Single Light Photography with the Westcott Apollo 28"

In this lecture we explain what speedlights are, and their main advantages and disadvantages. We also explain what to look for in speedlights and triggers to use for this course.

In this lecture we introduce you to our modifier of choice, the Westcott Apollo. We go over the “whys” and “hows”, and show you how to set it up. 

In this lecture we show you an additional modifier to use with the softbox, the eggcrate grid, and why you will definitely want one.

In this lecture we introduce a few inexpensive, invaluable tools that allow you to further tailor your lighting without breaking the bank: reflectors and boards.

In this first technical lecture, we go over how the speedlight exposure is created, and how it differs from regular “continuous light” exposure. We outline the variables that control both the exposures, and which ones allow independent control.

In the second technical lecture, we take an in-depth look at the relationship between shutter speed and speedlight exposure. We explore the inherent shutter speeds limitations due to camera design, and explain the difference between first / front and second /rear curtain sync.

In this third and final technical lecture, we take the knowledge acquired in the last two lectures about exposure for continuous light and speedlights and explore how to use them simultaneously. We discuss the limitations of shooting with this kind of simple equipment, and outline strategies to use the exposure variables to get to your desired look.

In this first practical section, we’ll be shooting a simple headshot in the studio, using the tools available to us in a few different setups. In this short introduction we outline our starting setup and settings, in preparation for the next lecture.

In this lecture, we go through several single light setups to create an array of different looks for a simple headshot in the studio.

In this lecture, we take you through our image selection process, and show you what we’re looking for while picking the best photograph out of a full session.

In this lecture we take the photo we chose in the previous section, and walk you through the first postprocessing stage using Adobe Lightroom. Here we develop the raw file, doing all the basic colour and exposure adjustments, in preparation for the final Photoshop work.

In this lecture we show you how we process the image we prepared in the previous lecture, from pixel manipulation such as fixing skin blemishes, to the final colour adjustments.

In this section, we’ll be shooting an outdoors portrait in 3 different lighting scenarios. In this short introduction we’ll outline our starting setup and exposure settings, in preparation for the shoot.

In this lecture we’ll take you through the portrait session outdoors. We’ll begin by using the Westcott Apollo as a fill light for the sun, then matching the ambient exposure, and finally using it as key light with low ambient for a dramatic look.

In this lecture we take you through our image selection process, and show you what we’re looking for while picking the best photograph out of a full session.

In this lecture we take the photo we chose in the previous section, and walk you through the first postprocessing stage using Adobe Lightroom. Here we develop the raw file, doing all the basic colour and exposure adjustments, in preparation for the final Photoshop work.

In this lecture we show you how we process the image we prepared in the previous section, from pixel manipulation such as fixing skin blemishes, to the final colour adjustments.

In this section, we’ll be shooting food in the studio – and not just any type of food: we’re shooting cake! In this short introduction we’ll outline our starting setup and exposure settings, in preparation for the shoot.

In this lecture we’ll take you through the cake photography session. We’ll begin by shooting a very dark chocolate cake, then change the setup entirely for a light coloured cake, while trying to retain all the lovely textures.

In this lecture we’ll walk you through the first postprocessing stage using Adobe Lightroom. Here we develop the raw file, doing all the basic colour and exposure adjustments, in preparation for the final Photoshop work.

In this lecture we show you how we process the image we prepared in the previous section, from pixel manipulation such as fixing blemishes, to the final colour adjustments.

In this section, we’ll be shooting a picnic outdoors. In this short introduction we’ll outline our starting setup and exposure settings, in preparation for the shoot.

In this lecture we’ll take you through the picnic session. We’ll begin by using the Westcott Apollo as the fill light for direct sunlight, then matching the exposures, and finally using it to “replace” the sun, providing some punch and direction to the ambient light.

In this lecture we’ll walk you through the first postprocessing stage using Adobe Lightroom. Here we develop the raw file, doing all the basic colour and exposure adjustments, in preparation for the final Photoshop work.

In this lecture we show you how we process the image we prepared in the previous section, from pixel manipulation such as fixing blemishes, to the final colour adjustments.

In this section, we’ll be shooting a model on location – a rooftop on a sunny (and very windy) day. In this short introduction we’ll outline our starting setup and exposure settings, in preparation for the shoot.

In this lecture we’ll take you through the portrait session on location. We’ll begin by shooting in the shade, using the Westcott Apollo as the key light, then go through a few different variations as the day progresses and the sunlight changes. We explore using the Apollo with and without the front diffuser panel, and create some interesting light patterns using the grid.

In this lecture we take you through our image selection process, and show you what we’re looking for while picking the best photograph out of a full session.

In this lecture we take the photo we chose in the previous section, and walk you through the first postprocessing stage using Adobe Lightroom. Here we develop the raw file, doing all the basic colour and exposure adjustments, in preparation for the final Photoshop work.

In this lecture we show you how we process the image we prepared in the previous section, from pixel manipulation such as fixing skin blemishes, to the final colour adjustments.

In this final lecture we show you the final images from each previous section. We hope you have enjoyed this course as much as we enjoyed creating it for you, and we’d love to see your imagery created with these tools, so drop us a line and show us your work!