PRIVATE STUDIO LIGHTING 101
You already know how to use your camera. Now let’s teach you how to use the studio.
Ready to start working with studio lighting, but not quite sure where to begin?
Private Studio Lighting 101 is a hands-on, one-on-one learning experience at Coastal Photo Studio designed to take away some of the intimidation and give you the confidence to walk into a studio and start creating.
Private 1-on-1 Instruction | Up to 3 Hours | $599
PLUS: Your investment includes a 3-hour Coastal Photo Studio rental after completing the course.
STUDIO LIGHTING DOESN’T HAVE TO FEEL COMPLICATED.
You know your camera. You’re comfortable shooting in manual mode. But walking into a photography studio can feel like learning an entirely new language.
C-stands. Sandbags. Strobes. Triggers. Modifiers. Light placement. Power settings.
Where do you even start?
We start at the beginning.
This isn’t a class where you walk into a finished setup and watch someone else use it.
You’ll learn how to safely set up the equipment, build a simple lighting setup, make adjustments, photograph with it, troubleshoot problems and break everything back down.
Most importantly, you’ll be the one doing it.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
During your private session, we’ll work together from the ground up and focus on the fundamentals you need to start creating confidently with studio lighting.
STUDIO EQUIPMENT
Learn the basics of studio strobes and off-camera lighting, including how to safely work with light stands, C-stands, sandbags and other studio equipment.
We’ll practice setting equipment up, making adjustments and safely breaking everything back down.
LIGHTING MODIFIERS
Get hands-on experience attaching, changing and working with different modifiers, including:
• Beauty dish
• Softbox
• Umbrella softbox
We’ll explore how changing your modifier can change the look and feel of your photograph.
LIGHT PLACEMENT
See what happens when we move the light.
We’ll experiment with height, distance, direction and angles so you can begin understanding not just where to put a light, but why you might put it there.
CAMERA + LIGHT
Learn how your camera settings work alongside studio lighting.
Bring the DSLR or mirrorless camera you normally photograph with so you can practice using the equipment you’ll actually be shooting with.
BUILDING YOUR SETUP
We’ll build a simple one-light portrait setup and then start changing it.
Move the light. Change the modifier. Adjust your settings. Change the backdrop. Take another photograph.
You’ll see how small adjustments can completely change the final image.
TROUBLESHOOTING
What happens when the flash doesn’t fire?
What should you adjust when your image is too bright or too dark?
What do you try when your lighting just doesn’t look the way you expected?
We’ll work through basic troubleshooting so you have somewhere to start when things don’t go according to plan.
THIS ISN’T A DEMONSTRATION.
Watching someone set up studio lighting and actually doing it yourself are two very different things.
Private Studio Lighting 101 is intentionally one-on-one so we can work at your pace.
If you understand something immediately, we move on.
If you need to take a modifier off and put it back on three times until you feel comfortable doing it yourself, we do it three times.
Ask questions.
Move things.
Experiment.
Make mistakes.
Fix them.
The goal isn’t for you to leave knowing every possible studio lighting technique.
The goal is for you to understand the fundamentals well enough to start experimenting confidently on your own.
LEARN IT WITH ME. THEN COME BACK AND DO IT YOURSELF.
Your education doesn’t end when our three hours together are over.
Your $599 investment includes a 3-hour Coastal Photo Studio rental to use after completing the course.
Come back to the studio within 90 days and put what you learned into practice independently.
Bring a model. Plan a creative shoot. Practice portraits. Experiment with a new idea.
This time, you’re building the setup.
Your studio rental gives you the opportunity to turn what you learned into something you can actually use.
Included rental is scheduled separately, subject to studio availability and Coastal Photo Studio’s standard rental policies.
YOUR $599 INVESTMENT INCLUDES
Up to 3 Hours of Private Instruction
One-on-one, hands-on learning designed around your experience level and questions.
Hands-On Use of Studio Equipment
Learn to safely set up, adjust and break down the equipment you’ll encounter at Coastal Photo Studio.
Multiple Lighting Modifiers
Experiment with a beauty dish, softbox and umbrella softbox to see how each changes your light.
Building & Photographing Lighting Setups
You won’t just talk about lighting — you’ll build it, change it and photograph with it.
Lighting 101 Take-Home Guide
Take the fundamentals home with you so you have something to reference when you’re creating on your own.
3-Hour Coastal Photo Studio Rental
Return within 90 days to independently practice what you’ve learned.
$599
IS PRIVATE STUDIO LIGHTING 101 FOR YOU?
This course is designed for photographers who already understand the basics of their DSLR or mirrorless camera and are comfortable shooting in manual mode.
You do NOT need previous studio lighting experience.
This may be a great fit if you:
• Want to start using studio or off-camera lighting
• Feel intimidated by studio equipment
• Have watched tutorials but want hands-on experience
• Learn better by actually doing something yourself
• Want to understand how and why light placement changes an image
• Want the confidence to rent and create inside Coastal Photo Studio independently
Bring your own camera so you can learn with the equipment you’ll actually use when you leave.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need studio lighting experience?
No. Private Studio Lighting 101 is designed as an introduction to studio lighting. We’ll start with the equipment itself and build from there.
Do I need to know how to shoot in manual mode?
Yes. You don’t need to be an expert, but you should understand your camera’s basic controls and be comfortable making adjustments while shooting in manual mode.
What kind of camera do I need?
Bring your own DSLR or mirrorless camera. Using your own camera allows you to learn how the equipment you already shoot with works alongside studio lighting.
Do I need my own studio lighting equipment?
No. We’ll use Coastal Photo Studio’s lighting equipment, stands and modifiers during your course.
How long is the course?
Your private course is scheduled for up to three hours. Because instruction is one-on-one, the exact pace will depend on your experience, questions and how much time we spend experimenting with different setups.
Can I bring another photographer?
Private Studio Lighting 101 is designed specifically as one-on-one instruction. This allows the entire course to focus on your experience level, questions and learning pace.
How does my included studio rental work?
After completing your course, you’ll receive one 3-hour Coastal Photo Studio rental to use within 90 days.
Your rental is scheduled separately, is subject to studio availability and follows Coastal Photo Studio’s standard rental policies.
What can I do during my included rental?
Bring a model or plan your own creative project and use the time to put what you’ve learned into practice.
The goal is simple:
This time, you do it yourself.
READY TO TURN ON THE LIGHTS?
You don’t need to know every studio lighting technique before you start.
You don’t need a room full of your own equipment.
You just need to understand your camera and be ready to learn.
We’ll build it together, photograph with it, change it, troubleshoot it and break it back down.
Then you’ll have the opportunity to come back and do it again on your own.
PRIVATE STUDIO LIGHTING 101
Private 1-on-1 Instruction
Up to 3 Hours
3-Hour Future Studio Rental Included
$599