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Review of Damien Lovegrove's Using Natural Light on Location
DVD
Based in Bristol, UK, Damien Lovegrove originally trained as a
BBC cameraman and lighting director. He took the world of
wedding photography by storm with his own unique style of
photography back in 2000 and has since become one of the
biggest names in wedding and portrait
photography.
Alongside a range of exclusive photography services, Damien
also lectures; offering workshops, seminars and even mentoring.
As well as face-to-face sessions, Damien's teachings are
available in two tutorial style DVDs; Using Natural Light on
Location and Using Flash on Location.
In his DVD, Using Natural Light on Location, Damien talks
through a number of portrait sessions with a variety of male
and female models in various locations. As the title of the DVD
suggests, the sessions use natural light only and Damien, very
openly, provides plenty of insight into his methodology and
techniques as he goes along.
From choosing suitable locations to posing, lens choice to
exposure settings. The viewer is provided with a rare
opportunity to not only watch over the shoulder as shots are
being composed, but also get to find out the thought that goes
into each one.
One of the great things about fly-on-the-wall type videos such
as this is that you get to see not only how Damien sets up each
shot, but also how he interacts with and guides each model.
What I really like about each of the locations is that they're
the kind of locations that should be accessible to most people.
Shooting in exotic locations might make it easier to produce
amazing images, but what Damien shows is that with the right
lighting, technique and post processing, you can turn the most
mundane nook into a wonderfully moody location.
Damien's style of presenting is very relaxed and enjoyable to
watch. He takes his time to explain his thought processes and
choice of camera settings for each shot, using just enough
terminology to allow new photographers to follow.
In addition to the tutorials, there are a couple of special
features on the DVD which I'm sure go a long way to answering
two of the most common questions about Damien's photography;
what post processing he uses and what he keeps in his kit
bag.
The chapter covering the contents of his kit bag is pretty
straightforward. The chapter covering post processing is a
great opportunity to see how Damien turns five of the
photographs taking during filming into a number of images that
make him such a highly regarded photographer.
Damien's post processing is carried out in Adobe Lightroom and
Photoshop. Even though I've been using Photoshop for a number
years and Lightroom for a few months, I was able to pick up
some very useful and time saving tips from the DVD.
The production quality of the DVD video is excellent. This
isn't one man and his camcorder. The footage is well edited and
the camera angles help Damien to deliver a clear presentation
with atmospheric background music to help set the mood.
For a DVD, it's expensive at £70, but when you consider how
much an in-person session might cost and the fact that you can
replay this as many times as you like the cost becomes less
significant.
All in all, this is an excellent DVD for anyone with an
interest in natural light portrait
photography.
by William Lee - 7th August 2008
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William Lee is a digital photographer. Read more of his
thoughts and see some of his work on his Digital Photography
Blog at http://www.digitalrelish.net
. For photogenic wedding transport hire on Merseyside, consider
Vintage Choice http://www.vintagechoice.co.uk
Review Source: http://www.bb-articles.com
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