So you got a funky new digital SLR for your birthday but still don’t know what all those daunting buttons and switches are for. Or maybe you don’t even have the equipment yet. Maybe you want to take up photography, but you feel daunted by all the specs that salesmen have been throwing at you. The solution for this, and the answer to every other burning question you have about taking pictures like a professional, comes in one neat package: the Expert Beginner Workshop at Keylite Studio.
Our teacher is a commercial and editorial photographer named Jay Alonzo, who has been running photography workshops for over 20 years. ‘The purpose of the Expert Beginner Course,’ he tells us, ‘is to teach you how to operate your camera and become familiar with how it renders an image.’ And if you can’t afford to invest in that DSLR yet, you can start by making better use of your standard digital point and shoot. As it turns out, many of these have the same settings you’d find on a DSLR. Most of us just don’t know it.
But before we get started, we have a confession to make. When we first set foot in the dingy building on Najda Street, where Keylite is based, we surrendered to gross preconceptions about what was to come. This was based solely on our superficial assessment of the building and its rather smelly corridors. When Jay answered the door however, our prejudices were instantly put to shame, and we had to stifle a wolf whistle as we stepped into his funky studio. High tech photography and lighting equipment huddled in corners, there was a professional makeup room and, lo and behold, ‘Is that an infinity cove?’ we blurted, catching sight of the curved white background in which to photograph objects and people. ‘To my knowledge we’re the only studio in Abu Dhabi that has an infinity cove,’ Jay said, proudly. Before he could finish showing us around, however, his students started rolling in.
An overview of the basics commenced, detailing everything from the innards of the camera, to the best way to stand while wielding your equipment. Then we learned about lenses and what to look out for or choose when buying one, based on your own needs or preferences. Turns out all those National Geographic photographers opt for telephoto lenses when they’re shooting lions in the wilds of Africa. Whereas if you want to take in the sheer immensity of vast landscapes, a wide angle lens would better suit your needs.
Now sometimes bad photographs happen to people with good cameras. Jay can tell you why, and how to fix it. It boils down to three main settings. The ISO, the white balance and the EV (exposure compensation). Yes, they’re the buttons and dials that you’ve been fiddling ignorantly with and then ending up with over exposed images or Smurf coloured people. Jay didn’t only teach us what they were for and how to set them correctly depending on colour temperature and available lighting. He also encouraged us to stuff the boring snaps of what real life looks like, and spice things up a bit. This entailed learning how to better utilise and maniopulate the ISO, white balance and EV settings to make our photos more creative, set a specific mood or capture movement.
For a four-hour crash-course packed with professional tips and all the know-how you’ll need to get snapping, Dhs180 is a reasonable price to pay. In our opinion, the workshop was excellent value for money and a step in the right direction for budding photographers. Keylite Studio also runs the Creative Beginner and Prolite workshops which are aimed at more advanced beginners and hobbyists. One guides students in achieving more impact and artistry in their photos and the other is for those who want to enter the realm of professional studio lighting and photography. But before we get carried away and start rolling up our sleeves to sign up for those, we’re going to do as Jay encouraged and go out and start snapping.
The Expert Beginners Workshop at Keylite Studio runs monthly and costs Dhs180 (Dhs150 if you book two weeks in advance). The next workshop is on May 4. For details, or to find out about the more advanced Creative Beginner or Prolight courses, visit www.jayalonzophotoworkshop.com. Keylite Studio, Professionals Building Block A, Najda Street (050 908 7085).
