I've been in Melbourne for the last week or so doing the things described in my yet to be completed Foodies And Theatre Trip gallery. Consequently I haven't been around to post PADs or comment on PADs or reply to comments on PADs, or do anything relating to PADs (except take them) for the last few days. But rather than clear the backlog I'm going to get some more current stuff out of the way first, including today's PAD.

Today was half booked out as well, for I attended a half day course on "Studio Lighting for Portraiture" conducted by retailer Digital Camera Warehouse. (Since it was in Sydney I had to add a couple of hours driving as well.) It's early days for DCW's courses, and there are some kinks to be ironed out... but it's brilliant that they're adding this extra string to their bow, and based on today's one these courses are going to become a very valuable resource indeed for photographers.

As one can tell from my own galleries studio lighting, and indeed most artificial lighting, is not really my thing so it was interesting to explore another direction in photography.

This shot is of Bree, our model for the day. For the most part we were encouraged to keep her centre of frame, but you know me, I go my own way with framing even if I have no idea what I'm doing with portraiture as such.

This was our original setup with two Elinchrom ELC Pro HD Compact 1000 (1000 watt) flashes ($1.8K each, ouch) with one on the left of frame as the primary unit (with an octagonal softbox mounted over it), and the second as the fill unit with a beauty dish reflector at the back of it on the right of frame. I don't recall what the ratio of the primary and fill units' powers were.

Now all I need is about a grand to buy some lights. (More, much more, if I want these lights.) And some space into which to fit a studio. And a model that doesn't try to face rub the camera lens or throw herself upside down and meow when I try to direct her.

Hmm, maybe I'd better stick to shooting urban alleyways and beach sunrises...
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Edit 20 Aug 2024: Digital Camera Warehouse (DCW) started out as a single store in Canterbury, a relatively short drive from where I lived many years ago. I took advantage of that fact. Things started going well for them, and they expanded their reach into stores in Melbourne and Brisbane as well, as well as acquiring a Sydney CBD location at 360 Kent Street which used to be Foto Riesel before they hit the receivership wall in 2014. In 2015 DCW bought out the shell of Foto Riesel (including its former Sydney location) and changed it to "Foto Riesel by DCW". That branding didn't seem to last more than a year or so; they have a long-abandoned Instagram account which ran between December 2015 and September 2016.
I recall that they subsequently moved up Kent Street a little to 422 Kent Street Sydney, where I did at least one other course a few years later, but at the time this shot was taken they were still posting on IG with the 360 Kent Street address.
Of course, then came Covid. As of now, every DCW store save Canterbury has been long since shuttered. Courses? Technically they do sort of still run them, but they are private on line courses for 1 or 2 people with tutoring on Photoshop or Lightroom, or on your camera settings. They have occasional events, but almost all of those are brand promotions. Courses like this one? They're but a memory.