02. We started the day in the spring sunshine to get everyone warmed up.

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08. Behind the scenes shot of delegates making use of my reflector set up.

09. A new take on the pub shot of old.

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16. This scene uses my classic tunnel lighting technique to key and kick Jamie and Adele.

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23. I used the 35mm prime lens at f/1.4 to capture the next few pictures.

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27. Fab lighting with a red, green and blue scene.

28. A different angle tells more of the story of location and adds depth. I carefully placed Jamie to get his hat shadow in just the right place.

29. I then isolated Jamie to make more of a Lovegrove image.

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32. An age old classic way to create a dynamic situation with two people is for one to piggy back the other.

33. Adele has a great dynamic as she pulls Jamie up. I was expecting a little more grace and elegance but Jamie was making Adele work harder than was necessary. It’s a good job she didn’t let go.

34. This is one of my favourite shots of the set.

35. This is not Photoshopped. Jamie really can jump that high without a run up. Fujifilm X-Pro1 with an 18-55mm zoom lens set at 18mm. By separating the focus function from the shutter release I have the opportunity to capture precise moments without any timing lag.

36. A little flash on camera technique that I teach my delegates was used to create this very simple couple picture.

37. Creating colour contrast with gels on Speedlights adds a different look again.

38. I shifted the white balance for these two shots to give the impression of nearing sunset.

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The Seven Five gradient filters come in soft or hard. The hard 0.6 ND grad is in the foreground and a soft ND grad is in the background.

The X100 adapter ring

The X100 adapter ring showing the internal thread to mate with the Fuji X100 and X100s models.

The Fujifilm X100 adapter ring with the Lee Sev5n holder attached.

02. A Speedlight is such a powerful bit of kit when used with a manual zoom setting. I love hard light and this is what you get from it used off camera with no modifiers. Carla was such a sport on this shoot. It was cold and uncomfortable on the barrels.

03. On a cold overcast day in Manchester the Speedlight gave our pictures punch.

04. Carla on the window sill of my favourite pub building in town.

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06. Carla in the ginnel by Deansgate locks. I used f/1.4 on my Fujifilm 35mm lens to reduce the depth of field.

07. Graffiti in the basement of a Deansgate bar.

08. A low angle Lovegrove classic.

09. Starsky and Hutch style graphics liven up this sunlit shot.

10. I’ve been creating custom curves profiles in Lightroom to generate ‘looks’. I’m not convinced I like them yet.

11. I lit Carla with natural light and used f/1.4 on the 35mm Fuji lens with my X-Pro1 camera.

12. A single ~Speedlight gave a striking look to this Castlefield portrait.

13. Low gamut harmony in thin monochromatic portrait.

14. A zoomed in Speedlight on camera makes this shot work well. I used a Nikon SB900 on my Fuji X-Pro1.

15. I zoomed the Speedlight out to 50mm for this alternative shot in the same location.

16. I posed Carla in a style I borrowed from Kate Moss. Her Belstaff campaign shots reminded me of a Blondie album artwork shoot and Carla in a leather jacket has overtones of both Debbie Harry and Kate.

17. One of my custom made film simulations partnered with the wonderful look from the 35mm wide open.

18. Carla in the tunnel of love under Gmex.

1. Shot in the ladies loo in Cloud 23 bar on the X100 with a Nikon SB900 on camera set to 1/8th power. All flash guns with a foot work on the Fuji cameras. We synced the SB900 to 1/500th but could have gone faster if required.

2. I lit this shot with my Elinchrom Quadra triggered by a cheap Ebay trigger set costing less than £15.

3. Carla was lit with a Lupolux 1200 spotlight with one of the new Lovegrove Scattergels clipped to the barn doors.

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5. I showed the delegates how I look for shots and compose with the architecture.

6. This is a frame without the flash showing just how much work it was asked to do.

7. This shot was with the flash. We used 1/500th of a second flash sync speed with the X100 and X100s cameras. Lighting was provided by the Elinchrom Quadra in a Rotalux 70cm deep Octabox.

8. Lit with the Orbis ring flash and a Canon 580EX2 Speedlight. Triggered with an Ebay trigger.

9. Lit with window light. I’ve been playing with a few canned ‘film looks’ in Lightroom hence the weird colour. Normal service will be resumed when I’ve recovered from my temporary madness.

10. Lit once again with the inexpensive Orbis universal ring flash adapter for Speedlights.

11. I lit Carla here with the Lupolux DayLED 1000 spotlight.

12. I love hard light.

13. A splash of Speedlight rigged off camera was enough to balance the light on Carla with the sunlit city of Manchester beyond.

14. I used the House Of Fraser bag to add a pop of colour to this Zara dress.

15. I used a panelite reflector to punch some light back onto Carla here. The Fuji x day was all about exploring different lighting techniques while having fun making fashionable portraits.

16. I lit Carla with the Lupolux DayLED 1000 for this triptych.

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19. Waiting for the lift to the Cloud 23 bar.

20. This was taken in Podium bar on the ground floor. I managed to negotiate ‘access all areas’ at the Hilton for this workshop.

21. We nipped out for a few moments to enjoy the sun and caught a few natural light frames in my signature lighting style.

22. Lashings of sunlight gave us interesting opportunities.

23. Even in the depths of this car park entrance the X100 was at home in Av mode at f/2 and using auto ISO 3200.

24. Simple natural light was seen and controlled to capture Carla over a barrel.

25. Back in the hotel, style was the order of the day. I used a Panelite to light Carla.

26. A simple lighting modifier and the trusty Lupolux DayLED 1000 was used for the next 9 or so shots. I showed a simple Hollywood portrait set up with just one light.

27. It’s all about cheek bones and face structure definition. Don’t try this with flash or soft light. This is the work of continuous light from luminaries with lenses.

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30. If I knew my film stars I could add a classic quote to this shot.

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34. Remember, these are all taken with a fixed lens camera. No zoom just a 35mm field of view from the bijou Fujifilm X100

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36. The corridors of power in the Hilton gave us plenty of compositional elements to use.

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38. Lit with reflected sunlight unlike the previous 12 frames. I used the classic Hollywood cheek triangle lighting set up here, where the nose shadow meets the cheek shadow to enclose a triangle on the near side of Carla’s face.

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01. Emily was lit with four Dedo tungsten spot lights for this first set up in our Manchester bar.

02. The bar we chose was full of interesting textures and a Buddha.

03. Emily wears a corset by Lisa Keating and is lit with three Dedo lights.

04. I loved the staircase in this bar and just had to shoot it.

05. This reflection zone reminds me of a shot I did way back for my Speedlight Mastery DVD.

06. I added a tutu to this leather waspie by Lisa Keating.

07. Tequila was the order of the day. I lit Emily with a Lupolux 1200 light.

08. I love Emily’s shoulders. Simple elegant shape and style.

02. Kate loved the flare shots I took of Agata Mazur back in 2010 and I set about recreating a few similars in my studio. I shot this with one Lupolux DayLED 100 lamp from behind. I didn’t notice Kate’s bra strap on the first few images but this got edited for the frames we sent her. These are just the Lightroomed set. I have the client pictures Photoshopped as required.

03. When I’m shooting flare shots I use my left hand to control the quantity of light directly hitting the lens.I like to ‘connect’ in portfolio work. Fashion neutral expressions are boring by comparison.

04. It’s rare for me to shoot from above the eye line but I chose to soften Kate’s look by shooting from above.

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06. A corset by Lisa Keating made a guest appearance and Kate loved the corseted look.

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08. Kate is kind, eloquent, beautiful, patient and professional. If you are an agent and are interested in signing Kate please get in touch with me and I’ll pass your details onto her.

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12. Kate is one of the best, most natural and gorgeous models that I have worked with.

01. Lit with just one Lupolux DayLED 1000 on full power.

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02. The Lowel was used as a back light here.

03. Creative photography is also about seeing picture opportunities where the untrained eye see obstacles.

04. Even the entrance porch is an exciting space when it is lit with the Lowel iD light.

05. An advantage of working on dull days in the winter is that it always feels like dusk and simple lighting can make beautiful pictures.

06. Forget Speedlights here. This kind of venue requires lighting at the next level up. Forget LED, HMI and flash, there really is no substitute for the industry standard battery powered Lowel iD light. That is why the top pros use it, week in and week out in the winter.

07. A diagonal slash of light from the Lowel allowed me to illuminate the painting too.

08. The silver frames on the sideboard contain pictures of royalty taken at various visits to Hopetoun.

09. The crisp light from the Lowel is perfect for close ups too.

10. There is always time for a bit of fun.

11. Again just a single Lowel is all we used for this shot.

12. As the light faded at the end of the day we had to turn the Lowel down on the dimmer to keep a sensible balance. The Lowel can run on full power for well over 3 hours on one charge with the Lovegrove Lithium battery pack.

13. Even a panelled corridor is a location for a shot. A wall light provides our back light in this shot.

14. I lifted off the lamp shade of the lamp just to the right of camera. This then became my key light and the Lowel was the back light.

15. Dappled light is my speciality.

16. Next it was time for a pair of Speedlights in the Gemini bracket shooting through a white umbrella. On half power these Speedlights can light big groups and recycle quickly but on 1/125th power they are far more subtle as this sequence shows.

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20. We had to do it. We popped outside for five minutes to shoot with the Gemini rig. Both the Lowel and Gemini rig are cable free so they can go anywhere without mains power.

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22. Lighting a picture properly is so much better than just using a fast lens or high ISO.

23. We returned to the house via the stables.

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27. For formal portraits the Gemini and Speedlight rig is the best I’ve used. The dress is clean and bright, the side light ads warmth and character to the shot and the softness of the brolly diffuses the shadows.

28. The sofa on the top landing at Dundas was in shadow until we lit it with a Speedlight in the Gemini.

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30. The Gemini was perfect here too. This is my formal portrait set up. I’d use it for a bride or the queen.

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33. As the light fades it’s time to bring out the Lowel.

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35. One of my favourite shots is this frame lit with the Lowel. Great venues and fabulous brides deserve wonderful light. Nothing less will do.

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02. The Speedlight set up lifted Julia and gave her a radiant glow on what was a very cold dull day at this time.

03. It was too cold for Julia to take her coat off at the start of shooting but the day soon warmed up and so did we. I love Julia’s beautiful, cute look. Radmila kept saying “you have such perfect teeth” and that made us laugh. We had fun despite the cold.

04. Columns and arches are everywhere in Munich. This gives me plenty of locations to take delegates if it is raining. After all, this was a recce shoot for a street fashion workshop.

05. I struggled to get the flash ambient balance right for the shot on the left but finally I settled on this mix. The shots on the right are just delightful and lit with natural light. I love shooting into the light and the X100 lens is fabulous at rejecting flare.

06. When shooting portraits with the X100 (with it’s fixed 35mm eqv lens) I have to ensure I don’t get too close. These are on the limit and are really better suited to a 50mm eqv lens like the 35mm f/1.4 on my Fuji X-Pro1.

07. Rather than faff around with carving blocks of stone for these buildings a few decorators popped in and painted the façades instead. (Natural light)

08. Munich was empty for us. I don’t know where everyone was but I was quite happy shooting in what looked like a large film set.

09. Every now and then a group of tourists cluttered our backgrounds but really, I could cope with this. I spent many moments lying or kneeling on the cobbles. Radmila picked up a model shoot from a passing local right here. It’s being out and about shooting that gets the business, not sat in front of a computer.

10. Here are a few sunlit portraits from our mini shoot session. The Fuji X100 pictures look fab straight out of camera. I’ve not had to adjust the colour balance on these at all. I whizzed them through Lightroom and here they are.

11. A bit more of the abandoned film set. The fountains were off because of freezing temperatures at night but in the summer this fountain must be spectacular.

12. A splash of direct flash from my Gemini set up lit Julia beautifully. I needed both Speedlights on full power so I could cut the ambient exposure sufficiently. The whole scene including the background building is in full sun.

13. After a fabulous lunch amongst the business elite of Munich we found it hard to get going again so we shot for another twenty minutes or so and called it a wrap.

14. We love you Julia. You are beautiful and fun.

02. Wlada and I have fun. We have shot once before in Berlin and the parties there were nearly all-nighters. The spark and catalyst comes from a mutual respect and trust. These are the foundations that a youthful spritz can be created. Laughter and fun are ever present when I’m shooting portraits. The energy in these pictures is a fusion of my ‘messing about’ and Wlada’s reactions.

03. I love the way the Fuji X-Pro1 tone dynamics work at ISO 3200. These next two panels were all shot at ISO 3200. I’d be happy to print the images at any size. I used a Tiffen 1/4 Black Pro Mist filter on the 60mm Fuji lens too.

04. Sequences make beautiful albums and if you charge by the print get good at shooting sequences.

05. I lit this sequence with Radmila’s Prophoto studio heads. I lifted the studio light level with the Prophoto while maintaining a soft delicate lighting style. I nearly always reflect light off walls and surfaces to achieve this kind of look. Wlada wears a tutu skirt from Radmila’s studio wardrobe.

06. I lit this set with the Lupolux 1200 light with the ‘crackle’ gobo gel fitted. Hard light generates higher contrast and gorgeous shadows. Knowing how to use hard light properly is the key to it’s success. Let me show you how at one of my studio lighting, Boudoir or Hollywood Glamour workshops.

07. Wlada decided the ladder was a good prop to use and I liked her hat.

08. We had a fusion of ideas for this set of images that I lit with a strip light softbox.

09. Beautifully simple portraits of a simply beautiful girl.

10. This triptych was shot on the studio lighting workshop using my X100. It is the only set from the two days that I used the X100 for but I was up a ladder and it just seemed like the right camera for the job. I lit Wlada with a Lupolux 1200 HMI light and the Lovegrove ‘Alto’ gobo gel. Wlada feels amazing in a corset by Lisa Keating.

11. Wake up! I used a pair of colour gels from the Lovegrove Studio collection to light Wlada from behind and a beauty dish with a grid from the front. The smoke had mostly dissipated by this point as I let the delegates shoot first while I did the wafting.

12. Low key in a high key studio proved rather difficult but we got there with controlled lighting.

13. Wlada make shooting fun. There’s never a dull moment as we egg each other on.

14. I lit this scene with a Lupolux 1200 and a potted plant from Radmila’s studio. I put the plant on a table and adjusted it’s position until magic happened. Wlada wears a dress made for her by her dad.

15. I now have great memories of my fun time in Munich.

02. This is the first in a series of three natural light shots taken in the same location.

03. This is one of my favourites from the shoot in the sand dunes of Corralejo.

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05. Taken on the recce, this shot was lit with the same Elinchrom Quadra and Maxi Spot reflector as I used in shot 01. Notice the three stop contrast ratio in the shadow under Carla’s chin.

06. The Elinchrom Quadra really does pack a punch. You can see the hard shadow from the sun in the foreground and a softer shadow from the Quadra head in the background. Fuji zoom lens at 52mm and f/11 for 1/125th second at ISO200. ND x8 Filter.

07. This is a naturally lit shot of Carla on the dunes. 60mm lens at f/8 for 1/500th second at ISO 200.

08. Grace, elegance and design.

09. I copied this natural light shot from Radmila Kerl, one of my delegates who flew in from Munich. She has a fantastic eye for capturing detail and beauty. This really was a coming together of creative passionate photographers for some inspiration time. The next year event details are here.

10. I lit Carla with one of my trademark lighting styles using the sun as a back light and the Quadra as the key light.

11. We captured soft beauty shots using reflected light once we had made our way to the first set of ruins.

12. The colour palette was calm and the contrast low. This is the perfect type of location to capture deep and soulful images.

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14. I like Carla’s strength of character in this shot. I directed a diagonal in her shoulder line and chose a central composition to match the drama of her look.

15. The sun came and went throughout the two days of shooting. We rarely used it to directly light Carla but when we did the results were fabulous.

16. This spot on the recce day was bathed in flat light. On the workshop day it was sun lit as you can see in shots 39 and 40.

17. Here was the first time we used the Quadra with a 40cm Silver brolly. The softer shadows tell the story of the size and direction of the light source. I used the zoom lens on my Fuji at 18mm for this shot. The zoom at 18mm is sharper from wide open than the pancake prime lens of the same focal length, especially in the corners.

18. Another shot taken with the silver umbrella. I felt this room was a bit like a cell.

19. In the same space but with reflected natural light.

20. We went with big hair for this Bridget Bardot look.

21. This softly lit beauty shot uses the light from a simple reflector and a strong look from Carla completes the picture.

22. By contrast I used just sunlight for this powerful frame. Keeping the sun off Carla’s face is crucial to get this shot to work. Her shadow on the wall keeps the shot real. I love Carla’s curls in this shot.

23. Reflected sunlight makes this next sequence special. Knowing how to find and use great light is the key to the ruins section of this two day workshop.

24. Carla is a very experienced art nude model and can really shape herself beautifully. The colours of the walls in this room were perfect for this sequence of shots.

26. I showed how to use the Quadra from behind to create the illusion of sunlight coming through a hole in the roof.

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29. End of the day sunlight is a joy to use when it can be controlled and reflected.

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31. I used the simple reflector and translucent cover to light this shot of Carla in an extraordinary building.

32. Palms, a volcano and Carla Monaco.

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34. A dead tree added to the mix. I shot this on the recce day but I find the tree a little distracting.

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36. A simple over the shoulder look in my trademark dipped chin style where the shoulder provides a barrier to keep mystery in the picture.

37. I love to go in for beauty shots with my 60mm lens wide open at f/2.4

38. There were times when we used shadow patterns in our picture design. I lit Carla with a bare faced Quadra in this shot.

39. Bamboo roofing from a camel feeding station had collapsed into the room. I used it as a gobo.

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41. The big picture figure in the landscape shot taken at the camel house using sunlight as a key.

42. Notice how similar the shadow is on Carla only this time she is lit with the Quadra set up as shown in shot 43 below.

43. The set up for my shot above. These delegates were getting a more funky low angle wide shot with the sun in the frame too. There were 6 delegates, Carla and me. The Quadra was being powered with the new lithium batteries and they went on for ever. We must have got well over 400 full power shots from each battery. We never quite exhausted two of the three batteries I had with me each day, even with seven shooters.

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45. I decided to take the tutu I bought for my Black Swan workshop last month.

46. This was my favourite shot with the tutu. Polka dot shadows are fab.

47. Carla in full sun and lit with full power Quadra.

48. A wide shot showing the isolation and rugged landscape of Fuerteventura.

49. Next it was time for the beach.

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51. The Quadra on full power worked wonders here too.

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53. Full power Quadra here too.

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15. Vicki is checking out the stunning hand built Waghorn Super Strat guitar.

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22. My daughter Francesca wanted in on the action so she jumped on the bike while Vicki was changing. I’m a bit biased but I love this cool, no nonsense look of hers.

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02. Frank my co star made a shadowy appearance. I wanted to include a male figure in some of my pictures so I decided we should make one. Luke, my graphic designer and web guru sketched a man wearing a hat and holding a gun on A4 paper. He scanned the sketch into the computer and tidied the image in illustrator. It was then projected onto an A0 sheet of foam core attached to the wall of my studio with gaffa tape and our man was re outlined at life size. Luke cut out and trimmed Frank and I attached him to a lighting spigot using a magic arm. The whole job took a couple of hours. This scene was lit with a Lupolux 800 HMI spotlight on Chloe-Jasmine and a Lupolux 1200 HMI spotlight on Frank.

03. The cellar at Pipwell made a great location to light with the classic techniques of dappled key light and well controlled back light. It’s important for Film Noir images to have depth and the back light in this picture delivers just that. Notice how it kicks off the tips of the stair treads to define the set.

04. Strong use of back light is a characteristic trait of the genre and here it was used to extreme.

05. I lit the piano interior with a Lowel iD light. I lit C-J with an Arri 150 and I used an Arri 300 rigged in the next room as her backlight. Careful control of contrast and the ambient light level is needed. What may look like black holes in the images are indeed zone 1 0r 2 and will print as beautiful deep shadow detail. The dress falling off Chloe’s shoulder references the ‘Sexual motivations’ of the Film Noir genre.

06. Crisp hard spotlights make wonderful portrait lighting set ups. I like my pictures to be true to the moment and I therefore avoid Photoshop where possible. This philosophy goes against the current trend of erasing blemishes. I love my subjects to be real in all their quirky gorgeousness. My favourite pictures of all time by other photographers are mostly taken on film and the resulting prints show reality in a refreshing way.

07. Chloe-Jasmine soon got to grips with the Walther PPK and played her part with a convincing conviction. Let’s hope this scene is never acted out for real because there will only ever be one looser.

08. The use of light fittings in the shot to provide a ‘lighting motivation’ is a trick of film making techniques that makes even the most dramatic lighting become believable. The carefully set barn doors on the key and back lights make the picture what it is. Owning a spotlight is not enough. Just like owning a great camera, knowing how to use it is vital. In workshops like this I unravel the intricate process of setting lights artistically rather than just illuminating the scene with spotlights. Once shown how, delegates are empowered to explore and make beautifully lit images. Nothing is quite as exciting to a photographer than being able to use light creatively.

09. Our actress is precariously positioned at the top of the ladder in her high heels. Chloe-Jasmine is known for embracing danger. C-J is a tough gutsy girl just like the role she plays in our Film Noir workshops.

10. The bedroom scene is lit with two small Arris. I used the Lovegrove Avenger boom arm extensively in order to keep the lighting stands out of shot.  Chloe-Jasmine wears a Black tulle shrug with collar by Lisa Keating. Lisa has been very influential in my latest round of picture styling. Her fun enthusiasm fuels my learning of fashion and the intricacies of making women look fabulous. In this shot I’ve keyed Chloe-Jasmine to create shadow under her cheek bone and to emphasise the gentle curve of her jaw line. Film Noir lighting has to be inch perfect to get the look.

11. When lit with a pool of softer light the Film Noir look is all but gone. This picture has overtones of 60s film making when softer key lights became more prevalent.

12. Money is at the root of all evil. Or so they say. I lit C-J with a Lupolux Quad 1500 with it’s optional honeycomb grid attachment fitted. Where the light doesn’t fall is ultimately more important than where it does fall. The fall off of light is at the heart of Film Noir.

13. Just two lights were used to illuminate this classic Film Noir scene in the library.

14. This shot features my Remington typewriter, the Walther PPK hand gun and the Bakerlite phone from Ebay. The exposure was set by the roaring fire. The lighting was then set to correctly expose Chloe-Jasmine in situ. I used an Arri 150 as her key light and the 100w Lowel iD light as her back light. You can see the halation from the Black Pro Mist filter on the sequins on Chloe-Jasmine’s dress. At a 100% view the Tiffen filter exhibits a real analogue look. Black Pro Mists maintain the absolute sharpness but scatter a tiny proportion of the image light in a similar way to the base layer on film emulsions.

15. High key Hollywood lighting is just as beautiful as low key and might just prove more profitable for some professionals.

02. One hard light was a good starting point for this beauty shoot.

03. I then evolved the look by reducing the lighting contrast to lift the shadows. Fabulous hair by Vicki.

04. Fun and games created fleeting moments to be captured.

05. Such magical beauty fills the frame even though there is lots of space surrounding Chloe Jasmine. I get drawn into this shot.

06. Retro styled sunglasses and the furry wrap are Aneal’s finishing touches.

07. A 3:1 contrast ratio is what we went for here. It was not measured with a meter but judged using the screen on the back of the camera. Control of contrast is one of the fundamentals I teach in my studio lighting training workshops and 1:1 sessions.

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11. We went for a soft fluffy look here by reducing the lighting contrast to a bare minimum.

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15. This is the look I achieved in camera. Fabulously detailed yet etherial at the same time.

16. A familiar look. I switched to the 1/4 strength Tiffen Black Pro Mist filter.

17. Perhaps this is my favourite shot of the set.

18. Our last session of the day was lit with four classic Dedo lights.

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