Light Maker, Light Hunter: A Fujifilm GFX Experience with Christopher Berry

Light Maker, Light Hunter: A Fujifilm GFX Experience with Fujifilm Pro, Christopher Berry

Light Maker, Light Hunter is a hands-on, high-visibility workshop designed to take you from the predictability of controlled studio light into the dynamic uncertainty of real-world environments while showing you how to carry your confidence with you.

Grab your spot for the Photo Walk on Friday, June 5th at 5:30 pm:

The complete workshop experience spans two days, each offering distinct, hands-on learning opportunities. Attendance for both days is optional, allowing you to tailor the experience to your interests, much like a “Create-Your-Own-Adventure.” While some concepts from the first day may be revisited on the second, choosing to attend only one day will not limit your learning.

A Hands-on Workshop in Studio –

A variety of Fujifilm GFX cameras and lenses will be available during the in-studio portion, if attendees choose to utilize. However, all brands are welcome to attend! Please bring a camera, lens, memory card, and a fully charged battery. If you decide to test a GFX camera, bring at least a formatted 64 GB SD card.

Right away, we’ll dive in together to solve the most common lighting challenges photographers encounter in and out of the studio. We will also leave room to get creative and explore new techniques while welcoming happy accidents, because sometimes those make the best images!

We’ll work with a selection of speedlights, compact strobes, and modifiers – from bare bulb to softbox. Each technique will be broken into visual layers so you can see exactly how each light contributes and what happens when you remove it.

Throughout the workshop, the Fujifilm GFX system will serve as the creative instrument and teaching tool. Each setup will be captured live with a tethering cable and projected so the whole room can experience results in real time. Even more, this workshop is an incredible opportunity to get hands-on experience with the Fujifilm GFX system!

Advantages of using the Fujifilm GFX system will be woven throughout the curriculum. We find that the benefits of medium format are best explained live in hands-on scenarios rather than presenting concepts in a presentation.

• Tonal Depth & Shadow Detail: The GFX sensor’s surface area captures a tonal range that smaller formats cannot render with the same richness. In the studio, this means shadows that hold detail and gradients that transition with a smoothness that changes how you think about the edge of your light.
• Dynamic Range Under Mixed and Ambient Light: One of the most demanding tests for any camera system is when artificial and available light compete in the same frame. GFX cameras handle this transition with a dynamic range that gives the photographer room to make decisions in post-processing that would not exist with a digital APS-C or 35mm capture.
• Medium Format Rendering & Subject Separation: There is a quality to medium format rendering that photographers often describe before they can fully explain it – a three-dimensionality, a sense that the subject exists in front of the background rather than against it. This is the result of the combination of sensor size, lens projection, and the way Fujifilm resolves color depth and fine tonal transitions at the edge of a subject.

By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a better understanding of how sensor size and aspect ratio affect lighting. This isn’t to create gear envy; it’s about recognizing your creative ceiling and knowing exactly what you can ask of your light. Using the Fujifilm GFX as an example, we’ll explore how its ability to retain highlight and shadow detail in challenging lighting can expand creative possibilities right from the moment of capture, not from the moment of recovery.

At the end of our time together, we will have a bit of Q&A to ensure everyone leaves understanding the covered material and feels inspired.

A note from Christopher: “My goal is to challenge myself and everyone who joins the class. It’s a group effort, and we will rapidly exchange knowledge and information. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!”

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Dodd Camera Chicago, 2844 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, United States

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