Portraits Under Pressure
Victoria Will
Lessons
Class Introduction
15:43 2Evaluating Location and Set-Up with Assistant
41:45 3Editorial/Celebrity Style Shoot
14:32 4Culling Editorial/Celebrity Style Shoot
21:31 5Victoria's Portrait Journey
12:18 6Victoria's Sundance Experience
13:20 7The Power of the Portrait
17:59 8How to Connect with Your Subject
24:55Shooting a Commercial Image Part 1
26:06 10Shooting a Commercial Image Part 2
22:47 11Culling the Commercial Shoot
14:25 12Marketing: Websites and Portfolios
19:48 13Social Media & Blogs
14:15 14Interview: Lacey Browne, Money Magazine Photo Editor
22:15 15Wardrobe and Make-Up Best Practices
07:14 16How to Work with Agents and Reps
04:59 17How to Work with Assistants: Skype Interview
17:38 18The Importance of Being Prepared
16:59 19Shoot: Conquering Dark Tight Spaces
28:43 20Culling Dark Tight Spaces Shoot
21:34 21Shoot: Conquering Boring Spaces
24:32 22Culling Boring Spaces Shoot
13:35 23Shoot: Working with Groups - Part 1
18:23 24Shoot: Working with Groups - Part 2
13:25 25Culling Working with Groups Shoot
29:58 26Portfolio Best Practices
20:47 27Portfolio Best Practices Q&A
10:30 28Portfolio Critique
39:18Class Description
Short on time? This class is available HERE as a Fast Class, exclusively for CreativeLive subscribers.
AFTER THIS CLASS YOU’LL BE ABLE TO:
- Leverage new techniques for choosing the light and locations for a successful portrait
- Know how to build a rapport and utilize clear communication with your subjects
- Set up a developed concept as well as how to light on the fly
- Use successful strategies for marketing yourself as a photographer and how to get your work in front of editors
ABOUT VICTORIA’S CLASS:
Portraits require more than just great lighting and equipment. Sometimes a shoot doesn’t go as planned. The location is drab, the client isn’t in the best mood, or you forget to charge your camera batteries. Great portrait photography artists are able to think on their feet, connect with their subjects -- and capture great images under pressure. The best portraits often come from portrait sessions that didn't go exactly as planned, when challenges turn into assets.
Celebrity portrait photographer Victoria Will shows you how to use your environment to capture a unique, sharp image that reflects the person in the portrait. She’ll also highlight how to quickly evaluate a less than perfect situation and make it work for you and your subject. Take your portraits from amateur to near Mona Lisa gallery worthy by learning how to shoot portraits under pressure.
You’ll watch Victoria photograph real people in limited settings, discovering multiple opportunities in a limited space. Learn her three portrait musts for preparation, point-of-view, and connection. Gain insight into how to make every frame count and how to get the shots the editor requested, as well as those that speak to your vision. Learn how to make your subject feel comfortable in only a few moments while capturing exquisite photo collections in Portraits Under Pressure.
WHO THIS CLASS IS FOR:
The photographer looking to improve their portraiture through thoughtful lighting, creative techniques and leveraging the environment around you to get a consistent appearance.
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
Victoria Will’s background as an American photojournalist and celebrity photographer has helped her to develop techniques on editorial assignments to quickly connect with a subject. Her career began as a photojournalist for the New York Post and grew into a sharp portrait photography focus that opened opportunities to photograph celebrities. She continues to work in New York as an artist specializing in portraits and commercial work.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Helena Sung
This was a great class and I learned a ton! It was amazing to watch Victoria Will in action -- shooting portraits under pressure. I learned a lot watching her walk into an unknown situation -- not knowing the location, what the natural lighting situation would be, and only knowing she had 15 minutes for the shoot. I loved watching her problem solve on the spot with lightning and tight, dark spaces. She also taught a lot about how she interacts with her subjects -- always putting them at ease (like you're the host at a dinner party -- gem!) It's much easier for a photographer to take pictures in their studio, but this course was not about that. This was watching a photographer handle real world situations under time pressure and think on her feet. Loved it! I also loved the parts where she culled her photos afterwards and picked out the ones that caught her eye. In most instances, I found myself agreeing with her!! When she gets subjects to stand up and sit back down, it is the in-between moments she is looking for, or the moment right afterwards -- genius!! Oh, lastly, I loved how she went through stunning images she shot of celebrities like Brad Pitt and Janelle Monae and gave us the backstory of how she creatively problem-solved to get the shot! Hello, showing up two hours before a shoot and knocking on random hotel room doors for furniture?!! Of course she could do that because she has a lovely, warm personality! Oh, and by the way, the bits she shares about her early career path is very inspiring!
Robert Negrin
Great course! And the best part was the honesty. I was an executive in a fortune 500 company and what the critics watching this course missed is that there are a lot of talented photographers, actors, singers, accountants and even landscapers, but there are very few that are successful and accomplished. Yes, part of it may involve a certain degree of luck, but most of it is the drive and desire to suceed. It is obvious you have both. I used to beleive that a true image could only be captured by styling the shot, metering light and controlling the subject. (Yes, I shot film...complete with developing and printing all my images) Then, one day I realized that, if deliberate-shooting was the right way, why then most of the great images I have were the result of quick, rather than deliberate reactions. I get it Victoria. Love your style and how you get there. Three things I learned today are that the conditions... even the background, do not have to be perfect if the image is strong enough to carry the message. Second, setting up to capture the perfect image, misses all the imperfect, epic moments. Third, I disagreed with almost every image you picked until they were isolated from the rest. Then they made perfect sense. Well done. :) Robert Gabriel
Meredith Zinner Photography
I really love Victoria and her work. She's something suuuuper special and showed me a fab new way to look at portraits. I love her openness, honesty, the whole 'you're at my dinner party' intimacy, care and respect for her clients and am SO impressed at how quickly and reliably she's able to transform any location to suit her needs. She's super impressive, professional and inspiring thank you!