Back to the Desert

Heading back to the perennially wonderful GPP, and the company of photogs from all over the world, not to mention some of the best instructor/photographers on the planet. It’s a visual festival, not only in the classes and the locations where we go to shoot, but just in the fact of Dubai itself, this odd erector set of glass and steel improbably springing from the eternal sands.

Hosted by dear friends Mohamed Somji and Hala Salhi, we convene first for Photo Friday, a non-stop swirl of short classes, with quick hits of information and discussion in bite sized dollops all day long. Then, the longer classes begin. Everything from Photoshop to wedding to fashion to editorial to lighting to night shooting, day shooting, and you name it kind of shooting. It is a huge week of instruction and camaraderie, pictures and tall tales, and of course, a beer at the end of the day with the favorite photo legend of your choice. David Hobby and I discussed a couple years ago that we would walk around in T-shirts that simply said, “It’s okay, I’m just here to meet Heisler, too.” This year the talent amassed is staggering, and makes me wish I could forgo teaching and just go to the classes.

This year, once again I concentrate on lighting, both a bit on the basic side and then on the decidedly advanced side. In my Fast Flash, Bodies in Flight class we concentrate on the problem of lighting athletic prowess effectively, both when the athlete in question is in motion, or repose. Last year we used a splash to good effect with a bicyclist.

We also take a day and try to do something truly aggressive, win, lose or draw, based on multiple flash pops, and motion.

We will take a day to investigate techniques involved in creating a picture like the below.

Also teaching a class that looks under the hood of simple, small flash, with the emphasis on speed and quality. Portraiture nicely done, but done fast, with small amounts of gear. Called Exploring Small Lights, we go after wringing the most quality we can out of the small flash in your bag.

And then, in between, while I’ve been there, I’ve managed to take a picture of my worn out boots which found their way to an unusual place. I’m still wearing them.

More tk….