Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
An introduction to the use of a variety of studio lighting (studio flash, tungsten & LED) to help you enhance your portrait and still life work. This is an extremely practical course, you will work in small groups with a set of studio lights to create portraits of each other and still life setups.
What will we cover?
advantages and disadvantages of studio lighting
exposure
backgrounds
flash, tungsten & LED lighting
light shapers, contrast control and reflectors
portraiture
still life (object) photography
controlling the colour of light and controlling the colour of your images
mixing studio flash and daylight to control background exposure and image contrast.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Use a handheld light meter
Begin to use some of the creative possibilities that control of light allows
Control the level of contrast desired by the use of lights, reflectors and light shapers.
Use both “soft” and “hard” lighting
Analyse images, recognise how they are lit and begin the journey of developing a style of lighting in your own practice.
Create high quality portraits
Photograph still life objects lit by flash, tungsten and “cold” lighting
Use tethered capture (capturing digital images directly to a computer)
Begin to mix different sources of light together. e.g. daylight and flash
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This intensive course is for those who are new to photographic studio lighting but it’s not a beginners photography course - you will be expected to know how to use the manual settings of your camera. A refresher will be provided in the use of the camera settings but it is not designed for beginners in photography.
You should be able to follow written and verbal instructions, hand-outs and health and safety information and will be invited to take part in group discussion.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught with demonstrations, short presentations, image reviews, handouts and small-group practical exercises, during which you will receive individual and group support. Please note the City Lit uses Apple Mac computers in the Photography department.
The course also uses Google Classroom (an online teaching resource) for you to share comments with your class, download course material and upload images for group discussion.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring your camera (if you have one) to the classes and you may wish to bring a notebook and pen.
You may wish to bring in objects you’d like to photograph and you are welcome to bring your own paper or cloth backgrounds.
City Lit has a range of Digital SLR and mirrorless (Canon, Fuji, Nikon & Sony) cameras, tripods and lenses which you are welcome to use during the hours of the class.
It would be useful to bring a memory stick (or portable hard drive - please note: PC formatted hard drives can be read by Apple mac computers, but not written to.)
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You can expand your knowledge of lighting with our courses on Dramatic Lighting or Flash with Speedlight. If you have a particular interest, we have course in Still Life Photography, Fashion Photography and Portraits and People Photography.
Michael Harding was born in Canada, where he studied cinema and photography at Concordia University, Montréal, before moving to the UK. Since then, he has created striking images of architecture, art, people and landscapes for international blue-chip clients for their use in editorial, advertising and corporate applications. Michael’s work has won many industry awards, notably being selected in the Eleventh Association of Photographers Awards and further receiving a Merit Award in the Seventeenth Association of Photographers Awards. His work was selected for a Highly Commended Award in the Deutsche Bauzeitung “Visions in Architecture” European Architectural Photography prize. His work has been exhibited in both the United Kingdom and Canada. Michael has been Chairman, as well as President, of the Association of Photographers (AOP). The AOP is Europe’s most established organisation for professional photographers, working to ensure greater recognition for all professional photographers, as well as working to positively influence legislators in the UK and Europe for the benefit of all photographers.
Matthew WardSee moreSee less
We’re sorry. We don’t have a bio ready for the tutor of this class at the moment, but we’re working on it! Watch this space.
Ed Gregory is a multi-talented Entrepreneur and photographer. As the owner of Edwin James photography and Picturesnap photography, Ed has over 32 years of experience in Hair and Beauty, Fashion, commercial photography, as well as family portraiture, events, and high-end wedding photography. Each of the businesses covers different aspects of this portfolio. He is an expert in shooting in Natural light, Mixed-light, and studio lighting and holds full professional qualifications with the MPA, BIPP, and the Guild of photographers. Ed's photographic and award-winning retouching and image-making have received accreditations and awards by all of the above national and international governing bodies mentioned. Teaching and Learning are a massive part of Ed's Life, and he feels it's essential to pass on knowledge. His background in education started in 1998, delivering HNC photography to London Students. Joining the CityLit team was a natural progression that has allowed him to give back some of the fantastic knowledge and experience he has accumulated over his long career. Software expertice in retouching using - Photoshop - Lightroom - Creative Cloud
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/photography-studio-lighting280137Photography studio lightinghttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/p/h/photo-studio-light_vy372-1024.jpg229229GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Art & design/Courses/Art & design/Photography/Courses/vm/Summer courses/Summer courses in art & design/Courses/Art & design/Photography/Photography skills & workshops2285113217021356317561228511321653134571702<p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p>45https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/s/t/studio_lighting_sq-1080.jpghttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/e/d/ed_5.jpg3030604Photography studio lighting229229https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/p/h/photo-studio-light_vy372-1024_15.jpgInStockDaytimeTueKeeley StreetAvailable courses1 to 4 weeksWeekday2026-12-01T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experienceDec 2026Art & designVY372229229Photography studio lighting183149229Michael Hardingphotography-studio-lighting/vy372-2627<p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p>0000-Available|2026-12-01 00:00:00<p>An introduction to the use of a variety of studio lighting (studio flash, tungsten & LED) to help you enhance your portrait and still life work. This is an extremely practical course, you will work in small groups with a set of studio lights to create portraits of each other and still life setups.</p><p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p><ul><li>advantages and disadvantages of studio lighting</li><li>exposure</li><li>backgrounds</li><li>flash, tungsten & LED lighting</li><li>light shapers, contrast control and reflectors</li><li>portraiture</li><li>still life (object) photography</li><li>controlling the colour of light and controlling the colour of your images</li><li>mixing studio flash and daylight to control background exposure and image contrast.</li></ul><ul><li>Use a handheld light meter</li><li>Begin to use some of the creative possibilities that control of light allows</li><li>Control the level of contrast desired by the use of lights, reflectors and light shapers.</li><li>Use both “soft” and “hard” lighting</li><li>Analyse images, recognise how they are lit and begin the journey of developing a style of lighting in your own practice.</li><li>Create high quality portraits</li><li>Photograph still life objects lit by flash, tungsten and “cold” lighting</li><li>Use tethered capture (capturing digital images directly to a computer)</li><li>Begin to mix different sources of light together. e.g. daylight and flash</li></ul><p>This intensive course is for those who are new to photographic studio lighting but it’s not a beginners photography course - you will be expected to know how to use the manual settings of your camera. A refresher will be provided in the use of the camera settings but it is not designed for beginners in photography.</p><p> </p><p>You should be able to follow written and verbal instructions, hand-outs and health and safety information and will be invited to take part in group discussion.</p><p>You will be taught with demonstrations, short presentations, image reviews, handouts and small-group practical exercises, during which you will receive individual and group support. Please note the City Lit uses Apple Mac computers in the Photography department.</p><p><br>The course also uses Google Classroom (an online teaching resource) for you to share comments with your class, download course material and upload images for group discussion.</p><p>Please bring your camera (if you have one) to the classes and you may wish to bring a notebook and pen.</p><p> </p><p>You may wish to bring in objects you’d like to photograph and you are welcome to bring your own paper or cloth backgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>City Lit has a range of Digital SLR and mirrorless (Canon, Fuji, Nikon & Sony) cameras, tripods and lenses which you are welcome to use during the hours of the class.</p><p> </p><p>It would be useful to bring a memory stick (or portable hard drive - please note: PC formatted hard drives can be read by Apple mac computers, but not written to.)</p><p>You can expand your knowledge of lighting with our courses on Dramatic Lighting or Flash with Speedlight. If you have a particular interest, we have course in Still Life Photography, Fashion Photography and Portraits and People Photography.</p>PhotographyPhotography skills & workshopsvirtual3068617Photography studio lighting229229https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/p/h/photo-studio-light_vy372-1024_17.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable courses1 to 4 weeksWeekend2027-07-17T00:00:00+00:00Jul 2027Art & designVY231229229Photography studio lighting183149229Michael Hardingphotography-studio-lighting/vy231-2627<p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p>0000-Available|2027-07-17 00:00:00<p>An introduction to the use of a variety of studio lighting (studio flash, tungsten & LED) to help you enhance your portrait and still life work. This is an extremely practical course, you will work in small groups with a set of studio lights to create portraits of each other and still life setups.</p><p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p><ul><li>advantages and disadvantages of studio lighting</li><li>exposure</li><li>backgrounds</li><li>flash, tungsten & LED lighting</li><li>light shapers, contrast control and reflectors</li><li>portraiture</li><li>still life (object) photography</li><li>controlling the colour of light and controlling the colour of your images</li><li>mixing studio flash and daylight to control background exposure and image contrast.</li></ul><ul><li>Use a handheld light meter</li><li>Begin to use some of the creative possibilities that control of light allows</li><li>Control the level of contrast desired by the use of lights, reflectors and light shapers.</li><li>Use both “soft” and “hard” lighting</li><li>Analyse images, recognise how they are lit and begin the journey of developing a style of lighting in your own practice.</li><li>Create high quality portraits</li><li>Photograph still life objects lit by flash, tungsten and “cold” lighting</li><li>Use tethered capture (capturing digital images directly to a computer)</li><li>Begin to mix different sources of light together. e.g. daylight and flash</li></ul><p>This intensive course is for those who are new to photographic studio lighting but it’s not a beginners photography course - you will be expected to know how to use the manual settings of your camera. A refresher will be provided in the use of the camera settings but it is not designed for beginners in photography.</p><p> </p><p>You should be able to follow written and verbal instructions, hand-outs and health and safety information and will be invited to take part in group discussion.</p><p>You will be taught with demonstrations, short presentations, image reviews, handouts and small-group practical exercises, during which you will receive individual and group support. Please note the City Lit uses Apple Mac computers in the Photography department.</p><p><br>The course also uses Google Classroom (an online teaching resource) for you to share comments with your class, download course material and upload images for group discussion.</p><p>Please bring your camera (if you have one) to the classes and you may wish to bring a notebook and pen.</p><p> </p><p>You may wish to bring in objects you’d like to photograph and you are welcome to bring your own paper or cloth backgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>City Lit has a range of Digital SLR and mirrorless (Canon, Fuji, Nikon & Sony) cameras, tripods and lenses which you are welcome to use during the hours of the class.</p><p> </p><p>It would be useful to bring a memory stick (or portable hard drive - please note: PC formatted hard drives can be read by Apple mac computers, but not written to.)</p><p>You can expand your knowledge of lighting with our courses on Dramatic Lighting or Flash with Speedlight. If you have a particular interest, we have course in Still Life Photography, Fashion Photography and Portraits and People Photography.</p>PhotographyPhotography skills & workshopsvirtual3068665Photography studio lighting229229https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/p/h/photo-studio-light_vy372-1024_16.jpgInStockDaytimeFriKeeley StreetAvailable courses1 to 4 weeksWeekday2027-02-12T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experienceFeb 2027Art & designVY916229229Photography studio lighting183149229Matthew Wardphotography-studio-lighting/vy916-2627<p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p>0000-Available|2027-02-12 00:00:00<p>An introduction to the use of a variety of studio lighting (studio flash, tungsten & LED) to help you enhance your portrait and still life work. This is an extremely practical course, you will work in small groups with a set of studio lights to create portraits of each other and still life setups.</p><p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p><ul><li>advantages and disadvantages of studio lighting</li><li>exposure</li><li>backgrounds</li><li>flash, tungsten & LED lighting</li><li>light shapers, contrast control and reflectors</li><li>portraiture</li><li>still life (object) photography</li><li>controlling the colour of light and controlling the colour of your images</li><li>mixing studio flash and daylight to control background exposure and image contrast.</li></ul><ul><li>Use a handheld light meter</li><li>Begin to use some of the creative possibilities that control of light allows</li><li>Control the level of contrast desired by the use of lights, reflectors and light shapers.</li><li>Use both “soft” and “hard” lighting</li><li>Analyse images, recognise how they are lit and begin the journey of developing a style of lighting in your own practice.</li><li>Create high quality portraits</li><li>Photograph still life objects lit by flash, tungsten and “cold” lighting</li><li>Use tethered capture (capturing digital images directly to a computer)</li><li>Begin to mix different sources of light together. e.g. daylight and flash</li></ul><p>This intensive course is for those who are new to photographic studio lighting but it’s not a beginners photography course - you will be expected to know how to use the manual settings of your camera. A refresher will be provided in the use of the camera settings but it is not designed for beginners in photography.</p><p> </p><p>You should be able to follow written and verbal instructions, hand-outs and health and safety information and will be invited to take part in group discussion.</p><p>You will be taught with demonstrations, short presentations, image reviews, handouts and small-group practical exercises, during which you will receive individual and group support. Please note the City Lit uses Apple Mac computers in the Photography department.</p><p><br>The course also uses Google Classroom (an online teaching resource) for you to share comments with your class, download course material and upload images for group discussion.</p><p>Please bring your camera (if you have one) to the classes and you may wish to bring a notebook and pen.</p><p> </p><p>You may wish to bring in objects you’d like to photograph and you are welcome to bring your own paper or cloth backgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>City Lit has a range of Digital SLR and mirrorless (Canon, Fuji, Nikon & Sony) cameras, tripods and lenses which you are welcome to use during the hours of the class.</p><p> </p><p>It would be useful to bring a memory stick (or portable hard drive - please note: PC formatted hard drives can be read by Apple mac computers, but not written to.)</p><p>You can expand your knowledge of lighting with our courses on Dramatic Lighting or Flash with Speedlight. If you have a particular interest, we have course in Still Life Photography, Fashion Photography and Portraits and People Photography.</p>PhotographyPhotography skills & workshopsvirtual3081973Photography studio lighting229229https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/p/h/photo-studio-light_vy372-1024_18.jpgInStockDaytimeMonKeeley StreetAvailable courses1 to 4 weeksWeekday2027-06-21T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experienceJun 2027Art & designVY414229229Photography studio lighting183149229Ed Gregoryphotography-studio-lighting/vy414-2627<p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p>0000-Available|2027-06-21 00:00:00<p>An introduction to the use of a variety of studio lighting (studio flash, tungsten & LED) to help you enhance your portrait and still life work. This is an extremely practical course, you will work in small groups with a set of studio lights to create portraits of each other and still life setups.</p><p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p><ul><li>advantages and disadvantages of studio lighting</li><li>exposure</li><li>backgrounds</li><li>flash, tungsten & LED lighting</li><li>light shapers, contrast control and reflectors</li><li>portraiture</li><li>still life (object) photography</li><li>controlling the colour of light and controlling the colour of your images</li><li>mixing studio flash and daylight to control background exposure and image contrast.</li></ul><ul><li>Use a handheld light meter</li><li>Begin to use some of the creative possibilities that control of light allows</li><li>Control the level of contrast desired by the use of lights, reflectors and light shapers.</li><li>Use both “soft” and “hard” lighting</li><li>Analyse images, recognise how they are lit and begin the journey of developing a style of lighting in your own practice.</li><li>Create high quality portraits</li><li>Photograph still life objects lit by flash, tungsten and “cold” lighting</li><li>Use tethered capture (capturing digital images directly to a computer)</li><li>Begin to mix different sources of light together. e.g. daylight and flash</li></ul><p>This intensive course is for those who are new to photographic studio lighting but it’s not a beginners photography course - you will be expected to know how to use the manual settings of your camera. A refresher will be provided in the use of the camera settings but it is not designed for beginners in photography.</p><p> </p><p>You should be able to follow written and verbal instructions, hand-outs and health and safety information and will be invited to take part in group discussion.</p><p>You will be taught with demonstrations, short presentations, image reviews, handouts and small-group practical exercises, during which you will receive individual and group support. Please note the City Lit uses Apple Mac computers in the Photography department.</p><p><br>The course also uses Google Classroom (an online teaching resource) for you to share comments with your class, download course material and upload images for group discussion.</p><p>Please bring your camera (if you have one) to the classes and you may wish to bring a notebook and pen.</p><p> </p><p>You may wish to bring in objects you’d like to photograph and you are welcome to bring your own paper or cloth backgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>City Lit has a range of Digital SLR and mirrorless (Canon, Fuji, Nikon & Sony) cameras, tripods and lenses which you are welcome to use during the hours of the class.</p><p> </p><p>It would be useful to bring a memory stick (or portable hard drive - please note: PC formatted hard drives can be read by Apple mac computers, but not written to.)</p><p>You can expand your knowledge of lighting with our courses on Dramatic Lighting or Flash with Speedlight. If you have a particular interest, we have course in Still Life Photography, Fashion Photography and Portraits and People Photography.</p>PhotographyPhotography skills & workshopsvirtual183229149VY372,VY231,VY916,VY414NONETue,Sat,Fri,Mon01/12/26 - 08/12/2610:00 - 17:0010:0017:002 sessions (over 2 weeks)21 to 4 weeksWeekday,WeekendKSKeeley StreetMichael Harding,Matthew Ward,Ed GregoryAvailable courses2026-12-01T00:00:00+00:00,2027-07-17T00:00:00+00:00,2027-02-12T00:00:00+00:00,2027-06-21T00:00:00+00:00DaytimeDec 2026,Jul 2027,Feb 2027,Jun 2027Art & design229229Photography studio lightingphotography-studio-lighting/vy372-2627,photography-studio-lighting/vy231-2627,photography-studio-lighting/vy916-2627,photography-studio-lighting/vy414-2627<p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p>0000-Available|2026-12-01 00:00:00<p>An introduction to the use of a variety of studio lighting (studio flash, tungsten &amp; LED) to help you enhance your portrait and still life work. This is an extremely practical course, you will work in small groups with a set of studio lights to create portraits of each other and still life setups.</p><p>Learn how to use photographic studio lighting in this hands-on short course. An introduction to using studio flash and continuous lights to enhance your portrait and still life photography.</p><ul><li>advantages and disadvantages of studio lighting</li><li>exposure</li><li>backgrounds</li><li>flash, tungsten &amp; LED lighting</li><li>light shapers, contrast control and reflectors</li><li>portraiture</li><li>still life (object) photography</li><li>controlling the colour of light and controlling the colour of your images</li><li>mixing studio flash and daylight to control background exposure and image contrast.</li></ul><ul><li>Use a handheld light meter</li><li>Begin to use some of the creative possibilities that control of light allows</li><li>Control the level of contrast desired by the use of lights, reflectors and light shapers.</li><li>Use both “soft” and “hard” lighting</li><li>Analyse images, recognise how they are lit and begin the journey of developing a style of lighting in your own practice.</li><li>Create high quality portraits</li><li>Photograph still life objects lit by flash, tungsten and “cold” lighting</li><li>Use tethered capture (capturing digital images directly to a computer)</li><li>Begin to mix different sources of light together. e.g. daylight and flash</li></ul><p>This intensive course is for those who are new to photographic studio lighting but it’s not a beginners photography course - you will be expected to know how to use the manual settings of your camera. A refresher will be provided in the use of the camera settings but it is not designed for beginners in photography.</p><p> </p><p>You should be able to follow written and verbal instructions, hand-outs and health and safety information and will be invited to take part in group discussion.</p><p>You will be taught with demonstrations, short presentations, image reviews, handouts and small-group practical exercises, during which you will receive individual and group support. Please note the City Lit uses Apple Mac computers in the Photography department.</p><p><br>The course also uses Google Classroom (an online teaching resource) for you to share comments with your class, download course material and upload images for group discussion.</p><p>Please bring your camera (if you have one) to the classes and you may wish to bring a notebook and pen.</p><p> </p><p>You may wish to bring in objects you’d like to photograph and you are welcome to bring your own paper or cloth backgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>City Lit has a range of Digital SLR and mirrorless (Canon, Fuji, Nikon &amp; Sony) cameras, tripods and lenses which you are welcome to use during the hours of the class.</p><p> </p><p>It would be useful to bring a memory stick (or portable hard drive - please note: PC formatted hard drives can be read by Apple mac computers, but not written to.)</p><p>You can expand your knowledge of lighting with our courses on Dramatic Lighting or Flash with Speedlight. If you have a particular interest, we have course in Still Life Photography, Fashion Photography and Portraits and People Photography.</p>PhotographyPhotography skills & workshopsconfigurable
