Great Course in the Abbey

Well, we held our course last weekend in some of the rooms in Lacock Abbey for a small select group of delegates. We used a small room that was Fox Talbots chemical store room and a second that was a sitting room next door. What a feeling to be producing photographs in the same rooms that he used when he took the first images using negatives.

The delegates also got the chance to have a look around the Abbey at lunch time which they all seemed to enjoy.
Next weekend we are back in the normal barn for the last TFC Portrait Course.

Next year we are changing our name to Learning Lighting Courses. We have a new site which is nearing completion at www.learninglighting.co.uk why not have a look and check out our new glamour course?

This Blog will also move to here Learninglighting.blogspot SEE YOU ALL THERE!

Delegates in for a treat !

Due to a bit of a mix- up in the booking of our course venue for our October portrait course, our delegates (and us) are in for a treat.
They have given us a small suite of rooms actually in Lacock Abbey!
One of the rooms we are using was William Henry Fox Talbot's actual chemical store, where he spent hours mixing his photographic chemicals. These rooms have never been open to the public!

Our delegates will also have free access to the Abbey free of charge during lunch breaks and after the course each day.

We still have a few spaces left so if you want to take part book now!

Bye Bye Laura!

A couple of weeks ago we had an RPS course and it was quite an emotional one! After 8 years we had to say goodbye to one of our main models, Laura.

Laura is off to work in Hong Kong for a two year contract with her "young man".

I am going to miss her like mad as she has become part of the family and a a huge part of the success of our courses. Every delegate has only ever had good things to say about her and many, like me have fallen in "love" with her!

She will be missed. BUT the good news is that she has promised to return and wants me to keep her job open! in the meantime we have got some great stand-ins and of course we still have the lovely Kathy and my grandchildren ( another on the way!). So don't let this news put you off coming to see us!

We still have one or two spaces left for our September Portrait Course so book early to avoid disappointment !

WOW What a Focus!!

Was anyone there in the crowd?

Dave Lee Travis made his one and only appearance for us on the stand at Focus to show his photography and tell some very funny stories. We had the biggest crowd I have ever seen at Focus.

What an entertainer!

This was by far the best show ever surpassing all previous records

It took a lot of begging to get him there and this was the first (and last he says) time he has ever spoken in public about his photography. I am glad we persuaded him in the end. Dave is a great guy and does a huge amount for 2 chosen charities. If you don't know who he is - ask your Mum and Dad - he was the "Chris Evans" or "Terry Wogan" of his time - but much better!

When we asked for some publicity shots for press releases etc he just put me into a head lock as "Shaking hands" pictures are so boring!!!!

Not sure how on earth we can top that for next year!

Course bookings are flooding in so get booked now if you want to come!

TFC Courses at SWPP & Focus!

Well Christmas and New Year over its that time again. First the SWPP convention on Jan 15/16/17th at the Novatel in Hammersmith where I will be performing on stage in the lower ground floor trade show. So if you are coming, dont forget to come and say Hi! It really is a great show now with a huge number of exhibitors. If you haven't done one of my courses yet don't forget to pick up a discount voucher at the show and save some cash!

Then joy of joy Focus on Imaging happens 2 weeks late this year from 7th to 10th of March at the NEC Birmingham. I am already working on that as I will be from now until the show. By the time it starts I've had it up to my neck! Still once I get there and start performing I will enjoy it! We have got some great speakers lined up for this year, one in particular who we hope will do a "turn" on the Monday (8th) I can't say who at the moment - just to say he is a big surprise and that I am sure that you will know him! We will also have a major product launch - exciting - eh? Watch this space for more info!

Portrait Professional is ACE!

Those of you who have been on my course in recent time will have seen me use Portrait Professional software for fast and easy retouching.

I use this software all the time for my portraits and I think its great.

Its downloadable from www.portraitprofessional.com as a free trial version so you can have a play with it. Its also fantastic value.

Now even better value as if you use my discount code - cb1 you can get an extra 10% off the price!

The sample above took less than 30 seconds to do from start to finish. Don't take my word for it - try it yourself!

Part 2 of Mixing Flash and Daylight!

Double Click on Video to watch on Youtube full size and in HQ!

Mixing Flash and Daylight Part 1 New video - Enjoy!

Double Click to view on YouTube full size!

Come Fly With --- Laura

Last Focus exhibition we were lucky enough to have a photographer on our stand called Eddie MacDonald who lectured for us on his type of photography.

Eddie does a lot of shots for Women's Fitness magazine. Those of you who have been on my course will have met Laura, and she is a reader of the magazine and loves the shots that Eddie takes.

I wanted to try out the flash speed of the new Ranger Quadra, which with the "A" heads can be up to 6000th of a second! So after my last course had finished we tried some "Eddie Shots"

I think they were pretty successful, what do you think? Laura loved them!

Isn't she lovely?

As I said I have just been up to Hartlepool to lecture to two groups of students on various photo courses over two days.

I was doing practical demos so I needed someone to photograph, there sitting right in front of me was Kirsty - Wow! I wish she lived near me!

Kirsty prefers to be on the other side of the camera, but I reckon she could easily be a model - what do you think?

I think I made a bit of an impression with some of the students tho - have a read of this:

http://heidiwestphotography.blogspot.com/2009/10/flash-center-elinchrom.html

Busy Busy Busy!

Sorry folks I have been so busy and away over the last few weeks showing everyone the fantastic new Ranger Quadra gear from Elinchrom I haven't been able to post anything!

Over The last month I have been to

Birmingham - Lighting Course

Sussex

Hampshire

Cornwall

London

Norwich

Manchester

Hartlepool - 2 day college courses

In between that I have had 4 weekend lighting courses on the trot, photographed a wedding, finalised all the dates for new years courses and details for the SWPP convention in January!

AND had two broken teeth which my very nice Dentist has fixed for me - Thanks a million Stuart!

No wonder I haven't been up loading anything!

WHEW!

New Model Number 2

Say Hi to Dani!

Dani is the second young lady accosted (this time by my son!) and asked if she wanted to model for our courses.

After a meeting and a chat she wants to have a go!

Her first appearance is going to be on our Portrait Course in September on the second day (28th)

Again please let me know what you think.

New Videos on the way

Last week saw us again filming another batch of 4 short videos for The Flash Centre's TFCtv page on their website. Plus one crazy very short advert!!!

We decided on the lovely Ramada-Jarvis Newton Park Hotel just outside Burton-on-Trent. The Hotel has lovely outside space and we also used their lovely conservatory as well. It also may have had something to do with the fact that it is 10 mins from the Producers house!

For the two main films we were using the new Elinchrom Ranger Quadra which is a battery powered studio flash system on a "wedding" shoot. Teaching how to mix studio flash with daylight. The sun shone just at the right time, in fact our poor model, Becky got a bit burnt! But we were able to show how to use flash as a fill in the full sun and as a main light with the sun as a fill when in the shade.

All the videos were again written and presented by Chris Burfoot and at the moment being edited. They will be added to the site and YouTube as soon as they are ready. Why not subscribe to The Flash Centre channel on YouTube then you will be notified when they are on line?

New Model Number 1

Meet Becky. The other week I was in my local Halfords and was served by this delightful young lady. Very unlike me I asked her if she would be interested in doing some modelling on our Portrait Courses!

A few days later she arrived for a chat and some test shots. So it looks like we have a stand-by model if we get stuck. She is a sweetheart!

Please let me know what you think of her by adding a comment!

I am also seeing another possible new one this Friday - so we will keep our fingers crossed!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Next week sees me filming again for the next batch of TFCtv short films for The Flash Centre Web Site. If I get the chance of shooting some shots during the filming I'll put them on here.

One of the films will be on the new Elinchrom Ranger Quadra - the new portable battery powered flash system. If all goes well we will be shooting in the gardens of a lovely hotel in Derbyshire with a model in a wedding dress. I will be teaching the mixing of flash with daylight, something I do all the time on my weddings - you just cant trust the British weather! Its August and it hasn't stopped raining yet!

More news on the filming after the shoot!

Selection form the last Portrait Course

A very Cheeky Thomas - these are the shots that sell! His Mum has ordered a 20x24!

Low Key on Lastolite's new velvet background - its black - really black!

High key of the lovely Kathy, shot with the Triflector Mk1 - the original and best!

Only available from The Flash Centre!

New SunMover from California Sunbounce

Anyone who has been on my course will know how useful a good reflector is. Most people these days are using the "Pop-up" type which are available from all number of places.

A good reflector needs to be as flat as possible otherwise light shoots off in all directions and becomes very inefficient. The other day I was shown a reflector of this type that astounded me!

Its the new Sunmover from those awfully nice guys at California Sunbounce. You have to be a little careful when unfolding them because they are super springy! Once up they are really rigid and also have comfortable handles on each side so if necessary you can even add a little more tension, not that they really need it!

I now use these on my courses, they even fit into the Lastolite Universal holder so you dont have to hold them.

In contrast to these I was given a pop-up the other day that was so flimsy it is like trying to hold a fried egg!

Art Nude and Glamour Figure Blog Moves!!!

You may notice that several entries have vanished! Don't worry they are not far away! just go to http://tfccoursesartnude.blogspot.com

We felt it would be better to keep this one for the Portrait Course and separate the nudes from pictures of children etc.

Please sign up as a follower to the Art nude blog to keep up with all the latest news!

July Portrait Course

We have a portrait course running this weekend - 25th/26th.

Any last minute takers? We still have some space so now is your chance to join us!

Just drop me an email and we will do the rest!

Portrait Course June 09

This was taken last weekend at the portrait course of our beautiful model Keira. I'm sure the delegates got some great shots too! From what I saw on their cameras - they did! Come and photograph Keira yourself on July 25/26th on the next course!

After One Day On Our Portrait Course!

This shot was taken on the second morning on the Portrait Course by Sue Evans who had never used Studio Lighting before. For the first hour of the second day, delegates are given all the gear and are asked to use what they have learnt on the first day to shoot their own pictures. If Sue can produce this quality of lighting after one day I would be interested to see what she can produce now !!! Why not book onto our next course and you could be producing shots like this!

June Portrait Course

Our Portrait Course on 27/28th of June is filling so if you want to learn how you can make serious cash from your hobby or improve your skills or portfolio - download a booking form from www.tfccourses.com and get yourself down to Lacock for a great weekend! We will have two models plus children for you to photograph on that white background we all love so much!

Welcome To our new Blog

Here's where you can keep up will all the news from TFC Courses!

I'm now in the final stages of preparing for our annual Glamour/Figure course to be held this weekend at Studio Decors HQ in Dorset.