Experimental Studio Lighting
Class - Photography | Available
Step beyond traditional lighting setups and explore the expressive possibilities of experimental image-making in the studio. Experimental Studio Lighting is designed for photographers ready to break creative habits, embrace risk-taking, and discover unconventional techniques that transform light into an artistic tool. Throughout this hands-on workshop, students will experiment with movement, projection, distortion, and layered exposure techniques to create striking, abstract, and visually unpredictable photographs. Using tools such as prisms, mirrors, gels, flash, projections, reflective surfaces, and intentional camera movement, participants will learn how to push beyond technically correct lighting and develop imagery driven by mood, curiosity, and personal vision.
Week one introduces light painting, long exposures, and creative motion techniques inside the studio environment. Students will explore how continuous light and flash can work together to create dynamic trails, blur, and surreal atmosphere.
In week two, the class focuses on multiple exposures and layered imagery using both in-camera and flash-based techniques. Through experimentation with timing, subject movement, and overlapping compositions, students will create photographs that feel cinematic, dreamlike, and emotionally charged.
Week three dives into distortion and abstraction using projections, prisms, mirrors, textured materials, and unconventional modifiers. Students will learn how to manipulate light and perspective to create visually complex portraits and conceptual imagery that stand apart from traditional studio work.
By the end of the course, students will leave with a body of experimental, portfolio-worthy images that reflect their own creative voice and willingness to explore beyond the expected.
Ideal for intermediate photographers comfortable with manual camera settings and eager to expand their artistic approach to lighting and portraiture.