Frank Doorhof Glamor Workshop in L.A. June 7 & 8, 2008

Many of you know that I am beginning to explore Portrait/Glamor photography. I've spent a bunch of money putting together a small studio in my house with high end equipment. I've spent a lot of time reading and experimenting. But when push comes to shove, the best learning comes from actually seeing what happens on a photo-shoot (as with the Jason Cole DVD I recently reviewed which has just started pressing and will be out in about two weeks) or even better, participating! Last year I attended Frank Doorhof's glamor workshop in Los Angeles and learned a huge amount. I had never used my lightmeter in the studio before the workshop ... I just tethered my camera to my laptop and did a long series of exposure tests until I got where I wanted. After seeing how to do this properly with my meter at Frank's workshop, it now takes maybe three test shots because the exposure is so close when I start. I now always do the first shot in every lighting change having the model hold a gray card to her face ... huge difference in white balance correction, as I saw in Frank's workshop. I also saw how to create subtle but interesting lighting on my background papers and how to use gels.

Since I can't recommend this kind of learning strongly enough and since Frank, from the Netherlands, is coming back to L.A. on June 7 & 8 this year, I wanted to make sure everyone was aware since he doesn't do much in the way of advertising. Frank runs sold out workshops back home every week. You can see a portfolio of his work at http://www.frankdoorhof.com/portfolio/ and his workshop schedule at http://www.fotografie-workshops.nl/ENGELS/overview.html with an email address to request a slot at a workshop.

So, you might ask if I am attending this year? No. I have conflicts with my casino work and will be out of the country immediately afterward ... and I had a free invitation, sigh. But Frank will be visiting with me for a couple of days to go wine tasting in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation where I live, visit a few missions, play at the ocean, and generally relax.

I'll have the next installation of the Equipment Review sometime in the next few days ... I'm very busy, as always.

Be Safe!

Dwight