Make Better Portraits with Simple Tools

In this class, Paul will discuss the camera settings, lighting, lens selections and strategies to help make better portrait photographs of family and friends. He will also go into lighting considerations and ways to use simple tools such as reflectors and diffusers to tame natural light and then when to use supplemental light (whether speed lights or more powerful lights) and how to modify them.

The goal of the class presentation is to show how you can use modest tools and combined with great cameras and lenses make powerful portraits that are evocative and repeatable.

Gero Bio:

Paul Gero has been a full time photographer since 1983 when he first started as a photographic intern at The Chicago Tribune.  That led to a full time position six months later and in 1985 the paper transferred him to their Washington, DC bureau.  In 1990 he left DC and took a position on staff at The Arizona Republic in Phoenix.  During that time he did extensive freelance work for Sports Illustrated, People, Time, US News & World Report and others.

In 2002, he and his wife Nicki relocated to Southern California to open Paul F. Gero Photography, specializing in portraits, weddings and commercial work with a strong documentary style.  He is also the author of the book “Digital Wedding Photography”, “Mastering Digital Wedding Photography” and is a Sony Artisan of Imagery.  For 9 years he and his wife have produced a charity photo portrait book project called “The Kids of Orange County” and that project has raised nearly $70,000 for Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

Nicki and Paul live in Ladera Ranch, CA along with their two children Kate and Sparky.  You can find Paul on the web at:  http://paulfgero.com and http://paulfgeroblog.com