Balancing daylight, God bless America
Albert Watson
Lesson Info
34. Balancing daylight, God bless America
Lessons
Meet your Master
01:26 2Learn from the journey
15:24 3Using inspirations
08:43 4Photography is stopping time
09:27 5Albert's library of ideas
08:30 6Tips on preparing for a portrait shoot
12:10 7Setting up the studio
04:56 8Understanding studio collaboration
07:35The importance of casting and hair & make-up
08:59 10Foreground studio set up
08:46 11Studio session with a model - set up 1
11:23 12Studio session with a model - set up 2
05:55 13Studio session with a model - set up 3
08:01 14Picking the best shot
03:36 15Working with photoshop
13:14 16Creating a portrait of Alfred Hitchcock
04:18 17The gigantic question... Colour or black and white?
07:55 18One day with Kate Moss
05:06 19Learn to have your ideas ready
06:14 20Using Polariods
06:29 21Creating beautiful photographs of hands
04:45 22Controlling natural light
05:38 23Shooting a monkey with a gun
06:27 24Choosing your format
07:13 25Composition and lens
04:47 26Shooting landscapes. The Isle of Skye
15:18 27Planning and ideas for a landscape shoot
06:32 28Creating still life images
13:48 29Photographing the Lost Diary
10:53 30Shooting album covers
03:09 31The Strip Search Project
10:28 32Shooting Las Vegas landscapes
08:24 33Photographing Breaunna
07:21 34Balancing daylight, God bless America
03:45 35Creating the Maroc Project
10:21 36Creating the Maroc shoot
08:11 37Photographing sand dunes
04:09 38Photographing Moroccan children
10:42 39Advice on making portraits
10:12 40How to be alert to finding photographs
07:35 41Making a portrait of Mike Tyson
02:39 42Creating intense colour in a photograph
03:04 43Portraits of rap stars and a Golden Boy
08:40 44Photographing Jack Nicholson
04:20 45Creating a portrait of David Cronenberg
02:14 46How to light only using two $10 bulbs
07:29 47Studio fashion set up 4
10:47 48Studio session with a model. The geography of a face
13:05 49Look inside the picture
02:56 50Creating memorability in an image
02:54 51Combining nudes and landscapes
04:52 52A perfect print
07:50 53The business side of things
06:50 54Conclusion and farewell
03:55Lesson Info
Balancing daylight, God bless America
(funky music) During the strip search project, I was outside of Las Vegas and I had finished doing a couple of landscapes out there and I was on the way in. And it was about 3:30 in the afternoon and I passed a large neon sign. And you couldn't really see it very well because it was still sunlight and you couldn't see the sign very well but I did see that it said "God bless America". And the letters God and Bless and America were against a blowing American flag And this was at the time of and of course there was a lot of patriotism across America, so here was a neon sign that probably was advertising a casino that was switched on to something much more patriotic, which was of course fine. But in noticing that sign, I thought "that is interesting". I double checked the sun position, I had them stop the vehicle and double check the sun position. And I said let's drive out here again round about 5:30 in two hours time. So I went into Vegas, did some other shots there and then we drove ...
out at 5: with a sunset that was going to be round about seven. So, I knew that that sign, some point had to hit a magic point. Where you had a sky with something in it. And Vegas a lot of the time you get of course sunsets. So the sky had something in it that was interesting and at the same time the neon began to read as neon. So I set up an 8 by 10 camera that was my weapon of choice there. And I set that up, and just simply waited another half an hour or so and then began to shoot at the three words God and then bless and then America on three separate plates. And then continued to do the three separate plates so the background always matched in case I wanted in the end to do a triptych. In the end I opted for a single shot of the God sign not a triptych. There was just something nice with the American flag and the word God written across it. And then of course in the Vegas desert and the fact that it was a neon sign. So, my point about this for students is driving down the road in the middle of the day make sure you're not chatting with your assistant or chatting with your partner or listening to the radio or if you are driving of course you do have to pay attention to the road, but stay keep looking at all times. I'm afraid there is no easy way of doing that. You just have to keep switched on. It's again and again the same advice. Because I just caught a glimpse of this sign and in fact and the word that I saw right away was America not God and then I had them pull over and then I can walk back to have a look at the sign. So you have to, I'm surprised sometimes with photographers, that I would have thought almost any photographer in the world if he's a real, real photographer would've wanted to get a picture of that. I mean you know but all photographers, what makes photography tremendous all photographers are different. (funky music)
Ratings and Reviews
Richard A. Heckler
"Unless you're Mozart"...this course is an invaluable asset. I'm a pro, humanitarian/documentary photographer, & wilderness...and I've learned much from the 40+ sessions here. This is truly a Master Class...next best thing to being with Albert. And although I could watch studio sessions forever, this course offered a very balanced curriculum of technical information, artistic encouragement and guidance, and a open, generous window into the thinking of a gifted artist and photographer, sifted from decades of first class experience. Kudos to all involved. Excellent!
a Creativelive Student
I purchased my first CreativeLive class in 2011 and have continued to purchase many classes over the years. I have learned so much from the many great instructors. This one is not a technical class that will tell you to set your camera at f4, 1/60, ISO 400 and you can get this shot. If you are looking for that, there are many other options. If you have a solid working knowledge of photography, this class is so much more. The way it was filmed is like you are there with him in conversation or in the room with him watching him shoot. To see and understand the how and why he does what he does. Not to take anything away from other classes that have helped to give me a strong understanding of photography, this is my favorite CreativeLive class so far.