Masterclass course: Film lighting in photography

In photography, light is only one element of our profession, but its wise use can have a decisive impact on achieving the desired visual and aesthetic effect. In film photography, as in film itself, lighting technique is an art in itself, and mastering it requires theoretical knowledge and experience. During the course, participants will have the opportunity to learn about many theories and best practices, allowing them to break away from the conventional methods and lighting patterns familiar from studio photography, which often interfere with the creation of atmospheric scenes. In previous editions of the event, even experienced photographers discovered gaps in their theoretical knowledge that had a measurable impact on their work with light on set.

We will talk about light sources and their characteristics, debunking many myths surrounding the concepts of "soft" and "hard" light, as well as terms that are mainly useful in studio conditions.

We will touch upon many topics related to photo aesthetics and elements that influence it, such as contrast ratios measured in various ways. We will talk about adjusting lighting to the desired character of the image and show how important it is to properly control the overall exposure level of the frame when lighting.

In addition, we will talk about how our eyesight and perception deceive us, and where this lack of precision hinders us and where it helps us.

During the course, we will have the opportunity to learn about various tools used to achieve different lighting effects in photography and film. Although light works the same way in all areas of photography, the equipment used to control it can vary greatly. We will present a full range of lighting equipment, discuss its characteristics, and show how it affects the process of creating photos and films. We will also have the opportunity to talk about low-budget and DIY lighting.

The course includes a practical block – lighting implementation on a stage of our choice in various configurations. We will not only show you the previously prepared lighting settings, but also, as always, we will guide you through the entire improvisational process in the space in order to comprehensively cover all the theoretical topics that were presented earlier in the course. We will also show you the implementation of our educational, multi-stage framework for creating stage lighting.

Knowledge and skills in operating equipment are not enough to achieve success in photography. We will talk about our approach to lighting a scene, paying attention to how to achieve a distinctive style in photography. We will show you how our improvisational process works, which takes place at each session. We will talk about our photos and the process of their creation. We will also show you that the magic of our photos is a combination of a lot of work and excellent technical preparation, and therefore, this magic is within everyone's reach.

While the course is strictly about film lighting, it is impossible to separate the process of exposing a photograph from the lighting technique itself. We illuminate our space in order to obtain a photograph in the camera. In the process of capturing a photo, we must determine the appropriate exposure, which is crucial in how we should light the scene. The technique of exposure in film is an art in itself. Unfortunately, this art has been greatly degraded in the world of contemporary commercial photography thanks to new technologies. However, the lack of this knowledge means that where a photographer should make an informed decision, the camera does it for us. We will tell you when it is worth using these conveniences and when technological progress will work to our disadvantage.