Portrait Photography

Most of us wish to be able to take great portraits of our family and friends, and also be able to capture striking images of people and cultures when travelling.

As a business, portraiture is undoubtedly the most profitable field in photography - almost everybody needs, at some point in life, to have a good portrait made by a professional.

Taking pictures of people can be a challenge even for the most experienced photographer.

This very practical course will therefore help you to take your portraits to the next level, control the light to capture the best shot, and gain confidence as a photographer.

On the first day you’ll be working with a professional model and then, on the second day, you’ll be editing your photos with Lightroom and Photoshop to create images with the wow factor.

This workshop will suit photographers at most levels of skill and experience, from relative beginners to professionals.

You’ll find it helpful to have a good working knowledge of your equipment, exposure, focus and some of the fundamental photographic principles.

This is not a highly technical workshop that endlessly discusses gear, settings and obscure techniques - it’s a pragmatic, hands-on and intensive course in the art and science of portrait photography.

However, there will be plenty of advice on hand to discuss technical issues where necessary.

You will also be learning about composition and backgrounds, the differences between candid portraits, environmental portraits, corporate and ceremonial portraiture, as well as shooting on location.

What will I gain?

By the end of the course you’ll have an appreciation of the challenges and joys of photographing people.

You’ll leave with several images for your portfolio and social media accounts, and the technical skills and knowledge to continue taking great portraits.

Tutor profile: Crash Taylor has become one of the world’s finest wedding photographers - in 2009 he was voted one of the UK’s top ten wedding photographers by Professional Photographer magazine.

In 2010, he was editor-at-large of Turning Pro magazine and has been featured in numerous national UK magazines, podcasts and radio shows.

After retiring from wedding photography in 2016, Crash now spends his time lecturing at Nottingham Trent University, photographing exclusive homes in Nottinghamshire and taking portraits for clients and personal projects.

He still finds time to photograph the occasional wedding for friends and family.

He is absolutely addicted to photography and loves sharing his knowledge and skills with his students.

Indicative maximum class size: 10

Any questions?

Contact the short course team:

Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813