Sharjah24: Photography enthusiasts and professionals in the UAE have embarked on a fascinating learning journey and are developing their unique photographic vision under the tutelage of leading photographers hosting expert-led workshops at the ongoing Xposure International Photography Festival at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Discussing one of the most overlooked creative tools in photography, Mike Browne, who led the session titled ‘Focal Length Explained’, said: “Focal length does more than just make a far-off thing come closer; it makes a world of difference to how an image looks and feels. Focal length and composition are best friends, and they can revolutionise your imagery - don’t ever forget that!”

The next session of ‘Focal Length Explained’ is scheduled for February 15 (1.15pm).

Colin Hawkins unveiled top 3 tips for photographing in a studio environment during the session titled, ‘Studio Lighting for E-commerce and Commercial Portraits’. “First, ask your client what your photographs will be used for – e-commerce, print or website banner? This may determine the style, crop, focal point – and probably your fee.” 

He added: “Next, look at the needs of your audience or buyer, and finally, work with a tripod and tether it to the laptop, so that you can adjust the various elements within the frame without fear of the camera moving or changing position as you develop and work towards the final image.”

Colin Hawkins will lead two sessions on studio photography on February 12 at 11am and 4.30pm.

In ‘Photo Mechanics’, David Newton’s back-to-basics approach helped participants gain better appreciation of light and how to control it. “Whether it’s natural light or artificial light, learning how to see and capture it is key to great images,” said Newton who also discussed image framing and composition and taught participants how to arrange subjects within a frame to achieve balance or discord depending on the goal.

In ‘How to Shoot a Personal Project’, Chris Coe guided budding photographers through every step of developing a project while Samy Olabi’s two-day ‘Advanced Astrophotography’ workshop gave participants a clear understanding of what it takes to create breathtaking photos of the Milky Way and the night skies. He also demonstrated how to bring the images to life with specialised pre-processing software such as Sequator and Deep Sky Stacker as well as advanced post-processing techniques. The second session of the workshop is scheduled for February 13.