Kelby Training Online

Jan 26

In Advice, Links, Tips & Tricks at 11:18am

I’ve been doing these training videos on location light for my buddy Scott Kelby. They’ve been a ton of fun to do and, at first glance, I’m even mildly coherent. Click here to preview the lessons and site. If you can get past my visual appearance (hump, twitch in the left eye, constant drooling), there’s a fair amount of ground we cover about lighting both in the studio and on location, and using both large strobes and small, hot shoe flashes.

First one is up, and I take a look at light shaping tools from umbrellas (shoot through, reflected), to large and small softboxes, direction of light, methods of softening the light to achieve a good portrait look, to using a second strobe to provide fill and a bit of glamour. We chew through a bunch of stuff in the studio, some times being successful, and sometimes not, making adjustments, trying different stuff, even a quick ring light set, and then at the end of the day, real time, chasing the fading sunset, we do a seat of the pants strobe set on the beach with Jennifer Concepcion, a truly magnificent ballerina.

All in all, just another day on location, which is the whole point. The video camera is right there at my shoulder as I knock about, pursuing ideas, making points and mistakes, correcting them, finding solutions, and just pushing the envelope in much the same fashion I do when on a location portrait job, say, for Sports Illustrated. You see everything I do, real time, and are introduced to some of the voices in my head (make them stop!), the uncertainty and problem solving process of location photography, and speaking with light.

Upcoming lessons include basic hot shoe flash photography (SB-800 units) and SB-800-The Next Step, a full-blown location application of small strobes, as well as The Executive Portrait.

We have fun, too, the essence of location photography. In a later lesson I shoot Mike, a model/body builder, using one overhead SB-800 while he does his stage persona, competition bodybuilding expression. Not to be outdone, I had my assistants spray me down and put me out there in the same light. (I kept my shirt on, cause you don’t wanna intimidate the talent, know what I’m sayin’?)

So take a look. There’s a ton of great shooters and Photoshop instructors up there on the site, from Scott to Moose Peterson to Matt Kloskowski, to David Ziser.

Mentioned in this post:
- Nikon SB-800

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 26th, 2008 at 11:18 am and is filed under Advice, Links, Tips & Tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “Kelby Training Online”

Lee Robinson Says:
February 2nd, 2008 at 7:27 pm

Thanks so much for the sessions on studio flash, Joe. I thoroughly enjoyed each of them. The sunset beach shoot was great, too!
Mike Clemons Says:
February 4th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

Joe, I already wrote of your teaching prowess in another thread on your site, but I can’t say enough on the lessons.

I’ve watched them all twice, so far… I picked up tons on the second go through… the way you worked with the model and your assistant.. it just flowed so well.

The one thing I really noticed: Great model, hundreds an hour, great equipment, thousands of dollars. The look on Joe’s face at the begining of each lesson segment…. PRICELESS!

hana ho.. hana ho…
Mike Says:
February 4th, 2008 at 6:12 pm

Joe, I watched your whole series of lessons in one sitting…You did a fabulous job!

I was captivated by your style, sense of humor, interaction with Debbie, and, most of all, the content of the lessons. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your instruction on the Kelby site, it’s a GREAT thing that you joined his team of outstanding teachers.

Thank your for sharing some of your techniques with us!
James Garland Says:
February 5th, 2008 at 6:36 am

Joe,

You are such a huge inspiration to me. I started really diving more into photography after seeing some of the images you produced with just the SB-800’s. Ever since, I can’t seem to get away from them. They do become an addiction once you start purchasing more than one… or two, or three, or four… LOL

Keep up the great work and I can’t wait to see what this blog blossoms into.
Charles Says:
February 8th, 2008 at 3:21 pm

I hope this online course eventually makes it onto its own DVD. I’m not a fan of watching things on my computer, but would certainly buy any DVD you made!
Dennis Kielhorn Says:
February 10th, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Dear Joe!

I’ve imported “The Speed of Light” to Germany for my personal use. The things you’re showing on this DVD are interesting. But you’re not explaining, _why_ you do these things.

So I’m interested in these new videos. But - there’s no spoiler, trailer or something similar to get an idear, what’s gonna happen in these videos.

Or am I blind?

Thx for answering.

Greetings from Germany

Dennis Kielhorn

PS: Sorry about my ‘rusty’ english. “If you don’t use it, you’ll loose it.”

About Joe

Joe McNally is an internationally acclaimed American photographer and long-time photojournalist. McNally is known worldwide for his ability to produce technically and logistically complex assignments with expert use of color and light.

Joe McNally

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Jan 26