (L to R) Tracy, Hunter, David, Me and Brooks are discussing the process of light painting the paper cutter.

Since I wasn’t planning on doing any light painting on our trip, I only had my Panasonic Lumix G7 camera with me. I did, however, at the last minute, throw a flashlight and my diffusers, along with a hand held LED panel, into my camera bag. The entire lighting kit literally fits (almost) into one hand!

Brooks lent me a great old and heavy tripod (it was a funny sight to see my little mirrorless camera sitting on the enormous tripod!) and I was ready to light paint the cutter. This awesome machine will cut 4 inches of paper in one fell swoop, and Brooks demonstrated this for us. Make sure to click on the picture for a larger view of this gorgeous machine!

The LensWork Guillotine Paper Cutter:

Photograph by Harold Ross

Yesterday, I travelled to Lewes, Delaware to give a talk and demonstration on “light painting the still life”. I was invited by Jay Pastore, Director of Exhibitions at the Rehoboth Art League, and gave the presentation at their facility, which is attached to one of their galleries. The talk was one of three “Meet the Artist” lectures connected with the photography exhibition FADING, which was curated by Jay. The show runs until November 29th at the RAL gallery on Rt.9 in Lewes, Delaware and features the work of Jeffrey Steen, Kendall Messick and myself.

I always enjoy these talks, as I love challenges, and creating an image under time pressure and in front of an audience is very rewarding.

The audience was fantastic; they were engaged and curious. We had a few laughs too!

In the spirit of autumn, I composed a still life with a gourd and some beautiful pears, a stalk of seed pods, and a beautiful maple leaf.

I will include a “before” version and of course, the light painted version of the image created at the talk. By comparing them, you can get a sense for just how transformative this process is. Make sure to click on the images for a larger view!

Here is the”before” version of the still life with normal lighting:

Here is the same image after using my light painting process:

If you are interested in learning my techniques in an intensive and fun workshop environment, click HERE!

Photograph by Harold Ross

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

We are excited to announce that we have added new dates (see below) for our group Light Painting the Still Life Workshops which will be held here at my home studio (in beautiful Lancaster County, PA).

We have had many people inquire as to when the next workshops would be scheduled. We are taking the wintery months off, but we are starting up again in March, 2016!

If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to sign up. If a particular workshop fills, you can be placed on a wait list.

~ March 4th, 5th, 6th 2016

~ March 25th, 26th, 27th 2016

~ April 22nd, 23rd, 24th 2016

~ May 13th, 14th, 15th, 2016

Registration is now open, and the workshop is limited to 4 students.

Click HERE for the schedule and details of the workshop.

My workshops involve real teaching of the methods I employ, and this is a technical and intensive workshop… you will be given the training needed to produce work at a very high level. You will be receiving personal, detailed hands-on (literally!) instruction on proper light painting (not light pointing), and my post production process. You will actually learn the nuances of lighting, and the refined use of masking to create beautiful images! The subtle brush techniques I employ in the masking process are simply not taught anywhere else.

My co-instructor, John Corcoran, will be bringing a lot of experience to the workshop. He has worked as a professional photographer for over 35 years, and has been light painting for almost 20 of those years.

He shoots wonderful floral images and portraits, all using light painting. You can see some of John’s images HERE.

You can see my students’ images in my Student Workshop Images page.

2015 is coming to an end… Where did the year go?

I’d like to thank everyone for following my blog and showing interest in my work. A very special thank you goes out to those who have attended my workshops.

All of you make me feel so very fortunate!

John, Vera and I wish for you the very best in the New Year, and we hope it is filled with health and happiness!

Well, I admit it…

It’s been a very, VERY long time since I’ve posted recent images shot by students at my group workshops. Things have been so incredibly busy, and for many reasons I was unable to get to it… but finally, here they are!

My apologies to those students who have been waiting. As a matter of fact, no images were left out (I hope I didn’t miss any…If you don’t see your image here, let me know!)… these are all of the images produced since the last recap (except for One-on-One workshops, which will be posted in a week or so).

In getting together these images, I have to say that, as in the past, I’m amazed at the quality of the images and of the compositions that my students produce. A vast majority of my students had never light painted, and many had never used masking in Photoshop until the workshop. Indeed, some students had never even used Photoshop! Given this, the results are just superb.

The workshop is designed to teach a process and a way of thinking about light, and it most definitely is not about making a masterpiece. That said, the results are wonderful examples of how transformative my process of “Sculpting with Light” really is.

This doesn’t come easy. The 3 days of the workshop is quite intensive, and in fact, we kiddingly refer to day 2 as “Boot Camp Day”!

Occasionally, a student will bring subject matter to a workshop, but most students choose from the limited pool of props and backgrounds that I have here at the studio. Therefore, it can’t be helped that there is a repetition of some subject matter. That said, I jokingly admit to being a hoarder, and I’ve been told that my collection of props is impressive!

The images load onto this page in random order… each time you refresh the page, the order and sizing will be different. I think it’s kind of fun to see the random juxtapositions; also there was no possible way for me to choose any favorites among such wonderful images!

All images from students over the years are HERE.

Photograph by Harold Ross

We have decided on dates for our June workshop!

Our next Light Painting the Still Life Workshop, which will be held here at my home studio (in beautiful Lancaster County, PA) is scheduled for:

~June 17th, 18th, and 19th, 2016

If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to sign up. If a particular workshop fills, you can be placed on a wait list.

We are also holding group workshops on the following dates:

~ March 4th, 5th, 6th 2016 **This workshop is filled**

~ April 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2016

~ April 22nd, 23rd, 24th 2016 ** One opening remains **

~ May 13th, 14th, 15th, 2016 ** One opening remains **

~ June 17th, 18th, 19th, 2016

Registration is now open, and the workshop is limited to 4 students.

To sign up please contact us at 717-923-0269 or via email at harold@rossstudio.com

Click HERE for the schedule and details of the workshop.

My workshops involve real teaching of the methods I employ, and this is a technical and intensive workshop… you will be given the training needed to produce work at a very high level. You will be receiving personal, detailed hands-on (literally!) instruction on proper light painting (not light pointing), and my post production process. You will actually learn the subtleties of lighting, using simple and inexpensive lighting tools, and the nuances of using layers and masking in Photoshop to create powerful images! The techniques you will be learning are simply not taught anywhere else.

I’ve been using light painting as my main method of lighting for 26 years.

My co-instructor, John Corcoran, will be bringing a lot of experience to the workshop. He has worked as a professional photographer for over 35 years, and has been light painting for over 20 of those years.

He shoots wonderful floral images and portraits, all using light painting. You can see some of John’s images HERE.

“The workshop was absolutely fantastic.  The unique and artistic techniques we were taught enabled us to make stunning, one of a kind images.  Learning to think, see and create differently was value far beyond the cost of the workshop.  I can’t imagine a more exciting and rewarding experience.”
– Butch Welch, Michigan, Group Workshop

“I enrolled in Harold Ross’s workshop after reading an interview on Photigy.com. They called him, “Master of Light Painting.”  A Google search of his still life images left no doubt.  Harold’s work is high Art!  However, what convinced me to take his workshop were the student examples on Harold’s blog. Simply amazing! The possibility of achieving similar results was irresistible. I found the 3-day experience intense, long, fun, frustrating, exciting, and in the end, hugely satisfying. The instruction is well organized with plenty of examples and demonstrations. With only four students in the workshop, we received constant attention. I left with the best photo of my life; confident I can continue my own light painting.  The workshop exceeded all expectations.  Oh yes, Harold’s wife Vera was the perfect host keeping us supplied with snacks, drinks, sandwiches, and lots of coffee.”
– Jerry Starbuck, Virginia, Group Workshop

“Harold Ross is a master at light painting. In this amazing workshop, the lines between photography and painting are blurred. This is an intense and information packed hands-on workshop but made easy with Harold’s and co-instructor John Corcoran’s relaxed and pleasant style. Their attention to detail is evident in all aspects from beginning to end. To top it off the hospitality of Vera Ross makes one feel quite welcome. I am grateful to have had this experience.”
– Max Acra, PA, Group Workshop

We are very excited to introduce a new and important addition to our very simple set of lighting tools… LightWand.

John Corcoran and I have been using light wands for over 25 years, so we decided to design one which works with our flashlight adapter.

Whether you have one of our 0.9″ or 1″ adapters, the LightWand will simply slip on it just like our diffusers.

This means that you will be using the same light source that is used with our adapter and diffusers! So, the flashlight that you already own (or will own) will be used for both the diffusers and the LightWand. This is efficient… no extra batteries or light source to purchase and maintain, and it is simple… usually a good thing!

A light wand is very useful in light painting, as it can be passed right in front of the lens (great for fill light), and it acts as a strip light, and it’s an ideal light for placing long highlights on a subject.

It’s a perfect light for light painting portraits. Take a look at John’s portraiture!  Scroll down to see a sample image of John’s.

To purchase one, go HERE!

This video explains more, and shows how the wand was used in the three images below:

Photograph by Harold Ross

Photograph by Harold Ross

Photograph by Harold Ross

Photograph by John Corcoran

Photograph by Harold Ross

We have decided on dates for our July workshop!

Our next Light Painting the Still Life Workshop, which will be held here at my home studio (in beautiful Lancaster County, PA) is scheduled for:

~July 15th, 16th, and 17th, 2016

If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to sign up. If a particular workshop fills, you can be placed on a wait list.

We are also holding group workshops on the following dates:

~ March 4th, 5th, 6th 2016 **This workshop is filled**

~ April 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2016

~ April 22nd, 23rd, 24th 2016 ** One opening remains **

~ May 13th, 14th, 15th, 2016 ** This workshop is filled **

~ June 17th, 18th, 19th, 2016 **This workshop is filled**

~ July 15th, 16th, 17th, 2016

Registration is now open, and the workshop is limited to 4 students.

We will be announcing more shortly!

To sign up please contact us at 717-923-0269 or via email at harold@rossstudio.com

Click HERE for the schedule and details of the workshop.

My workshops involve real teaching of the methods I employ, and this is a technical and intensive workshop… you will be given the training needed to produce work at a very high level. You will be receiving personal, detailed hands-on (literally!) instruction on proper light painting (not light pointing), and my post production process. You will actually learn the subtleties of lighting, using simple and inexpensive lighting tools, and the nuances of using layers and masking in Photoshop to create powerful images! The techniques you will be learning are simply not taught anywhere else.

I’ve been using light painting as my main method of lighting for 26 years.

My co-instructor, John Corcoran, will be bringing a lot of experience to the workshop. He has worked as a professional photographer for over 35 years, and has been light painting for over 20 of those years.

He shoots wonderful floral images and portraits, all using light painting. You can see some of John’s images HERE.

“I know as a flight instructor that there is a big difference between being able to do something well and being able to teach that thing well. You are a very very good teacher, and I can’t complement you enough on your workshop’s organization, thoroughness and attention to detail, as well as your own clarity of explanation, patience, and attentiveness to your students’ level of understanding and need for support. Your workshop was an absolutely wonderful experience, and I will risk some hyperbole by saying that for me personally as a photographer, it was trans-formative. Furthermore, you and Vera are outstanding hosts and made me feel exceptionally welcome in your home. Vera provided seamless support and way too much candy. John was an excellent co-instructor, and I hope you will convey my complements to him – he also has great bedside manner and a really effective, low-key manner. He was great to work with. Thank you.”
– Henry “Fax” Ayres, Virginia, Group Workshop

“Your class Rocked… Your attention to detail and the quality of your product/art is so far above the average that it places your work in a higher realm.  It was a real pleasure being in your studio, seeing you work and being able to see light in a different way.”
–Joe Carr, South Carolina, Group Workshop

“I have to say, that you folks put on a stellar workshop. It was well organized, and we as students were well taken care of. The information was tremendous! I feel like I now have a set of tools that I can use to pursue my craft well into the future and actually achieve the results that I’m after. Harold and John’s teaching style worked very well for me. I now have to live up to the standard that has been set! I think the thing that excites me the most about learning this technique is that it will allow me to be a painter and a photographer at the same time. It was so worth the cost!”
– Kirk Deese, Virginia, Group Workshop

Photographic opportunities are everywhere.

Last week, our friend Joe Schober was painting our bedroom for us, and as I walked by his work table, I was struck by the beauty of the protective canvas on which he had placed his tools. Joe told me that the canvas has been used for covering his work table for the last 2 or 3 decades! I was also drawn to the tools themselves; a simple paint can and a blow torch. I decided to do a still life which emphasized the canvas. One of the things I love about old tools is that they speak to me about their years of use and the people who used them. Tools are for most people a means to an end, but I find that they tell a wonderful story.

Joe’s Tools:

Photograph by Harold Ross

Photograph by Harold Ross

We have decided on dates for our August workshop!

Our next Light Painting the Still Life Workshop, which will be held here at my home studio (in beautiful Lancaster County, PA) is scheduled for:

~August 12th, 13th, and 14th, 2016

If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to sign up. If a particular workshop fills, you can be placed on a wait list.

We are also holding group workshops on the following dates:

~ April 22nd, 23rd, 24th 2016 ** One opening remains **

~ May 13th, 14th, 15th, 2016 ** This workshop is filled **

~ June 17th, 18th, 19th, 2016 **This workshop is filled**

~ July 15th, 16th, 17th, 2016 ** Two openings remain**

~ August 12th, 13th, 14th, 2016 **Registration is open**

Registration is now open, and the workshop is limited to 4 students.

We will be announcing more shortly!

To sign up please contact us at 717-923-0269 or via email at harold@rossstudio.com

Click HERE for the schedule and details of the workshop.

My workshops involve real teaching of the methods I employ, and this is a technical and intensive workshop… you will be given the training needed to produce work at a very high level. You will be receiving personal, detailed hands-on (literally!) instruction on proper light painting (not light pointing), and my post production process. You will actually learn the subtleties of lighting, using simple and inexpensive lighting tools, and the nuances of using layers and masking in Photoshop to create powerful images! The techniques you will be learning are simply not taught anywhere else.

I’ve been using light painting as my main method of lighting for 26 years.

My co-instructor, John Corcoran, will be bringing a lot of experience to the workshop. He has worked as a professional photographer for over 35 years, and has been light painting for over 20 of those years.

He shoots wonderful floral images and portraits, all using light painting. You can see some of John’s images HERE.

   “I first saw Harold Ross’s work in Lenswork magazine several years ago.  I subsequently purchased his Special Edition Folio, “Shopcraft”.  At that time I made a commitment to myself to contact Harold and take his light painting workshop.  Finally after four years of dreaming, I took Harold’s workshop.  I was not disappointed! The structure of the workshop was very effective. The learning environment was also excellent. During the introductory session, Harold was able to discern the level of expertise of his students.  He then tailored the instruction around that expertise.  Students were able to get direct hands-on training by Harold as well as gain additional information by watching Harold work with other students.  It was a very intense hands-on interactive workshop.  The photo studio, selection of props, and the processing computer equipment and software were all superb. Harold was able to translate his years of experience into a very understandable instructional methodology.  He took subtle but complex techniques and made them simple and workable for the students. My overall objective for the class was to get a good understanding of Harold’s light painting technique.  I received much more.  I walked away confident that I could continue to experiment and learn the technique.  I came away with many ideas to explore.  And exceeding my expectations, I also had an image that I am proud to exhibit. Thank you Harold for a great workshop and a start of a new learning experience.”
– Karl Graf, Group Workshop

“Harold’s Light Painting workshop was a five star experience. The workshop is professional A to Z and Harold shares his knowledge on any aspect of pre- and post processing photography and beyond. A true 360 experience. Harold ignited in me a very important new level towards professional photo working, thinking, and processing as artist and engineer. I am delighted that I made the decision to participate and feel like a different photographer post-workshop. This was my first real experience with light painting and will help me in practicing these techniques beyond a studio setup. This is THE light painting workshop you will ever need to take, seriously. 
Harold is a great teacher in both theoretical and hands-on teachings. He is very open and sensitive to a situation to guide a student, but also to allow for failure so that teacher and student gain insights together and discuss their experience. This is golden.”
– Frank Schneider, Group Workshop

Photograph by Harold Ross

Just a quick little notice that we have had a student cancellation for our June 17-19, 2016 workshop.

There is one spot for that workshop now open.

If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to sign up!

We are also holding group workshops on the following dates:

~ May 13th, 14th, 15th, 2016 ** This workshop is filled **

~ June 17th, 18th, 19th, 2016 **Due to a cancellation, we now have one opening**

~ July 15th, 16th, 17th, 2016 ** Two openings remain**

~ August 12th, 13th, 14th, 2016 **Two openings remain**

Registration is open, and the workshops are limited to 4 students.

To sign up please contact us at 717-923-0269 or via email at harold@rossstudio.com

Click HERE for the schedule and details of the workshop.

You can see my students’ images in my Student Workshop Images page.

 “I have attended several photography workshops over the past few years; some as long as 7 days.  I have no hesitation in saying that I learned way more photography, lighting and photoshop skills in 3 days with Harold and John than I have in all of the other workshops combined. The structure and timing of the sessions were perfect.  The new iMac computers streamlined the tethered captures and the CaptureOne and Photoshop software set-up helped us spend more time on learning and less time on solving technical issues.  All in all a great weekend and well worth every dime.”
– Mike McGinnis, Colorado, Group Workshop

“I have taken many workshops but this is the best one I’ve ever taken. The concepts and techniques I learned from Harold and John will extend well beyond the workshop and help me in many other areas of photography. This was not a “mass” workshop but very individual. When’s the last time you had a student/participant ratio of 2:1? And for the price? What a bargain! I felt like I had quality personal attention. It won’t be my last workshop. I felt Harold and John were every bit or more interested in me personally than they were collecting my money. Everyone in my workshop produced a masterpiece (no exaggeration) by the end of the course! Thanks again Vera for all of your hard work behind the scene. It was very much appreciated.”
– Bill Watson, Kansas, Group Workshop

Last night I gave a presentation to a terrific group of photographers at the 2016 Berks Photographic Conference. The organization has been putting on this conference for almost 60 years!

The turnout was great, and the attendees were engaged and very interested! There were some familiar faces in the audience, and I had a fantastic time.

The presentation, lasting 3 hours, covered the basics of lighting theory as it applies to Light Painting, the tools involved, and some samples of my work.

Then came the fun part! In front of the audience, I photographed a still life (using light painting), and then I assembled the image in Photoshop using my simple approach to layers and masking.

Here is the resulting image (make sure to click on the image to see a larger view):

Photograph by Harold Ross

If you would like to learn my process (and many more things) we do have 2 seats open for for both our July and August workshops here in beautiful Lancaster County, PA. Information can be found HERE.

My grandfather, Albert Iten (with whom I was very close), was Swiss, and was trained as a blacksmith in the Swiss Journeyman tradition. Years ago, he taught me how to weld and how to work with metal. I love to make welded sculpture, sometimes incorporating very simple blacksmithing techniques. Although I could never approach his level of skill, it is a gift for which I am very thankful, and his inspiration is with me every day.

Not long ago, I was in my shop after working on a project, and as I often do, I used my magnetic pickup tool to clean up the metal shavings from my drill press area.

I was just about to drop the shavings into a container when I noticed how interesting the shapes were! I decided to photograph it (using light painting, of course). Photographic opportunities are everywhere!

Photograph by Harold Ross

A close up of the metal shavings:

Photograph by Harold Ross

 *From the poem by E.B. White.

Photograph by Harold Ross

We have just decided on weekend workshop dates in September, October, November and December!

Our next Light Painting the Still Life Workshops, which will be held here at my home studio (in beautiful Lancaster County, PA) are scheduled for:

~ September 9th, 10th, and 11th, 2016

~ October 7th, 8th, and 9th, 2016

~ November 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2016

~ December 9th, 10th, and 11th, 2016

Registration is now open, and the workshop is limited to 4 students.

To sign up please contact us at 717-923-0269 or via email at harold@rossstudio.com

Click HERE for the schedule and details of the workshop.

My workshops involve real teaching of the methods I employ, and this is a technical and intensive workshop… you will be given the training needed to produce work at a very high level. You will be receiving personal, detailed hands-on (literally!) instruction on proper light painting (not light pointing), and my post production process. You will actually learn the subtleties of lighting, using simple and inexpensive lighting tools, and the nuances of using layers and masking in Photoshop to create powerful images!

I’ve been using light painting as my main method of lighting for 27 years.

I can only begin to list the other things we cover in the workshop; Visual accommodation (very important!), proper sharpening, lens choice for studio work, diffraction and why it happens, preparing an image for print, and lots more.

My co-instructor, John Corcoran, will be bringing a lot of experience to the workshop. He has worked as a professional photographer for over 35 years, and has been light painting for over 25 of those years. John will be present when the workshop is filled.

He shoots wonderful floral images and portraits, all using light painting. You can see some of John’s images HERE.

You can see my students’ images in my Student Workshop Images page.

Photograph by Harold Ross

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

We are excited to announce that we have added new dates (see below) for our group Light Painting the Still Life Workshops which will be held here at my home studio (in beautiful Lancaster County, PA).

We have had many people inquire as to when the next workshops would be scheduled. We are taking the wintery months off, but we are starting up again in March, 2016!

If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to sign up. If a particular workshop fills, you can be placed on a wait list.

~ March 4th, 5th, 6th 2016

~ April 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2016

~ April 22nd, 23rd, 24th 2016

~ May 13th, 14th, 15th, 2016

Registration is now open, and the workshop is limited to 4 students.

Click HERE for the schedule and details of the workshop.

My workshops involve real teaching of the methods I employ, and this is a technical and intensive workshop… you will be given the training needed to produce work at a very high level. You will be receiving personal, detailed hands-on (literally!) instruction on proper light painting (not light pointing), and my post production process. You will actually learn the nuances of lighting, and the refined use of masking to create beautiful images! The subtle brush techniques I employ in the masking process are simply not taught anywhere else.

My co-instructor, John Corcoran, will be bringing a lot of experience to the workshop. He has worked as a professional photographer for over 35 years, and has been light painting for almost 20 of those years.

He shoots wonderful floral images and portraits, all using light painting. You can see some of John’s images HERE.

You can see my students’ images in my Student Workshop Images page.

Hello everyone! I’m excited to let you all know that Capture One is running a 25% discount promo in celebration of Photokina, and they have given me a special voucher code that I can share with you!

From September 19th through the 26th, you can receive a discount on all Capture One sales – including Sony products, multiuser licenses, and upgrades!

(We will be posting again on the 19th as a reminder).

Capture One is a fantastic program for editing in RAW and it’s also the most intuitive and best tethering program available (I always shoot tethered). The program has color adjustment tools which are found in no other software, and this, combined with layering, makes for a very powerful editing software!

You can use my special promo voucher code AMBHAROLD_PROMO to receive 25% off your purchase on the Capture One website! Click on the Capture One logo above to get to their website.

***Please remember that this discount is only valid during the Photokina days from the 19^th to the 26^th of September.***

Photograph by Harold Ross

The following tutorial shows how I use Capture One’s styles as a way to balance the color of various light sources in my “Sculpting with Light” workflow.

By the way, a huge thanks to Ben Wilmore for turning me on to (and giving me!) the WhiBal grey card! It’s definitely recommended.

(Make sure to click on the HD button for a better viewing experience.)

Hello everyone! I’m reminding you that, starting today, Capture One is running a 25% discount promo in celebration of Photokina, and they have given me a special voucher code that I can share with you!

Starting today through the 26th of September, you can receive a discount on all Capture One sales – including Sony products, multiuser licenses, and upgrades!

Capture One is a fantastic program for editing in RAW and it’s also the most intuitive and best tethering program available (I always shoot tethered). The program has color adjustment tools which are found in no other software, and this, combined with layering, makes for a very powerful editing software!

You can use my special promo voucher code AMBHAROLD_PROMO to receive 25% off your purchase on the Capture One website! Click on the Capture One logo above to get to their website.

***Please remember that this discount is only valid during Photokina, today through the 26^th of September.***

Photograph by Harold Ross

The following tutorial shows how I use Capture One’s styles as a way to balance the color of various light sources in my “Sculpting with Light” workflow.

By the way, a huge thanks to Ben Wilmore for turning me on to (and giving me!) the WhiBal grey card! It’s definitely recommended.

(Make sure to click on the HD button for a better viewing experience.)