FStoppers’ Mike Kelley – Where Art Meets Architecture

FStoppers’ Mike Kelley – Where Art Meets Architecture

Archive : FStoppers’ Mike Kelley – Where Art Meets Architecture

Mike Kelley has swiftly become one of the most sought after architecture and interior photographers in the industry after years of developing his distinctive “light painting with speedlights” approach. Mike’s photos, which combine artificial light, natural ambient light, and high powered strobe light, create a hyper realistic ambiance that has become a commercial and advertising mainstay. Mike’s light painting approach, as opposed to traditional techniques such as single long exposures or high dynamic range outputs, gives him the maximum control over every light source shown in his photographs. Only after seeing Mike’s before and after samples can you completely realize how outstanding his work actually is.

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Fstoppers.com has collaborated with Mike Kelley to create Where Art Meets Architecture, a 7-hour digital download that teaches you how to photograph real estate, architecture, and interiors. Mike will explain each and every technique he used to create his spectacular photographs in this photography class. The whole photography instruction is divided into three chapters, each of which covers the tools required to excel in the many specialized markets within the subject of interior photography. So, whether you’re a seasoned photographer or have never taken your camera off of auto mode, Mike will teach you the fundamentals of photography as well as lead you through some of his most complex picture edits. This lesson will help you start on the fast road to making your shots of homes and architecture appear as amazing as those seen in periodicals and advertisements, from simple on-camera Real Estate photographs to twilight exteriors with 20 layers of Photoshop.

What is included:

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Real Estate Photography : In the Real Estate module, Mike will teach you everything you need to know about this genre so you can get started generating photographs for real estate agents, listing agents, and general property management. This chapter will cover all of the fundamentals, including:

How to Begin with Minimal Equipment

How to Effectively Bounce Flash

Taking use of natural light

Composing your frame correctly

Selecting the Proper Focal Length

How to Keep Outside Window Views

Setups of two, three, and four lights

Pincushion and barrel distortion correction

Using Photoshop to repair converging lines

Creating the final image entirely in camera

In addition to “laying the groundwork,” Mike frankly discusses how he discovered success in the real estate market and how you, too, can develop a profitable company photographing houses for sale.

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This chapter focuses on how to make images for higher-paying clientele such as architects, house builders, interior designers, and magazine editorials. With the foundation established, Mike concentrates on optimizing your process and transforming your photographs into pieces of beauty. Mike shows you through eight flagship photographs from original capture to final Photoshop processing while on site at a real architect’s residential house. We’ve also included a full Photoshop PSD file of a twilight outside image so you can follow along as Mike walks you through each stage of producing his unique style.

Twilight Exterior Technique by Mike

Compositing and advanced light painting

Tethering an iPad or iPhone

Controlling reflections/specular highlights using scrims

“Moody Interior Twilight Image”

Creating the illusion of warm sunlight

Furniture staging for bold compositions

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Commercial and Advertising Photography : In this last session, Mike takes you to two commercial locations and shows you how to create ideal photographs for restaurants, hotels, wedding venues, resorts, and other commercial customers. The emphasis will be on satisfying your clients’ demands and lighting photographs appropriately for the purpose of the area.

While a restaurant is open for business, creating twilight images

Including humans in your photos

Lighting in many rooms

Photoshop Detail Replacement

Large banquet rooms should be well-lit.

How to Create an Inviting Environment

Mike will also discuss the economics of commercial and advertising photography, including how to promote oneself, how to develop residual revenue through picture licensing, how to acquire and keep customers, and how to price your work.

COURSE CONTENT