Creative Portraiture and Lighting (Lighting II)

Class begins Thurs. November 6th

Class Details
  • Registration
  • Student Level
    Intermediate
  • Course Length
    7 weeks
  • Start Date
    Thursday November 6th
  • Time
    7pm to 9pm.
  • Instructor
  • Cost
    $350 - Due at the start of the first class
  • Prerequisite Class
  • Location
    3301 N Lincoln - map
  • By Car
    Main Junction Belmont and Lincoln
  • Public Transport
    Brown Line or #11 Bus - CTA System Map

When most people hear the term “portrait photography,” they visualize a family dressed in its Sunday best posed rigidly in front of a camera at a department store. This is a misconceived impression of portraiture.

Portraits may be made in any circumstances — indoors, outdoors, in basements, in cars or over a cup of coffee after dinner. A portrait is, first and foremost, an interpretation of who the subject is — not just what the subject looks like. There's a unique life within a portrait. The camera can only capture one moment, but that moment should hint at circumstances far broader than the moment in the frame.

Creative Portraiture and Lighting is a seven week course intended for students with some previous experience in photography, including CPC’s Fundamentals of Lighting. Basic photography concepts, including aperture, shutter speed, film ISO and so on, should be mastered prior to enrolling.

The class is called Portraiture and Lighting, but lighting is only a part of the intricate puzzle. Each week, you are given an assignment that deals with a particular technical variable. The class examines the details in all aspects of portraiture, and we ask questions about much more than technical issues.

Classes consist of three parts:

  1. A lecture, including a lighting demonstration with a volunteer model.
  2. A shooting assignment done at home or on location
  3. A class discussion of the previous week's shooting assignment

You are expected to commit about five hours each week: two to three hours in class and up to three hours shooting pictures. If you use a film camera, you should also plan ahead for time to process the film before coming to class.

Course materials:

  • Your 35mm SLR or digital SLR (DSLR) camera
  • A 50mm lens
  • A lens of a focal length other than 50mm
  • A tripod
  • Three lights with light stands (equipment quality is variable - options will be discussed at the first class)
  • Other items such as reflectors, diffusion and advanced forms of light control are recommended but not required

If you’re ready to move to the next level following Creative Portraiture and Lighting, you should sign up for Advanced Studio Lighting (Lighting III).