17.09.09
Brett Harkness Funky Flash Workshop
Words and images by Malcolm English
If your use of flash has been limited to formal studio portraiture, or on-camera indoor ‘snaps’, then Brett Harkness’s Funky Flash workshops could be just the thing to put that extra something into your photography.
Funky Flash workshops are aimed at both professional and amateur photographers looking for ways of using flash to ‘spice-up’ their wedding and portraiture work. A couple of the workshops are held each year at the Annabel Williams studio, in Cumbria, but most (including the one I attended) are run from Brett’s converted wood mill studio just outside Manchester. Assisting Brett, was his wife and business partner Kristie. As Kristie explained, her business experience is an ideal foil to Brett’s creativity.
Brett likes to limit the number of photographers on his workshops to eight at a time. This encourages friendly interaction within the group and enables him to give more individual attention. The day began with a tutorial on the basic use of flash in a variety of scenarios and then we quickly got down to putting the ‘lesson’ into practice. (We were all given Pocket Wizards to trigger the remote flash.)
Our first scenario was an indoor subject (Paul), lit using a mixture of ambient light and a single, off-camera, flashgun fitted with a softbox. This simple set-up was ideal for illustrating the relationship between flash positions, camera settings and posing the subject. In order to make the shoots as realistic as possible, it is a deliberate policy not to employ professional models for Funky Flash. We then had an outdoor, into the light, shoot using a high-speed flash technique – great for throwing the background out of focus.
After a buffet lunch we were bussed into the centre of Manchester, along with our two subjects for the afternoon, Sophie and Chlóe. The location was superb – canal bank, bridges, brick walls, waste-ground, archways and a car park. This was when we began to see why the workshop was called ‘Funky Flash’. Coloured gels on the flash were used to give ‘punch’ to backgrounds, while the main softbox was positioned to light the subjects. As forecast, the weather was extreme, from bright sunshine to a thunderstorm and heavy downpour. But none of this deterred Brett, Sophie, or Chlóe, who continued to demonstrate how to work in conditions which could - after all - be experienced in a ‘real-life’ shoot.
The ‘grand-finale’ was a three flashgun set-up. Using coloured gels on two of the flash guns, we were shown how to transform dark and dingy industrial arches into a stunning backdrop for a model shoot.
We all ended the day inspired to use our flash much more creatively. Even the three professionals in the group were looking forward to using some of the techniques for their wedding shoots.
Full details of the training courses run by Brett Harness can be found on www.brettharknessphotography.com
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