Dean has been teaching lighting technique and theory for over 20
years to people all over the world.
Most really good comercial photographers do not have the time for
this. They are to busy shooting & making much more money.
Yet Dean did both very well, so much to the point where he can now
cut back on his work and enjoy more time with his family. And he
hasn't turned 50 yet.
The best thing to do is learn how light works. If you understand
the differences between specular & diffuse light in addition the
inverse square law you are half way there. There used to be a good
book on this, but I can't find it anymore. It was a text book for
RIT.
So let me get this straight. The things you stated above are the
things people should learn about light, and yet, these are the very
things Dean discusses in all his videos, seminars and workshops.
In fact, it's what he discusses at the beginning of every seminar
and at the beginning of his Basics videos he did with Bogen. Have
you ever really watched any of his videos? Or just one or two?
He's been doing this since the early 80's. To this day I have
found no one who explains better the quality and charactoristics of
light. Please, tell me and others of other sources. Whether or
not the images he uses in the videos are cheesy or not is not the
point of the videos. They have to be simple so a beginner can
understand it. Again, those images are not a true reflection of
his real world work. But you won't let that go.
I have been wanting to build a web site devoted to lighting, but
have been too busy so far.
If you ever get around to it, and I won't be holding my breath, I'd
love to hear how differently you explain the charactoristics of
light. There are only so many. You mentioned a few here, so does
Dean, along with all the rest and what controls them.
I do know my lighting & I dare say, probably better than
Dean. Surely, he is a better teacher, & dancer, than I am. I am not
blowing my own horn, just trying to quantify my answers.
LIghting is subjective. To say you know more than Dean is
something you'd have to prove. Tell me something about light that
Dean or myself does not know? As I stated, there are only so many
things that control light. How you use them, is up to you. Cheesy
or not.
But I have never seen one image by Dean Collins that was anything
memorable. His images have always been uninspired & lacked any
emotional content. While technically competent, the images lack an
individualistic style & could have been shot by 10,000 other
photographers.
He didn't set out to teach how to take inspiring, emotional images.
He set out to teach lighting. If there is anything in his videos
about lighting that you find wrong, I'd love to hear about it. He
never said he was the best photographer in the world or that the
lighting techniques were anything new. He just taught lighting to
those who wanted to learn. Not how to shoot like Avedon or Penn.
He found demand and supplied it.
I know of no schools who uses his teaching as part of their
curriculum & I do not recomend his videos or such.
And yet, he had a Intern Program with Brooks Institute and gave a
lot of workshops/seminars there. Please get your facts before you
comment on them.
I've yet to see any seminar, book or video or website that doesn't
discuss the very things Dean taught me 15 years ago. I do see a
lot that copy him. Watching one or two of his videos won't make
you a lighting expert. That's why he has produced over 15 of them
along with 2 books, Global Notes, featuring the worlds best
photographers.
I really don't have to defend Dean. His work and teachings can
stand on their own. Your opinion of his work, well, his 'video
covers' (get real) has no bearing on his teachings, or anything
really. He's taught thousands worldwide and at the same time ran a
very successful studio. I, for one, am very glad he found the time
to teach what he knows. You only comment on his images, not his
teachings. This Forum is called Lighting Techniques, not Style &
Creativity. If you'd like to comment on the content of his videos
and his lighting theory, I'm all ears.
Mike
You say what I would have said. Dean's seminars in the early 80's gave me an understanding of light as if it were clay. Molding & shaping and pre-visions of lighting before going to set. Long live Dean Collings!
