Photography Lighting Workshop

The workshop started with some pretty complex questions about light. For starters, what IS light? Is it a medium? Is it a subject unto itself? It is definitely a critical element that adds to any viewer's emotional response to a photograph. This discussion about light set the tone for the rest of the workshop, wherein faculty worked under photographer Jake Armour's guidance. Armour is a master at creating light indoors and controlling light outdoors.

The workshop put 30 or so Minnesota State Colleges and University faculty in the position of being students of Mr. Armour for two days. On the first day, they learned lighting secrets in hands-on sessions focused on product photography--secrets they will be bringing back to their students. They also learned about marketing oneself as a commercial photographer, which is also of vital importance in teaching our students. Today they are learning how to photograph people in the studio.

A bonus of this CTL-sponsored discipline workshop was the inclusion of students enrolled in MCTC's photography program. In a competitive process, workshop planners selected two students to act as Mr. Armour's assistants for the duration of the workshop. In this role, they receive training that will be of great value when they graduate from the program.