Studio & Strobes: Studio Lighting for Portraiture and Product

Duration: 2 Day Workshop

Upcoming Workshop Dates:

• Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th April 2025
• Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September 2025

Location: The MIPP Studio, Paola

Workshop Facilitator: Frank Farrugia, Edward De Gabriele and GUEST PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHER

MIPP invites you to our studio lighting workshop titled – Studio and Strobes – a dedicated course to train you with the basics in studio lighting for portraiture and product photography. We cover intermediate level topics, suitable to anyone who knows their camera and wishes to take their skill set to the next phase. Limited to 8 students.

Day 1: Introduction to Studio Lighting and Monitor Calibration

Morning Session (9:00AM – 12:00PM): Studio Equipment and Basics

Welcome and Housekeeping (9:00AM – 9:15AM)

  • Introduction to the workshop and participants

Studio Walkthrough and Navigating Studio Equipment (9:15AM – 10:00AM)

  • Introduction to various lighting equipment – strobes, stands, diffusers, triggers
  • Basic terminology and functions

Safety in the Studio (10:00AM – 10:15AM)

  • Studio safety guidelines and precautions – cords and cord management, taping backdrops etc

Hands-on Equipment (10:15AM – 11:00PM) 

  • Guided tour of the studio and its equipment
  • How to handle lights, stands, and modifiers safely

Understanding Light (11:00AM – 12:00PM) with Model

  • Basics of light quality, intensity, direction, and colour
  • How light affects your subject
  • Using Modifiers to shape light and fill shadows

Lunch Break (12:00PM – 1:00PM) – Catering Supplied – Mixed sandwiches and wraps catering – dietary requirements to be confirmed upon booking

Afternoon Session (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM): Portrait Photography Lighting Basics and Monitor Calibration 

Monitor Calibration and Tethered Shooting (1:00PM – 1:30PM)

  • The importance of monitor calibration in photography
  • Introduction to calibration tools and software
  • Explanation of tethered shooting using Adobe Lightroom
  • Setting up and connecting your camera for tethered shooting

Setting Up Your First Portrait Shot – Using a single Key Light (1:30PM – 3:00PM) with Model

  • Step-by-step guide to setting up a simple portrait lighting arrangement – Rembrandt, Butterfly with and without fill
  • Hands-on shooting and assisting practice for students with one light source

Portraiture Using Two Lights – (3:00PM – 4:30PM) with Model

  • Step-by-step guide to introducing a second light for fill/rim/accent lighting on subject and backdrop
  • Hands-on shooting and assisting practice for students with two light sources
  • Introducing colour gels and controlling spill

Day 2: Portraiture – Extended and Product Lighting Techniques

Morning Session (9:00AM – 12:00PM): Group split into 2 – Concurrent Workshops for Rotation

ROOM 1: Fashion Lighting Techniques

Three-Point Lighting Setup (9:00AM – 10:00AM) with Model

  • Explanation and demonstration of key, fill, and backlighting
  • Participants practice with portrait subjects and assisting other students

Creative Portrait Lighting. (10:00AM – 12:00PM)

  • Low-key and high-key lighting
  • Controlling mood and atmosphere adding constant lighting into the lighting mix

ROOM 2: Lighting Techniques for Food and Product Photography

Lighting Techniques for Food (9:00AM – 10:30AM)

  • Light angles, diffusion, and reflections
  • Basic food styling – props, surfaces, backgrounds, thematics
  • Demonstrations and hands-on practice

Lighting Techniques for Product (10:30AM – 12:00PM)

  • Light angles, diffusion, and reflections
  • Working with metallics, glass and liquids
  • Demonstrations and hands-on practice

Lunch Break (12:00PM – 1:00PM) – Catering Supplied – something different to day 1 – dietary requirements to be confirmed upon booking

Afternoon Session (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM): Morning Session Repeated with Group Rotation to maximise time shooting

Q&A and Wrap-up (4:00PM – 4:30PM)

  • Open discussion and Q&A with facilitators
  • Recap of key takeaways from the workshop, including the importance of monitor calibration in the photography workflow.

Notes:

  • Students are expected to bring their own DSLR or Mirrorless Cameras and Laptops (optional) and to have a basic understanding of using their camera in Manual Exposure Mode
  • This is a 2 Day Workshop that cannot be split into 1 day passes
  • Students with dietary requirements must inform MIPP upon enrolment allowing enough time for catering purposes
  • This course is NOT suitable for anyone with strobe light and flash sensitivities.