Review of Steve Richard's Light, Language and Line Workshop

I just completed Steve Richard's fantastic workshop, "Light, Language and Line: The Art of Studio Lighting and the Fine Art Nude", on the weekend.  It was an intensive 2.5 days spent at his amazing Shadowhouse Studio in Halifax.  The workshop was held in Studio A, a 2,500 square foot floor area with 1,700 square feet of shooting space and 17 foot ceilings.  It's fully equipped with Dynalite/Chimera lighting and grip gear, a kitchen, makeup/hair area, viewing loft and washroom.  Studio B is on the second floor with a similarly sized space.

The workshop covered, in detail, Steve's creative process and the technical topics of light intensity, light quality and light colour.  He explained and demonstrated the types of studio strobes, light modifiers, grip equipment and how and when to use them.  Eight participants were split into two work groups, each working with a model to learn and practice Steve's processes and techniques.  Many thanks to Karen Murdock and Elizabeth Macmichael for their superb professional modelling.

The most exciting parts of the workshop for me were to experience Steve's passion for photography, hear him describe his creative philosophy and process ("dogma" in his words) and see how he puts it into action.  It's all about creating a story conveying a mood or feeling with a dialogue of body language, line, form, "brush" strokes (both broad and fine), sculpting and textures.  The tools are light, shadow and subtle, desaturated colour.  Steve's energy goes into crafting lighting schemes, sets, props and tirelessly working with the right model. The image is created 99% in-studio and in-camera and 1% post-production work.

For Steve, it's all about creating a beautiful photograph and generously sharing his vast knowledge and experience.   He has developed his own strong style that works very well for him.  His enthusiasm is infectious.

I highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to stimulate their creativity and expand their photographic and artistic horizons.  

To see Steve's work go to his website at www.steverichard.com .