Ellen LeRoy will be one of our featured speakers at our 2018 PPNC Winter Seminar in the beautiful historic district of Eden, NC March 3-5th 2018.
A: Hey Ellen, we look forward to having you speak at our upcoming Winter Seminar. What will your class be about?
E: I'll be talking about how to use one or two flashes in a simple way to elevate the quality of your photography when you have to work in poor lighting conditions on location (like at a wedding). Most photographers get great images when there is beautiful natural light, but as professionals, we need to go a step beyond that and know how to create our own light when we have to. I'm going to show how to do this with the least amount of equipment possible...similar to if I'm shooting a wedding by myself.
A: That is awesome. Learning to be portable but effective in any scenario is super important. I have always admired your natural light photography and think you are one of the best there is in that style. What made you decide to add flash to your workflow?
E: The primary reason I committed myself to learning how to use a flash effectively and with intent is that I felt sorry for all the brides who had gloomy weather wedding days, and I felt like I needed to find a way to get them exciting images as well. I didn't want to settle for an overcast sky.
A: Exactly! It is awesome to have the ability to control the look regardless of conditions. How long have you been in photography now?
E: I evolved from a hobbyist with a darkroom to a full-time photographer from 1999 to 2006 while I was a stay at home mom. By the time my youngest went to kindergarten, I had a sustainable business. So, I've been a full-time photographer for about 11 years now.
A: Wow, time flies. How long did it take you to feel confident using off camera flash on location?
E: It took me 3 years of learning before I really felt confident. The big game-changer, though, was the technology. When the radio transmitters became built into the flashes, they became WAY more dependable, so that made me more likely to use them. It's a lot easier to use them now than when I started.
A: So true. Besides taking your upcoming class, what advice would you give to someone wanting to learn or improve their off-camera lighting skills?
E: I progressed by leaps and bounds after a class with Mike Fulton of TriCoast Photography. You can find YouTube videos and CreativeLive workshops online with him if you do a search. I've gone to a lot of classes on the subject, but I liked his way of teaching it the best. Other than that, the best thing to do is get a flash, play, and experiment. Some of my current favorite lighting setups are learned from accidents or experiments when I just said, "What would happen if I took the picture from this angle?"
A: Agreed! Thank you for spending some time with us. We looking forward to learning from you at the Winter Seminar.
Be sure to click on Ellen's images for relevant links to her class.
Winter Seminar will be held at The Loft at Spray Mercantile. It is located in the historic district of Eden, NC. Address: 413 Chruch Street, Eden, NC.
Hotel accommodations are being offered at a discount rate of $99 per night at the Hampton Inn of Eden. You must call to reserve your room -
336-627-6312. Please ask for Professional Photographers of North Carolina group rate when booking.
Registration now at http://www.ppofnc.com/2018-winter-seminar