Luckily the People Photography workshop run by SPW (Sydney Photography Workshops) that I attended on Saturday (along with my good friend P) was just as described and more. Under the expert tutorage of Daniel Linnet and his fine team our small group honed our manual shooting techniques and use of natural and flash lighting composition at two locations, with the help of brilliant models Daniel and Zoe from Grayboy.

The first location was a boxing gym with Daniel where we shot documentary style as he trained, using only natural light. I was amazed at how many different ways there were to light a subject naturally, and how subtle changes in pose and location can make a huge difference to the final image.

At the end of the session we combined flash with a fast shutter speed and low ISO to create a moody low light effect:

In the afternoon we moved over to Sydney’s inner west for an “on location” style fashion shoot with the delightful and effervescent Zoe. As before we were using just natural lighting, but out in the open the sunlight was a lot harsher than the diffused light in the gym so we used reflectors and sheets to soften the light and counter the shadows.

Then as the sun started to set we employed the flash technique we’d learnt in the morning to create the impression of nighttime.

The workshop ended with a workflow demonstration back at Daniel’s studio as he uploaded shots from the day and we drank large glasses of red wine! Overall we had a thoroughly enjoyable day and I would highly recommend the course to anyone who is comfortable shooting in manual and wants to perfect their techniques.

To find out more check out the SPW website or follow them on Twitter @_SPW_