Ballet is the oldest Western performance dance form — over 500 years of formal tradition built on grace, shape, and strength. Few subjects reward a photographer’s eye more. To sharpen that beauty, we’re pairing it with the starkest possible contrast: the SS Lane Victory, an authentic WWII armed cargo ship berthed in San Pedro. Ethereal dancers against decaying steel and deck guns — rust and ruffles, grit and grace.
We’ve secured special permission from the SS Lane Victory for this shoot. Mark your calendar for Sunday, December 6th 12pm-6pm.
This workshop centers on a skill every location photographer needs: balancing strobe with sunlight. We’ll demonstrate how direction, light source size, and color temperature work together to separate your subject from a busy background, and how to make artificial light read as natural even when it’s doing all the work to overpower the sun. All lighting equipment is provided — Profoto battery-powered strobes, triggers, softboxes, and light stands — professional-grade gear, ready to shoot, provided by Samy’s Camera.
A group of young ballet dancers in full costume will be on hand, with guidance throughout on how to direct and frame them for the strongest images. Come prepared with a wide-angle lens, since the ship is tight quarters, along with backup batteries and memory cards. Wear clothes you don’t mind staining, as everything on this ship leaves a mark, and bring a genuine interest in dance and movement.
Two live online Zoom sessions round out the experience: first one three days before the workshop, covering the lighting plan and shoot logistics, and second one the day after the workshop, covering the selection and uploading workflow, and open Q&A. A week after the workshop, you’ll submit your best images for our class web page. As in all our workshops, dancers are compensated through image sharing — this is the condition of your permission to display these photographs.
Workshop Schedule:
Zoom Lecture: Thursday, December 3rd @7pm
Hands-On Workshop: Sunday, December 6th @noon-6
Zoom Review Session: Monday, December 7th @7pm
**Please note that all dancers are young teens. Signed parental releases will be obtained, permitting use on your social media, website, and portfolio. No stock use or third-party licensing of any kind is permitted, and image usage is governed by applicable California and federal law.
Instructor Bio: George is an ex-East-Coast-based advertising photographer, with over 30 years of experience in providing services to Corporate and Editorial clients. Projects have included providing photography for annual reports, advertising, and marketing materials, and magazine features shot at locations around the world. A life-long advocate for photographers’ rights, he has served on both the national and the LA board of directors of the American Photographic Artists and currently leads the Los Angeles Digital Imaging Group. George is also a photography educator who has taught at UCLA Extension (2007 Instructor of the Year), Samy’s Camera, and one-on-one. Every summer George leads travel photography workshops in Bali, Indonesia. In August 2011 George was recognized as one of the 13 Best Workshop Instructors, nationwide, by PDN Magazine, the Bible of the commercial photography industry. In July 2018 Digital Photo Pro Magazine profiled him and his specialized lighting of dancers and acrobats, in a feature article that can be read here (https://www.digitalphotopro.com/profiles/the-art-of-movement)
By registering for this workshop, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions. Click here to view our Terms and Conditions. You will be required to sign a waiver prior to the workshop.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation or refund requests must be made via email 30 days prior to the course.
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