David Hobby - Jonathan Eger - Leo Vicari

This past Sunday, Bradley Vink, Leo Vicari and I took a trip across the border to Buffalo to take part in the Flash Bus Tour 2011. It was a long day, but we had a great time picking up tips from two great photographers with totally different approaches. My favourite aspect of the seminar was watching David Hobby and Joe McNally make fun of each other the entire day. I didn’t expect it would be that funny. All in all, it was a good experience, and I would recommend it to anybody who is looking to learn, or expand their knowledge of lighting. More after the jump.

What can you expect to learn? The day was divided into two parts. For the first 3 hours David talked about his lighting techniques. He focuses of building up the scene in layers because light, of course, is an additive process. After the one hour break, Joe took the stage and talked for 3 hours about TTL (Through the Lens) metering. His theory focused on gut instinct, and adjusting the exposure as needed. Inevitably, at one point or another, both photographers had to switch to using their rivals technique, which drew many jeers from the crowd.

Jonathan Eger in front of the Flash Bus

I’ve never been strong at studio lighting, which is why I decided to attend. Despite the fact I knew some of the techniques they used, the tips I did pick up inspired me to want to use flash photography again.

The bus that makes it all possible

There’s only 6 more stops in this years tour, so if you are in the area and would like to learn from the best, I would recommend signing up.

Link: The Flash Bus Tour 2011