Some Words from the Pros:

Scott Condray said:

"If you want to understand light, and how to control it, take Don’s workshop. He’s a great photographer and an even better teacher."
Scott Condray: Visualville

Steve Burger adds:

"Don's workshop's are great. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to see how great fashion images are created from start to finish. Don's work is on a level of it's own. Now with his workshops, he's passing on his favorite techniques. If you want to learn to work with light, this workshop is a must."
Steve Burger: Pro Digital Image

"Don Giannatti is a consummate photographer who knows the business of making his subjects look good from both sides on the lens. His decades of experience and straight forward approach make his workshop experience well worth the investment.

Don doesn't tell you how to shoot, he teaches you how to create, how to see the light...how to compose the photograph...how to work with a subject in order to capture just the right moment. His enthusiasm is contagious and his methods are proven. He wants his workshop participants to share what he has learned over many years -- how to make a great photograph and have fun doing it!"

Steve Dreiseszun
Principal
Viewpoint Photographers

So You Would Like to Host a Workshop in Your Part of the World? Here's How...

I love to travel and I love to teach. I am so excited to be able to come to your town and do a workshop for the local and regional photographers. I look forward to working with the sponsors to create a fantastic workshop experience for everyone.

If you are interested in getting a workshop in your area, you should contact me about being a sponsor. There is no financial obligation for the sponsor, but there are some duties that must be done well to insure a great workshop. Hosts attend free.

A sponsor will do the following:

Find and secure a shooting space big enough for 15 attendees, 4-6 models, me and gear. Most of the time a conference room or meeting space is fine, but a cool location with some windows or a studio is best.
Arrange a place for a meetup the evening before. It is really great when traveling so far to have a chance to meet and greet the workshop folks and get to know them a little bit before the next big day. Saves us time in introductions as well and gives us more time to do what we need to do on workshop time.
Find a good restaurant close to the workshop that isn't too dang expensive nor is it fast food. Simple and fast is best, but also a place where we can all sit and chat. Even better is one that delivers.
Review and meet the models and make sure they are up to speed on the workshop. I also have paperwork for them and the photographers that makes sure they all know what is allowed and not allowed.
Make any other arrangements that would have to be done (permits for shooting in a park or such)
Be the chief cheerleader for the workshop
Identify any additional advertising spaces there to make the registration easier. I have posters and flyers and those kinds of things, but you may have to print a few at your location.
Deliver flyers, posters, and marketing materials for the workshop to labs and camera stores and any other places that would be a good place to market the workshop. Help in identifying the best places to market there is also very important.
Find me a good place to stay. Close enough to the workshop and not the most expensive around. I have rather spartan needs and prefer ambience to flash.

If you would like to host in your area, get ahold of me by email and let's discuss. Some areas I would personally like to visit are Vancouver / Seattle, Denver, Houston, Atlanta, Cincinnati, hey... I love every place.

I would like to put together a European workshop tour as well. Ireland, UK, Portugal, Spain and Italy. If we could arrange consecutive weekends, it could be really cool. I would like to meet and shoot with as many photographers as I can while there.
Lighting Essentials in Boston

Lighting Essentials in mexico

The Lighting Essentials Workshop Itinerary

Here's what we cover and a general plan for the 2 Days... We add to it occasionally...

The itinerary below is the master one that we are working with for all the 2010 seminars. It may vary a bit from region to region due to weather and light conditions, but all of the material you see below will be in the workshop... and more. We do add a little customization for specific areas we are working in. Of you are interested in hosting a workshop in your area, see below - left panel.

Day One

8am to 9am:
Breakfast and meet time: Optional.

9am to 10am:

Overview of Light and Light Modification Tools

Parabolic reflectors
Umbrellas
Scrims
Softboxes
Cookies and Flags
Light and the Subject
Working with the Subjects in the Light
How to Use Light to Create the Image You Want
Inverse Square Law - Practical Applications That can Save Your Shots
Working with Models Part One
F-stop choice... How it Matters - a lot.

10am to 11am: Setups for Professional Results
(Mix of Studio Lights and Speedlights)

Single Light Solutions with Umbrella and Softbox (or scrim)
Beauty Dish for Drama
Softbox Simplicity
Classic Clamshell Beauty
Accent Lights

11am - Noon: Working Lunch: Model and Photographer Team

Posing Ideas
Working with a Model on Set - and in the Light
Myths and Truths about Models
Working through "challenges"
How to Find and Keep good models

1pm - 3-3:30pm

Shooting Models in the Setups (Models rotate through the groups)
This is a shoot time for working with models in different light setups, Photographers shoot in all setups as well as all models.
Setup Photos encouraged / workbook has graphing for notes

3:30 to 5:00pm

Lighting for Location Portraits
"Beach Light" Setup for Beauty
Creating a shot in a bad location - Using Light as a Subject
Model shoot with new techniques
"Knowing" your Speedlight: a technique for taking the guesswork out of working with small strobes.

5:00pm to 5:30pm: Teardown

Optional shooting after 6PM - we all go to dinner at some point, so plan on sitting around eating and chatting about the day and any photography questions you may have.

Day Two

8am to 9am: Optional hour for discussion/review - a casual time for talk

9am to 10am: Natural Light and Natural Light Modifiers

Finding perfect light on location
Using reflectors to control contrast
Location Challenges and How to Overcome them
Natural Light Subtleties

10am to 11pm: Models on Location

Working with Models on location (part two)
Controlling the Model within the light
How to keep control of your shoot
Setting up for location headshots
Using the environment to help create the lighting for the shot
Five ways to use a speedlight without changing your natural light settings... and add a 'killer' look.
(Only taught at the workshops - you'll love this stuff)

11am to 12pm: (working lunch): Using Speedlights on Location

Bare Flash techniques for a Non-Flash look
Using modifiers on location (Umbrellas/Softboxes/Scrims)
Adding Speedlight to existing sun
Shooting in the worst light of the day... now not a problem

12:30pm to 2pm: Shooting on location with models

Photographer model teams shoot in the locations with natural light / speedlight / mixed assignments
photographers and models rotate so everyone has a chance to shoot all assignments/models

2pm to 3pm: When the Location Sucks

"Creating the Shot" when the light and location is less than perfect
How multiple speedlights can help when the light isn't cooperating
Two and three light setups
How "knowing" the lights can save time and keep the shot moving
Dynamic "Posing" techniques. How to light a moving subject
"Choosing the angle can make all the difference."
How that applies to lighting as well.

4pm to 5:30pm: Model Shooting with assignment sheets.

Models/Photographers rotate for four assignments
Each group will photograph every model

5:30pm to 6pm: Wrapup and Discussion

Shooting is optional for those who want to continue. I am more than happy to stay and shoot as well. This can be a very fun, and creative time.

Workshop Price is $450 for both days and includes lots of freebies and lunch.

During each of these modules attention is paid to Why we do it, What it does, and How it can be used for your image making. It is a total immersion experience... not just a piece at a time. Lighting for the subject, in an environment as well as a studio, means taking a lot of information into account. We discuss this as we are working on the lighting setups. Extrapolation is the operative word in photographic lighting... how can I make this work for me?

You are encouraged to bring a video camera, P&S camera and an audio recorder for personal recordings of setups and work. We are making it mandatory that these videos are for personal use only and will not appear anywhere. Thank you for understanding how important that is for us.

As we work on the setups I will be discussing the many reasons and ideas that are part of each setup. This insight is helpful for photographers to understand all that is happening. It is an essential part of the education so your attention is needed for these times as well.

We will be working on some innovative ways to make sure the models get their images, so I will be updating this document in the upcoming weeks. It is quite disappointing for the models to come to the shoots and be promised photographs from the photographers and then never receive any. It has been a real sore spot for my workshops and I must remedy that immediately. Watch for updates.

Please stay tuned to the workshop page where you signed up for updates concerning your workshop. Thank you for your interest and signing up. I cannot teach anyone to be a great photographer, but I can teach you the skills you need to light like one.