How to Break into Entertainment Photography and What to Know Once You Get There

Hey friends!  

We are less than a week away from our next workshop, and it is an EXCITING one!

This Tuesday, Nov. 8th, 2011, from 7-10pm we will be hosting Michael Becker where he will go over “How to Break Into Entertainment Photography and What to Know Once You Get There”.

Michael Becker is an established television and celebrity photographer with show credits that include American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, House, The Practice, Ellen DeGeneres, The Mentalist and many other hit TV shows. In this course, Michael will discuss how he broke in to this competitive field, and what it takes to stay there.

Subjects covered will include:

• Equipment
• Who’s hiring and how to get hired
• Unions and the Industry Work Roster
• Networks, production companies and their PR departments
• The “Talent” and the Talent’s “People”
• Unit production work and “setiquette”
• Portrait Gallery and Key Art Gallery photo shoots
• Lighting Techniques – hard and soft
• Location shoots
• Digital Media - file format, capture software, workflow, processing and delivery
• Billing and ownership of images
• The changing industry

Location:

HELMS DAYLIGHT STUDIO 
3221 Hutchison Avenue #E, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Presentation Date: Tuesday. November 8, 2011, 7pm – 10pm

Instructor: Michael Becker

Workshop fees: $65

Register for this Event

More About Michael:

Michael Becker is a celebrity and entertainment photographer living in Los Angeles, California. He specializes in entertainment portraits for the television, music and commercial industries, as well as PR campaigns and editorial. People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, US Magazine, TV Guide and many other national magazines regularly publish his work. In addition to the many TV shows he shoots, he has been the lead photographer for American Idol for the past six seasons. He is responsible for the judge and contestant photography used for the billboard and advertising campaigns, as well as all the live show photos provided to Getty Images and Picture Group for worldwide distribution.

Michael has a special affinity for shooting singers and musicians, as he is also an Oscar and Grammy nominated songwriter and producer. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, with a BA in jazz guitar and composition. His songs have been featured in numerous films, including his Oscar nominated song “In the Deep” from the hit film Crash, as well as “Have No Fear” from Will Smith’s film Seven Pounds. Michael brings the same sensibilities to photography that have made him successful in music. “I find photography and music to be a perfect compliment to one another. The visual arts and the musical arts are very similar for me, in that all the elements have to work in harmony in order for the piece to successfully move someone. Color, composition and sound intertwine respectively to help create emotion.” When asked about his approach to shooting celebrities, Michael says “I always try to create a comfortable environment for the artist. Artists give their best performances when they are passionate and emotionally engaged. I’ve found one of the most important components in portrait photography, as well as in music, is trust.”

Recent credits for Michael Becker photography:

TV Shows

American Idol / FOX
House / FOX
So You Think You Can Dance / FOX
The Practice / ABC
The Mentalist / CBS
Sons of Anarchy / FX
Nip Tuck / FX
Ellen DeGeneres / Telepictures
The Emmy Awards
The NAACP Awards

Recording Artists

Carrie Underwood
Usher
Lady Gaga
Alicia Keys
John Legend
The Jonas Brothers
Rihanna
Jamie Foxx
Justin Bieber
Harry Connick Jr

Conceptual Still Life with Pete McArthur Thursday, Nov 3, 2011, 7pm–10pm

There’s Nothing Like a Great Idea-Especially if you’re getting paid for it!

Still life photographer Pete McArthur shares his sources of inspiration and methods of developing concepts for advertising and editorial applications. This will be a lively and practical three-hour lecture that will demonstrate Pete’s process of creating engaging photographs that need to communicate specific visual information and yet be artistically satisfying. A twenty-seven year veteran in commercial photography and seventeen years as a photographic educator gives McArthur a unique perspective and an opportunity to share techniques that he has refined over decades of working with both clients and students.

Pete’s course will consist of two 3 hr. meetings. The first class will be an informative presentation of Pete’s work, a brief discussion afterwards and an assignment will be given. The second meeting will consist of a critique of each students work and discussion.

Specifications

Location:

HELMS DAYLIGHT STUDIO
3221 Hutchison Avenue #E, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Presentation Date:
Thursday, November 3, 2011, 7pm-10pm

Follow-up & Critique Date:
Thursday, November 17, 2011, 7pm-10pm

Instructor:
Pete McArthur

Workshop fees:
$175 / Limited Space! 25 Students Max.

Register For This Event!

More about Pete McArthur

Still Life photography with a colorful, conceptual twist is probably the best description of Pete’s work. With a background in graphic art and photography, Pete McArthur brings the everyday items we sometimes overlook to new and special environments that are uniquely his own.

By combining his conceptual wit and distinctive, photographic style to numerous ad campaigns, magazine covers and posters he has left his mark on some of America’s favorite brands and companies.

Honda, Sylvania, California Pizza Kitchen, Clorox, Nabisco, Hitachi, Microsoft, Kodak, Nabisco, Mead and Strathmore have incorporated Pete’s work into magazine, outdoor and corporate media while Fortune, GQ, Business Week, Bloomberg and Harvard Business have used is editorial skills to bring punch to their features and covers.

In addition to his photographic career, Pete has enjoyed being a teacher and lecturer at numerous colleges over the past couple of decades. He is a past faculty at the Art Center in Pasadena and has been a frequent guest lecturer at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara since 1998.

Pete’s engaging images can be viewed at:
http://www.petemcarthur.com

The Art and Technique of Beauty with Richard Radstone

Our next workshop, The Art and Technique of Beauty with Richard Radstone, is only a week away!

Join us on Saturday, October 22, 2011, 9:30am–4:30pm with Richard as he shares some of his lighting, business and directing insights. This 6-hour program will get both your technical and creative gears turning, all while strengthening your understanding of what it takes to shoot beautiful skin, direct for emotional performance and develop a personal creative-point-of-view.

Richard’s energy is contagious and through live demonstration, mixed with a bit of fun, food and open discussion, you’ll walk away with an expanded knowledge of quality of light and it’s relationship to quality of skin, optics, color balance, composition, shooting rhythm, casting, styling, the psychology of beauty, and an enthusiasm to develop your own personal creative voice.

This is a highly interactive program in which you will be front and center to the production of a variety of actual beauty shoots with A-list models and stylists. 

Whether you shoot women, men, portraiture or fashion, or are just interested in expanding your horizons, this event is for you.

***There is a limited space in this workshop!  Register now before the event at Samys.com.***

This workshop will be held in the HELMS DAYLIGHT STUDIO, located at 3221 Hutchison Avenue #E, Los Angeles, CA 90034.

Upcoming Workshops:

Conceptual Still Life with Pete McArthur, November 3

How to Break into Entertainment Photography with Michael Becker, November 8

How to Break Into Entertainment Photography and What to Know Once You Get There with Michael Becker, Tuesday, November 8, 2011, 7pm – 10pm

Michael Becker is an established television and celebrity photographer with show credits that include American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, House, The Practice, Ellen DeGeneres, The Mentalist and many other hit TV shows. In this course, Michael will discuss how he broke in to this competitive field, and what it takes to stay there. Subjects covered will include:

• Equipment
• Who’s hiring and how to get hired
• Unions and the Industry Work Roster
• Networks, production companies and their PR departments
• The “Talent” and the Talent’s “People”
• Unit production work and “setiquette”
• Portrait Gallery and Key Art Gallery photo shoots
• Lighting Techniques – hard and soft
• Location shoots
• Digital Media - file format, capture software, workflow, processing and delivery
• Billing and ownership of images
• The changing industry

Michael Becker is a celebrity and entertainment photographer living in Los Angeles, California. He specializes in entertainment portraits for the television, music and commercial industries, as well as PR campaigns and editorial. People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, US Magazine, TV Guide and many other national magazines regularly publish his work. In addition to the many TV shows he shoots, he has been the lead photographer for American Idol for the past six seasons. He is responsible for the judge and contestant photography used for the billboard and advertising campaigns, as well as all the live show photos provided to Getty Images and Picture Group for worldwide distribution.

Michael has a special affinity for shooting singers and musicians, as he is also an Oscar and Grammy nominated songwriter and producer. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, with a BA in jazz guitar and composition. His songs have been featured in numerous films, including his Oscar nominated song “In the Deep” from the hit film Crash, as well as “Have No Fear” from Will Smith’s film Seven Pounds. Michael brings the same sensibilities to photography that have made him successful in music. “I find photography and music to be a perfect compliment to one another. The visual arts and the musical arts are very similar for me, in that all the elements have to work in harmony in order for the piece to successfully move someone. Color, composition and sound intertwine respectively to help create emotion.” When asked about his approach to shooting celebrities, Michael says “I always try to create a comfortable environment for the artist. Artists give their best performances when they are passionate and emotionally engaged. I’ve found one of the most important components in portrait photography, as well as in music, is trust.”

Register for this event here.

Recent credits for Michael Becker photography:

• TV Shows
• American Idol / FOX
• House / FOX
• So You Think You Can Dance / FOX
• The Practice / ABC
• The Mentalist / CBS
• Sons of Anarchy / FX
• Nip Tuck / FX
• Ellen DeGeneres / Telepictures
• The Emmy Awards
• The NAACP Awards

Recording Artists

• Carrie Underwood
• Usher
• Lady Gaga
• Alicia Keys
• John Legend
• The Jonas Brothers
• Rihanna
• Jamie Foxx
• Justin Bieber
• Harry Connick Jr

Conceptual Still Life with Pete McArthur Thursday, November 3rd, 2011, 7pm–10pm

There’s Nothing Like a Great Idea-Especially if you’re getting paid for it!

Still life photographer Pete McArthur shares his sources of inspiration and methods of developing concepts for advertising and editorial applications. This will be a lively and practical three-hour lecture that will demonstrate Pete’s process of creating engaging photographs that need to communicate specific visual information and yet be artistically satisfying. A twenty-seven year veteran in commercial photography and seventeen years as a photographic educator gives McArthur a unique perspective and an opportunity to share techniques that he has refined over decades of working with both clients and students.

Pete’s course will consist of two 3 hr. meetings. The first class will be an informative presentation of Pete’s work, a brief discussion afterwards and an assignment will be given. The second meeting will consist of a critique of each students work and discussion.

Presentation Date is Thursday, November 3, 2011, 7pm-10pm with the Follow-up & Critique Date on Thursday, November 17, 2011, 7pm-10pm.  Both will be held at HELMS DAYLIGHT STUDIO in Culver City, CA.

More about Pete McArthur:

Still Life photography with a colorful, conceptual twist is probably the best description of Pete’s work. With a background in graphic art and photography, Pete McArthur brings the everyday items we sometimes overlook to new and special environments that are uniquely his own.

By combining his conceptual wit and distinctive, photographic style to numerous ad campaigns, magazine covers and posters he has left his mark on some of America’s favorite brands and companies.

Honda, Sylvania, California Pizza Kitchen, Clorox, Nabisco, Hitachi, Microsoft, Kodak, Nabisco, Mead and Strathmore have incorporated Pete’s work into magazine, outdoor and corporate media while Fortune, GQ, Business Week, Bloomberg and Harvard Business have used is editorial skills to bring punch to their features and covers.

In addition to his photographic career, Pete has enjoyed being a teacher and lecturer at numerous colleges over the past couple of decades. He is a past faculty at the Art Center in Pasadena and has been a frequent guest lecturer at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara since 1998.

Pete’s engaging images can be viewed at:

http://www.petemcarthur.com

More about Richard Radstone

For over 25-years, Richard Radstone has been a frequent choice of global and national advertisers, corporations, publishers, institutions and individuals who seek creative works, consulting and educational programs.

Richard has developed curriculum, guided discussions and conducted seminars for many schools and organizations. His mission is constant: to foster individualized creative point-of-view while strengthening technical expertise and business acumen. He has served on both Regional and National boards of APA (American Photographic Artists), is a recognized contributing author and owner of several educational and photographic blogs.

The warmth of his personality and his sense of humor allow his colleagues and students to open up and be receptive to new information and in pushing their own creativity. He has an innate ability to connect with those he works with in a way that inspires, informs and enlightens.

Elevating the level of photography that his students can produce is core to his teaching DNA and he thoroughly knows his craft. Whether it’s an intimate discussion or a lecture hall presentation, Richard always holds his audience’s interest and attention.

Richard’s commercial and portrait work is in demand and he has recently begun expanding into commercial production, short film and a series of publishing projects.

Richard resides in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. To stay clear and fresh he can often be found mountain biking the trails that surround his home. To quote, “Riding is my 4th love, you’ll have to guess 1, 2 and 3.”

See Richards work at www.richardradstone.com

or

Read more about him at www.richardradstoneblog.com

Spend Saturday, October 22, 2011, 9:30am–4:30pm with us as Richard shares some of his lighting, business and directing insights. This 6-hour program will get both your technical and creative gears turning, all while strengthening your understanding of what it takes to shoot beautiful skin, direct for emotional performance and develop a personal creative-point-of-view.

Register for event here.

The Art and Technique of Beauty with Richard Radstone, Oct. 22, 2011

On Saturday, October 22nd, 2011, 9:30am–4:30pm, join veteran beauty/portrait photographer and filmmaker Richard Radstone as he shares some of his lighting, business and directing insights. This 6-hour program will get both your technical and creative gears turning, all while strengthening your understanding of what it takes to shoot beautiful skin, direct for emotional performance and develop a personal creative-point-of-view.

Richard’s energy is contagious and through live demonstration, mixed with a bit of fun, food and open discussion, you’ll walk away with an expanded knowledge of quality of light and it’s relationship to quality of skin, optics, color balance, composition, shooting rhythm, casting, styling, the psychology of beauty, and an enthusiasm to develop your own personal creative voice.

This is a highly interactive program in which you will be front and center to the production of a variety of actual beauty shoots with A-list models and stylists. 

Whether you shoot women, men, portraiture or fashion, or are just interested in expanding your horizons, this event is for you.

The presentation date is all-day Saturday, October 22, 2011, 9:30am–4:30pm.

Space is limited for this event!  Please click here to register.

Developing Your Next Personal Project with Mark Berndt, Oct. 12, 2011

On Tuesday, October 12th, 2011, 7pm–10pm, we are very excited to have Mark Berndt with us to talk about developing your next personal project.

The daily discipline of professional photography means accessing creativity on demand, producing quality on a deadline, and making images in a tempest of budgets, logistics and committee opinions. After a while photography can seem like a job, and we forget the reason we started doing this in the first place. Reclaim your enthusiasm for photography in an evening of dialogue about personal photography and the synergy it should have with your commercial work. Not another lecture, not just a slideshow - join in a workshop of EXPLORATION and CHALLENGE.

THE EXPLORATION:

Prompted by his recent book project, Mark Berndt, LA-based photographer and teacher, wants to share his experience and help you define your desires, push your limits and inject new energy and goals into your work as a visual artist. In an evening that’s as much dialogue as demonstration, we’ll concentrate on the importance of defining your style and creating personal projects to charge your creative battery and send your photography in new directions.

THE CHALLENGE:

Even the most challenging assignment is in certain ways easy - there are defined goals, set schedules, and parameters that allow you to measure progress and success. Creating a self-assignment is much more intimidating. Personal work can seem frivolous, expensive or self-indulgent. Without the boundaries we complain about on a commissioned project, our concepts are often vague, parameters are undefined, and the tangible result of the finished project - illusive. So, we often avoid personal assignments, and in doing so miss out on the enlightenment, the benefits and the fun they can bring.

CREATE A NEW PERSONAL PROJECT:

In our first evening session we’ll examine a process to help you develop a new personal project, to inspire yourself to create new work, and develop a structure for your project that defines phases of your new work that can be measured and achieved. This workshop also includes a follow-up session. Two weeks later we’ll host a second check-in session where you will share your progress, refine your concepts, and motivate completion! Engage your creativity and boost your enthusiasm about being a photographer! Join us for two unique evenings of conversation, collaboration and exploration.

Presentation Date is Wednesday, October 12th, 7pm – 10pm

Follow-up & Critique Date is Wednesday, October 26th, 7pm – 10pm

More about Eric Poppleton

On Tuesday, October 11th, 2011, 7pm–10pm, we are very excited to have Eric Poppleton with us to talk about making the leap from still to motion.

Eric is based in Los Angeles, CA and has been a commercial photographer for 25 years. Initially his career was print advertising for entertainment clients and annual reports. In the mid 90’s as digital imaging techniques were in their infancy Eric turned his technical and creative skills into specialized digital imaging techniques developed for the Internet, commercial and film productions.

epop, inc. was established in 1996 and has become a leader in the digital imaging industry. epop is experienced in using a variety of digital panoramic and still camera systems. These high-resolution images are implemented into HDR and or Virtual Reality applications intended for on / offline use. To date epop has created thousands of digital images for clients worldwide.

epop has found success in the travel, automotive, real estate and entertainment industries for 360 panoramic imaging techniques. Select clients include: Lexus Mercedes Benz, Infiniti, Scion, Morgans Hotel Group, Ian Schrager Company, The Embassy VFX, Warner Brothers, Quietman VFX, Sehsucht VFX, Lions Gate Entertainment, and VR Way International.

To check out Eric’s work, please visit:

www.epop.com
www.epopmotion.com

To register for our DSLR Motion Capture Event, please visit here.

Presentation Date is Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 7pm–10pm

Follow-up & Critique Date is Tuesday, November 1, 2011, 7pm–10pm

DSLR Motion Capture with Eric Poppleton, Oct. 11, 2011

On Tuesday, October 11th, 2011, 7pm–10pm, we are very excited to have Eric Poppleton with us to talk about making the leap from still to motion.

The time is now to pick up your still cameras and make your images move. The age of digital film-making is upon us. With minimal gear and your creative eye you can do it.

Your instructor Eric Poppleton will take you through his personal experience in making this leap from still to motion. Eric’s past work in the still world consists of 360° panoramic’s for architecture and automotive products.

Eric’s course will consist of two 3 hour meetings. The initial class will go over gear necessary to create motion out of your current stable of still imaging gear. An assignment will be given to create a short motion piece of your own. The second meeting will be a critique session of everyone’s work. Final editing of the piece is not required due to time constraints.