Most studio photography is one light, placed well. This three-hour course teaches that light properly β and you spend the session shooting a professional model, not a mannequin or the person next to you.
You'll work with a single studio strobe and learn what actually changes the picture: how far the light sits from your subject, and what the inverse square law then does to your background; how the size of the modifier decides whether light is hard or soft; and how moving one light gives you the classic portrait patterns β Rembrandt, butterfly, split and loop β on demand rather than by accident.
You'll also learn the thing most people never work out: how to turn one grey backdrop into white, grey or black using light position alone.
Four students to a class. Every strobe, modifier and backdrop is here and set up. Our lighting is Canon-compatible, so bring a Canon DSLR or mirrorless body β or shoot the whole session on one of our studio cameras, at no extra cost, if you don't have one. Either way your images from the session are sent to you after class, yours to keep and use in your portfolio.
The class runs on the first and third Saturday of each month, 10amβ1pm, in our South Melbourne studio, three kilometres from the CBD. It runs whether two people book or four: we don't cancel for numbers.
Details
You will learn
- The inverse square law β how to use it, not just recite it
- Background control: white, grey or black from one backdrop
- Hard light versus soft light, and what modifier size really does
You will get
- Three hours shooting a professional model, booked for your class
- A class of four β you are behind the camera, not watching
- Full studio kit: strobes, softboxes, beauty dish, grids, backdrops
Appropriate for
Photographers who can already shoot in manual and want to work with studio lights β whether you're building a portrait business, moving off natural light, or setting up a studio at home. Ages 16+. New to manual mode? Take our one-hour Foundations class first; the $20 comes off this course.
Preparation
What to bring
- A Canon DSLR or mirrorless body β our studio lighting is Canon-compatible β plus a charged battery and an empty memory card. No Canon, or no camera at all? Tell us when you book and use one of our studio cameras at no extra cost.
What to wear
Comfortable clothes, you'll be on your feet and moving around the light.
Your Teacher
Amir is the photographer behind Crown Visual Studio β a working commercial shooter rather than a full-time instructor. The portraits, headshots and model portfolios that come out of this studio through the week are his, and the room you learn in is the room he works in. What you pick up on a Saturday is what gets used on a paid shoot the following Tuesday.
Expect a hands-on session, not a lecture. With four students, a professional model and the studio team on the floor, you get corrected while the light is still up and the model is still in position β which is the moment a lighting lesson actually lands.
Organized by
Crown Visual Studio
Crown Visual Studio is a working commercial photography studio in South Melbourne — the room where portraits, headshots and model portfolios are shot through the week becomes the classroom on weekends. You learn on real studio strobes, modifiers and backdrops, with a professional model in front of you and a studio crew running the floor, instead of on borrowed gear in a hired hall.
Classes are taught by the photographers who shoot here, and the advanced courses are capped at four people, so everyone gets behind the camera, everyone gets corrected, and everyone goes home with their own images. Rated 4.9 from more than 75 Google reviews.
Cancellations & Refunds
If the organiser cancels the class:
You are entitled to a full refund.
If you can't attend the class:
Youβre welcome to send someone in your place.
OR
- A refund can be requested 21 days before class starts. Free of charge.
Terms & Conditions
Anyone partaking in any classes or coming to any events at Crown Visual Studio or organised by Crown Visual Studio must agree to these terms and conditions.
1.) SAFETY AND PERSONAL PROPERTY
The studio is a working space with lighting stands, cabling and powered equipment. I agree to follow the directions of the studio team at all times, and not to move or adjust lighting stands, cables or power leads myself. I understand that Crown Visual Studio is not responsible for my personal property, including cameras, lenses and bags brought to the studio. Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any right or remedy available to me under the Australian Consumer Law.
2.) PHOTO & VIDEO
I agree to give Crown Visual Studio unrestricted publishing rights for any photographs or videos taken at Crown Visual Studio classes and events or on Crown Visual Studio premises. (For use of Crown Visual Studio marketing materials).
3.) PHOTOGRAPHING OTHER ATTENDEES
I agree not to photograph, film or publish images of other attendees without their consent. The model and the set are there to be photographed; the other students are not.
4.) CONDUCT
Crown Visual Studio may ask anyone behaving unsafely, or in a way that makes other attendees uncomfortable, to leave the class. No refund applies where a class is left for this reason.
5.) NON-ATTENDANCE
If I do not attend a class and have not contacted Crown Visual Studio before it starts, my booking is not refunded.
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Studio Lighting Course: One Light, One Model
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