Classic Hollywood Lighting
© Loren Hammer
Move beyond the broad-diffused light source of the light box and enter the world of the focused light source — the Fresnel — the light fixture that started it all. In this intensive weekend workshop, we will begin by learning the techniques of softening, shaping and focusing light to create lighting effects associated with the stylized glamour & portrait photography and the esthetics of classic film noir: the looks of German Expressionism, Neo-realism, and the films of the fifties, sixties and seventies. We will then integrate the knowledge of these tools with the techniques of still-image projection in which still images are projected on and through different mediums, from fabric to solid three-dimensional surfaces, creating seamless analog visual effects. Furthermore, students will gain the knowledge to create a real-time visual montage, without Photoshop. Finally, we will create uniquely photographic illusions — an amazingly real environment through the use of both vintage analog and digital projectors — knowledge which can be immediately put to use in both still and motion picture photography.
Loren Hammer (www.lorenhammer.us) is an educator and award-winning photographer with over 25 years experience working in fashion and commercial photography. Steeped in film noir aesthetics, his stylized photographs for fashion designers Yohji Yamamoto, Norma Kamali and Chantal Thomas and his editorial work for GQ, Vogue Homme, and Vanity Fair are known for their elegant and graphic composition and strong design sense. A MFA graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Hammer spent two years studying composition and design with William Tsinski, a student of cubist Enrico LaBron, and has collaborated with artists Jon Kessler, Cindy Bernard, and many others. He has lived and worked in the United States, Europe and Asia.
