Photograph by Harold Ross

UPDATE: This seat is no longer available. The workshop has been filled. Thank you!

We are announcing that due to a cancellation, we now have an open seat in our November 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2016 workshop!

If you want to fill that opening, please contact us at 717-923-0269 or send an email to harold@rossstudio.com

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

~ November 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2016 (1 seat is now available)

~ December 9th, 10th, and 11th, 2016 (seats available)

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

We will be announcing 2017 workshop dates 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!

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.

“I learned about Harold’s website a few years ago from a fellow photographer.  For several years I attempted to justify spending the money for Harold’s workshop.  The cost of the 3 day workshop deterred me at first; however, I realized that no other photographer’s works compared to Harold’s light painted images. I was hesitant too about signing up for the workshop, as I’ve sat through some really poorly designed workshops and was afraid to invest the money and sit through another bad workshop.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well Harold organized all the information needed to learn to light paint.  Harold and John were more than willing to impart valuable tips and assistance in learning the process.  I would highly recommend Harold’s course to anyone that is interested in learning how Harold creates such amazing images.  The workshop was well worth every penny spent!”
– Karen Warkany, Ohio

Photograph by Harold Ross

We have just decided on weekend workshop dates for 2017!

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:

~ March 3rd, 4th, and 5th, 2017

~ March 31st, April 1st, and April 2nd, 2017

~ April 28th, 29th, and 30th, 2017

~ May 19th, 20th, and 21st, 2017

Registration is now open, and each 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.

“I have been a professional photographer for the last 38 years, working in Los Angeles, and for the last 15 years in Santa Barbara, California.  I have always wanted to learn light sculpting but never seemed to have the time.  Well, I’m glad I waited to find Harold Ross!  His expertise and quality instruction has opened my eyes to a new and wonderful way to express my creativity in photography.  My expertise is lighting, and I have met very few photographers I admire more than Harold for lighting, amazing.  His quality and attention to every detail is second to none.  The personal attention I got from such a small class gave me a deep understanding of the ideas behind the procedures.  It enabled me to have a fuller experience and benefit from Harold’s personal touch and guidance.  I highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to take their photography in a very different direction than the rest of the photographic crowd.  Harold Ross is a craftsman, which there are very few left in our profession.”
– Richard Salas, California, Group Workshop

Due to our email migration from LiveBooks, we are having an email outage which began last night, and hopefully will be resolved by Wednesday.

If you need to contact us to discuss a workshop, please send an email to haroldrossstudio@gmail.com

Or call us at 717-923-0269 and leave a message.

Sometimes I long for the old days:

Photograph by Harold Ross

Vera and I have been collecting teapots for some time, but in the four years since moving to our current home, we’d forgotten to unpack them! Finally, a few weeks ago, we found the cardboard box which held the carefully packaged collection.

I decided to photograph them, and here is one of the images from the series.

We love Japanese Tetsubin pots, which are cast iron. Traditionally, when making tea, they are heated over a charcoal fire. Their textures are gorgeous, and with my interest in metal work (started by my blacksmith grandfather, Albert Iten) they really speak to me.

My hope was to capture the sublime combination of craft and design.

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

Photography by Harold Ross

Hello all,

Although I don’t get to it often enough, I always enjoy posting results from our group workshops. Although there is sometimes a repetition of subject matter (my collection of props is large, but not that large!), my workshop attendees always managed to surprise and delight with their interpretations and compositions. I like to say that the goal of the workshop is not to make a masterpiece, but to learn how to make a masterpiece. That said, I’m constantly amazed at the level of quality of the images that my students have created.

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 is no possible way for me to have favorites; they are all terrific.

All images from students over the years are HERE.

When photographing something that inspires me (in this case, some eggs from a local farmer), I sometimes find that the composition demands another element for balance, and more often than not, the size, shape and color of an object becomes more important than the object itself.

While working on this composition, I remembered my “Squirt” solvent dispenser, which I’ve had for 20 years and still use routinely. Its conical shape and the height of its spout were just the right thing to balance this image. The color was a bonus!

Does one normally think of a solvent dispenser as “going with” organic eggs, or food of any kind? To the contrary!

In fact, I often purposely use elements in a composition that don’t relate at all. These unexpected relationships can be delightful and fun!

Photograph by Harold Ross

Hello everyone and Happy 2017! It’s a brand new year and we hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

It’s no secret; I have a thing for old oil cans. There is something appealing about their simplicity of purpose, and yet, how vital they were for the maintenance of complex machinery.

My friend, co-instructor and photographer John Corcoran owns this example from the 1920’s, an Eagle #66.

The many years of use is evidenced by the gorgeous patina.

To see a few more examples of this series, click HERE.

Photograph by Harold Ross

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

Photograph by Harold Ross

Just a quick little notice that we have had a student cancellation for our March 3-5, 2017 workshop.

(We also have just one opening in our April 28-30, 2017 group workshop as well.)

There is one spot for that workshop now open.

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

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 been a professional photographer for the last 38 years, working in Los Angeles and for the last 15 years in Santa Barbara California.  I have always wanted to learn light sculpting but never seemed to have the time.  Well, I’m glad I waited to find Harold Ross!  His expertise and quality instruction has opened my eyes to a new and wonderful way to express my creativity in photography.  My expertise is lighting and I have met very few photographers I admire more than Harold for lighting, amazing.  His quality and attention to every detail is second to none.  The personal attention I got from such a small class gave me a deep understanding of the ideas behind the procedures.  It enabled me to have a fuller experience and benefit from Harold’s personal touch and guidance.  I highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to take their photography in a very different direction than the rest of the photographic crowd.  Harold Ross is a craftsman which there are very few left in our profession.”
– Richard Salas, California, Group Workshop

“Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot.” And such is Harold Ross and his Sculpting with Light course. Through patient guided instruction, latitude enough for personal interpretation, over three days, before my eyes an interpretative image developed. The small class were each amazed at their own and each other’s work. Amazing, stimulating, excitement inside and out. My Muse has returned!”
– Donald Crais, La Place, LA, Group Workshop

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

Photograph by Harold Ross

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:

~ June 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2017

~ July 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, 2017

~ August 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2017

Class Size: 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 created, 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 nuances of using masking to create beautiful images. The subtle nuances of lighting and post production you will be learning (including methods that I developed) are simply not taught anywhere else.

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.

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.

“A Harold Ross Workshop is a brief immersion into a special world.  The work space is tailor made for hands-on learning with a dedicated creative environment equipped with the tools, technology and inspiration we needed. His experience, preparation and enthusiasm resonated at each phase of our workshop. Yet it was clear, he was not there to simply lecture – we were there to Do The Work. Each of us took a different creative direction which he supported and encouraged. To me there was an unexpected benefit to a group workshop. We were able to observe how other compositions and surfaces, different from our own, were best sculpted with light and handled in post-processing. For me, this was not simply a workshop. It was a unique view into a world so few get to see up close. And I truly respect the tremendous effort Harold made to make this workshop effective for each one of us.  He was extraordinarily generous in the time he spent, the equipment we could use and the materials we provided for us to use after the workshop. I traveled to Pequea and was welcomed to another universe. This is an experience I will never forget.”
– Pauline Chiarelli, New York, Group Workshop

“I recently had the mind blowing pleasure of attending a Harold Ross Light Painting Workshop. Those three days in Harold’s studio will stand out as one of the best learning experiences of my life.  Harold not only is a Master of Light Painting, he is a Master Instructor, and he and his wife Vera are definitely, Masters of Detail and Organization. And if that’s not enough, they are also lovely and gracious hosts. Right from the beginning it’s made very clear that Harold wants his students to succeed and that the days ahead were going to be packed with the instruction and activities to ensure that success. One of the details I really appreciated about Harold is his focus on teaching us how to create the best possible photo using his specialized lighting technique and the camera, and not how to “fix” the photo later using software. So, if the shot wasn’t right, I’d do it over until it was! It was the same in post-processing, the software tools were only used to compile and bring out the best of an already beautiful shot. Harold has an awesome teaching style that is patient, thoughtful and for me, very effective. I am amazed at how generous he is with sharing his knowledge and skills with his students.  The end result for me was a stunningly gorgeous photo and a passion to practice, learn, and create more painted light. The quality and value of a Harold Ross workshop far exceeds the cost, hands down.” 
-Linda Flicker, Oregon, Group Workshop

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

In my light painting workshops and presentations, I talk a lot about lighting theory, and how I believe that it is easier to understand how light works if you can break lighting theory down into just a few basic principles. In this post, I’ll use an image that I just made this past weekend at the workshop I was teaching. I always do a demonstration on the first day of the workshop, and this time, I decided to shoot a vintage industrial blower that I found a few months ago. I love the patina that these old machines and tools have gathered over many years of use.

One of the most important principles in lighting theory is that when light strikes an object at a certain angle, it reflects at the same (yet opposite) angle. And so we say “The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection”. Think of a billiard table. When a billiard ball strikes the bumper on the side of the table, it bounces off at exactly the same (but opposite) angle. Of course, this happens only if there is no spin on the ball. I have yet to figure out how to put a spin on light!

Please see the short tutorial video below the image!

If you’re interested in learning about light painting (and so much more!), please consider attending one of my upcoming workshops! You can find the information HERE.

Photograph by Harold Ross

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

Today, I’m posting images that were shot by students who attended a One-on-One and a Two-on-One workshop. Soon, I’ll be posting recaps of our recent group workshops.

Francine and Roberto Zavala, travelled from San Fransisco, CA. We’ve had several couples take the workshop together and it’s always fun!

Roberto chose some challenging subjects; the gas lamp and binoculars in particular have a lot going on in terms of reflection. I also love the earthy quality of the books in his image.

Photograph by workshop student Roberto Zavala

Francine chose to photograph several of my favorite subjects; garlic, tomatoes and a beautiful container of vinegar. These are great teaching tools, as they are all challenging in terms of lighting, and the end result is really beautiful.

Photograph by workshop student Francine Zavala

Great work, Francine and Roberto!

Curtis Hustace, a career commercial photographer, came to us from Evansville, Indiana.

Curtis came back for a second workshop with me. He brought along a beautiful teapot, and a really gorgeous tea strainer, which is several decades old! As you may know, I love teapots, and Vera and I have a collection of them, so I was happy to see this beautiful example!

Curtis wanted to keep it very simple (always a good idea), yet the teapot, being quite reflective, provided plenty of lighting challenges!

Photograph by workshop student Curtis Hustace

Terrific work, Curtis!

The workshop is not about making a masterpiece, but is designed to teach a process and a way of thinking about light. I believe that my “Sculpting with Light” process is very transformative, and the images of ordinary objects shot by my students is a testament to that.

All images from students over the years are HERE.

To sign up for a currently offered workshop, click HERE.

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

A few months ago, I made three photographs at the National Watch and Clock Museum for their exhibition “The Art of Time”. The exhibition will be up until January of 2018. Please stop in to see the show, and the incredible collection at the Museum.

Since the show just opened a few days ago, I can now share the images here!

The collection is HUGE; it is the largest private collection of timepieces in North America, and it is amazing, and a bit overwhelming!

I had to narrow down this collection to three subjects, and this was not easy.

A big thanks to Kim Jovinelli, Curator of Collections, who took the time to show me around the museum, and who pointed out many of the more interesting clocks (also not an easy task!).

I was drawn to three pieces; a Japanese clock, circa 1900, a German Chamber Clock, circa 1625, and an Iron Plate Tall Clock Movement, by Rogers and Son of Maine, circa 1805.

Here’s a snapshot Vera did as I was getting ready to shoot:

Vera (my faithful assistant and wife) shot this quick (and a bit shaky) video on the fly :

The finished image of the Chamber Clock, circa 1625:

Photograph by Harold Ross

As always, I shoot tethered using Capture One:

The Rogers and Son Tall Clock Movement, Maine, circa 1805:

Photograph by Harold Ross

And the Japanese Clock, circa 1900:

Photograph by Harold Ross

I hope to shoot more at the National Watch and Clock Museum, and there are some other projects that I am currently working on (and very excited about), so please stay tuned!

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

I recently started a new project; Photographing vintage steam engines at the Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association.

As you know, I love old machinery, and the R&T is full of the most amazing examples!

In Kinzers, PA., the R&T is a 33 acre working museum dedicated to the preservation of vintage machinery. The machinery isn’t just on display; almost all of it works and is run by the many skilled volunteers.

Here’s a short video showing one of the enormous engines on display there, which has a huge flywheel. That said, there are machines there that are much larger than this one:

I plan on photographing there much more in the future, and I’d like to thank Art Astle and Association President Butch Biesecker for arranging for me to photograph at this amazing place!

And thanks to Chip Hanson for the introductions!

The first machine I photographed is an A-Frame design, and it is a steam powered pump. I knew when I first saw this machine that I just had to photograph it. The design is from a time when the aesthetic look of a machine was almost as important as the function. The hand painted floral patterns on the frame are beautiful, and the flywheel at the top is a gorgeous red.

Since I was photographing during the day, it was a real challenge. Light painting requires a long exposure, so the more ambient light there is, the shorter my exposures must be, which presents some challenges.

In this case, even though I used a 3 stop neutral density filter, my exposures couldn’t exceed 15 seconds.

Remember to click on the image and to zoom in for a good look at the detail.

A-Frame Steam Powered Pump

Photograph by Harold Ross

The second machine I photographed is a steam powered winch. I have never seen one of these, and the rivets, knobs and controls were calling out to be photographed. This machine is roughly 4 feet in height, and while the boiler is made of steel, many of the winch controls and linkages are made of brass. Someday I would love to see this in operation!

Steam Powered Winch

Photograph by Harold Ross

There will be more Rough and Tumble machines to come! I also hope to photograph one of the many steam powered tractors, as well as the only steam powered riding lawnmower known to exist! Stay tuned…

If you are interested in learning my process for creating images using Light Painting, please visit my workshop page HERE.

Hello all,

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience. You can click on any image to get a carousel view.

Although I don’t get to it often enough, I always enjoy posting results from our group workshops. My workshop attendees always managed to surprise and delight with their interpretations and compositions.

I like to say that the goal of the workshop is not to make a masterpiece, but to learn how to make a masterpiece. That said, I’m constantly amazed at the level of quality of the images that my students create.

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 is no possible way for me to have favorites; they are all terrific!

All images from students over the years are HERE.

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

To me, vintage surveying tools are wonderful. They are, in essence, telescopes, but with a specific and practical purpose, and although quite complex in their design, they were expected to produce very precise results.

If I had unlimited space (and funds), I’d probably own a huge collection of these beautiful creations, and I would store them alongside my similarly huge collection of vintage oil cans. This would all be housed in a big steampunk warehouse!

OK, back to reality…

When I saw this surveyor’s transit, I fell in love with it, but I’m not quite sure when it was made. It does have a “T.V.A.” (Tennessee Valley Authority) stamp on it, so one might assume that it is no older than 1933, and there is a serial number which indicates a 1910 manufacture date, but the transit itself looks like it might be from the 1960’s.

If anyone knows the age of it, please let me know!

Apparently, the transits made by the Gurley Company (in Troy, New York) are rather hard to date accurately.

The Gurley Company began making surveying instruments in 1852, and they made thousands of them. They are known for their accuracy and reliability in the field.

In any case, I decided to photograph this example, using light painting, of course.

I was hoping to capture the intricate mechanical details (and the spirit) of this amazing piece of equipment.

The Gurley Transit, Photograph by Harold Ross

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As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

If you’re in or near Washington, D.C. on November 14, I’ll be speaking at Phase One’s  Stand Out Photo Gallery Event on November 14th! I’d love to see you there!

The event is being held from 1pm to 8pm, and features 4 speakers (myself included), and there will also be a live shoot available throughout the day, allowing you to experience the amazing Phase One Camera System along with other photo equipment.

My presentation is from 1:30pm – 2:30pm and there are 3 other speakers:

Josef Blazar – owner of Blazing Editions, a leading fine art printmaking company

Joseph Cartright – accomplished Beauty and Fashion Photographer

Steven Friedman – award winning Landscape Photographer

You’ll have the opportunity to view large printed medium format photography displayed in a gallery setting and hear from the artists behind the work.

Beginning at 6pm is the exhibit, wine and cheese networking, demo and giveaways!

Stand Out Photo Gallery Events are designed to inspire, educate and motivate photographers.

You can find out more and register for the event HERE. The cost is only $25!

Check out and subscribe to their Instagram feed at:

#standoutphotoevents

https://www.instagram.com/standoutphotoevents/

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As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

If you are in the nation’s capital today (Tuesday, Nov. 14th) please stop by the Stand Out Photo Gallery event. See top of the line equipment demos by Digital Transitions, Large Format Aluminum Dye-Sub prints by Blazing Editions, Phase One cameras, Eizo Monitors, and more. And meet the wonderful folks behind these great brands.

There will be four speakers (myself included) throughout the day, starting at 1:30PM (doors open at 1:00PM). Click the banner below to see the lineup.

It’s at Studio52 DC, 1508 Okie Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

In connection with this event, I (just last week) had to opportunity to test drive the amazing Phase One XF Camera System. What a camera this is. It even has a built in seismograph to check for floor stability! The files are incredible, and at 100MP, like nothing I’ve ever seen.

I decided to photograph a vintage fire extinguisher, as well as a “construction” that I made, and I also shot a short video of some of the light painting of the latter. You’ll hear the metronome that I use to help me count as I light paint. In this video, I’m using a wand to light the gear and “wing”, and I’m trying to get the correct ratio (for me) between the edge highlights and the softer frontal light:

And here are the final images (click to see larger):

“Construction #1”

Photography by Harold Ross

“Vintage Fire Extinguisher”

Photography by Harold Ross

To see more of my work, please visit www.haroldrossfineart.com

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Happy New Year everyone. I hope that you all have a healthy and productive 2018!

As always, if you’re viewing this in an email, please click the title of this post to see the blog, which offers a better viewing experience.

I’ve always been a still photographer, and have never really been into motion imagery, but that said, I’ve always admired the design of certain movie cameras. Some of my very favorites are the vintage iterations of the Beaulieu movie cameras. The design and function of these cameras is unparalleled. In some ways, they remind me of one of my prized cameras, an early 1950’s Rolleiflex Twin Lens, which I used extensively in the “good old days.”

Over the decades that I’ve collected cameras, I’ve not been an aggressive collector. I feel very fortunate that many of my vintage cameras have been given to me by friends, family or clients, and so, I’ve never found a Beaulieu to add to my collection.

My friend Jim Ryan has just changed that! He generously gave me two cameras that he owned (and used) and that represent the pinnacle of their genres; a Linhof Technica V 4×5 field camera, and a Beaulieu R16 (Circa mid 1960’s). Some history of the Beaulieu Company is HERE.

In my excitement, I decided to photograph the movie camera right away! These cameras are now the crown jewels of my collection.

Thank you, Jim!

Photography by Harold Ross

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I love playing with the idea of scale. Sometimes it can be obvious; other times more subtle.

I’ve had these beautiful forged scissors for awhile, and I finally got a chance to photograph them. I decided to have a little fun with mixing the scale and function of these vintage objects, which are connected in some ways, but not in others.

Once again, I’m taken by what is revealed when we look closely.

Photograph by Harold Ross

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*****

Today, I’m posting images that were shot by students who attended relatively recent workshops.

Sometimes I don’t get to the the recap for awhile, so I’m playing catch-up!

You’ll notice that some students have more than one image. These are students that took an individual workshop, and/or stayed for an extra day of training.

I need to take a moment to say one thing; I feel very fortunate and honored that students have travelled from near and far to take a personal workshop with me!

A big THANKS goes out to every one of them!

In this recap, there is recent work by students who travelled here from: Switzerland, Ireland, India, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, as well as from all over the US: Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Massachusetts.

I am truly humbled.

Also, I am once again so pleased and surprised to see the compositions that students come up with; things that I wouldn’t think of. This is one of the most rewarding things about teaching this amazing process.

A personal word about my workshops… I developed this process (which I call “Sculpting with Light”). It is a process that I’ve been perfecting for almost 30 years. Yes, I used light painting with film, and I developed a way to bring those concepts to a digital workflow. It is a challenging process, and the workshops are intensive; we work very hard because I want my students to leave with a deep understanding of the process. For this reason, I teach a maximum of TWO students (I also teach individuals), and this is why I teach quite a few workshops per year. I believe that a workshop such as this, where hands-on technique needs to be taught on a personal level, can only be successful if the class size is very small. It is simply impossible to go deeply into my process with a large group. What matters to me is the deep satisfaction I get from teaching photographers how to make extraordinary images – Harold

On to the images…

*****

Marie-France Millasson, brought this amazing red shoe with her, along with a vision of what she wanted to do. The form of the shoe is captured beautifully by light painting:

Photograph by Marie-France Millasson  (Switzerland):

Marie-France also did a classic photograph of garlic, one of my favorite subjects:

Photograph by Marie-France Millasson  (Switzerland)

*****

Chandler Barrett did something I would not normally do; he used a white piece of fabric which nestles a black teapot (one of the favorites of my collection). Only in my Sculpting with Light process can you maintain detail in these extreme subjects. I think he did a terrific job.

Photograph by Chandler Barrett (North Carolina)

*****

Morris Liss wanted to combine glass and metal, two challenging subjects. I think his result speaks for itself!

Photograph by Morris Liss  (Maryland)

*****

Jorge Villarreal made an unusual composition, one in which the background gets most of the real estate! I think it works beautifully.

Photograph by Jorge Villarreal (Mexico)

Jorge also combined the challenging properties of metal and glass. Lighting these kinds of surfaces is covered thoroughly in the workshop, and I think Jorge’s image is simple yet beautiful.

Photograph by Jorge Villarreal (Mexico)

*****

Laura Bennett (who came to the workshop along with her husband Doug) created this beautiful and soft image. In the workshop, we explore how to render fabric in a soft, sensuous way. Great job, Laura!

Laura Bennett (Colorado)

*****

Doug Bennett’s goal was to learn to light many different kinds of surfaces, including light coming through the champagne bottle. Nice work, Doug!

Doug Bennett (Colorado)

*****

Victor Civita was able to do two images. This simple image of a leaf, although of only one element, is quite engaging.

Victor Civita  (Brazil)

Victor also pulled together this eclectic combination of things from my prop collection. I think he did a great job composing these disparate elements.

Victor Civita  (Brazil)

*****

Sam Gray’s composition is simple, yet strong. I believe that simpler images have the potential to be more powerful than do complex images. Great work, Sam.

Sam Gray (Pennsylvania)

*****

Canice Dunphy, here from Ireland for the third time, brought along some props with him. I was so excited to see this “Space Beam” Lamp! It’s right up my alley, but sadly, I couldn’t convince him to leave it here! Light Painting allowed Canice to bring up every little detail of this mid-century gem!

Photograph by Canice Dunphy (Ireland)

This image is another example of simplicity at its best. Look closely (click on the image for a larger view) to see the gorgeous light that Canice applied to the elements in the image.

Photograph by Canice Dunphy (Ireland)

Canice also brought this very old lock from Ireland. Don’t let the scale fool you; the lock is quite large, approximately 5″ x 7″.

Photograph by Canice Dunphy (Ireland)

*****

Steve Hick’s composition speaks to me; oil cans and vintage tools. What’s not to love? Very nice work, Steve!

Steve Hicks (New Mexico)

*****

Patricia Isbell brought along this great hat and hat stand. As often happens, this is a composition that I would not thought to have done, but Patricia made it work, and that is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching. This image has such character.

Patricia Isbell (Texas)

*****

Praveen Prakash is a professional jewelry photographer from Mumbai, India. He came here to learn how light painting could help in his commercial studio. We spent several days together, and made several images, but I am not sharing the jewelry images for proprietary reasons. He also made this luminous image of one of Vera’s perfume bottles. It was very interesting to learn about his culture and to work with someone who had never been to the U.S. before!

Praveen Prakash (India)

*****

Juleann Vanbelle did a great job working through the challenges of this rather complex setup. There were lots of surfaces here, and therefore lots of learning opportunities. I think she did a fantastic job!

Juleann VanBelle (Massachusetts)

*****

John Smeeton photographed one of my favorite possessions; a torch that belonged to my father. He would be so pleased to see how this simple tool is celebrated and (one might say) monumentalized by John’s composition and great lighting!

John Smeeton (Ontario, Canada)

*****

Bob Maynard chose the challenge of photographing objects that are all somewhat similar; almost everything in the image is made of wood. It’s not a problem, as in my Sculpting with Light process, we decide the brightness of every surface in the photograph. Therefore, Bob was able to create an image with depth and dimension, even though the subjects were very close in color and tone. Nice work, Bob.

Bob Maynard (Colorado)

*****

Deanne Nigro’s composition is so cool; she chose to combine elements of different surface qualities and of very different sizes, adding to the challenge of pulling off a good composition. I also love the color scheme of her image. Nice work, Deanne.

Deane Nigro (New Jersey)

*****

Naomi Johnson has it all; glass, metal, texture, patina… but the most interesting part was how she dealt with the ruler and the box, and making sure that the ruler came forward and separated from the box. Of course, we can control the brightness of every element in an image, but figuring out how bright things should be can present a challenge. I think Naomi nailed it.

Naomi Johnson (Minnesota)

*****

Chris Jewett, also back for his third workshop, created a very eclectic grouping! I love images in which objects don’t necessarily belong together, and the task of meshing these objects through light and tone is always so interesting to me. Once again, I love to see compositions that I would not think to do myself. Terrific work, Chris.

Chris Jewett (Maryland)

*****

Jack Upchurch pulled a fast one on me. In the workshop, I strive to keep the sets as simple as possible, yet there needs to be enough complexity for teaching opportunities. We had Jack’s set close to being worked out, and as I was working with the other student (I only have two students per workshop), I looked over at Jack’s set and saw this little human model sitting on it! Jack brought it with him, and snuck it in there, but I’m so glad he did, as the little guy is a perfect subject with which to teach the nuances of lighting and masking! Thanks, Jack, for bringing your little friend, and for adding in that hip implant!

Jack Upchurch (Maryland)

*****

I like to say that the workshop is not about making a masterpiece, but is designed to teach a process and a way of thinking about light. I believe that my “Sculpting with Light” process is very transformative, and the images of ordinary objects shot by my students is a testament to that.

There are three ways to take a workshop with me:

Join a regularly scheduled workshop (new dates just added), see the schedule HERE.

If you have a friend or partner / spouse, you can set up your own workshop dates. More information HERE.

Take an individual workshop, and set up your own dates. More information HERE.

All images from students over the years are HERE.

For general workshop information please click HERE .

*****

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