The Leica M rangefinder system has long been emblematic of the Leica brand. Since 1954, the Leica M has cemented its place in history as a timeless design classic that seamlessly transitions into the digital era, all while remaining true to its core principle of 'Das Wesentliche' - focusing on the essentials.

Join us in this workshop where Leica ambassador Kristian Dowling will delve into the rich history of Leica M photography, showcasing iconic images spanning the last 70 years.

Participants will gain insights into the art of precise focusing using the M rangefinder system before heading out to the streets for a hands-on shooting experience with the M camera.

A leisurely lunch break will be accompanied by discussions on the captured photographs. There will be a range of M cameras for workshop attendees to try out as part of the workshop.

BOOK HERE

• Date: Saturday 20th July.

• Location: Leica Store and Gallery Melbourne

• Duration: 11:00am - 3:00pm

• Level: Suitable for all levels of photography enthusiasts

• Equipment: Bring your camera

• Leica Cameras can be provided if you would like to try one out. If you have a particular Leica lens or camera you would like to use, please contact our administration team (akademie.lcau@leica-camera.com). Please note: we cannot guarantee any particular item but we will do our best.

The Leica M rangefinder system has long been emblematic of the Leica brand. Since 1954, the Leica M has cemented its place in history as a timeless design classic that seamlessly transitions into the digital era, all while remaining true to its core principle of 'Das Wesentliche' - focusing on the essentials.

Join us in this workshop where Leica ambassador Kristian Dowling will delve into the rich history of Leica M photography, showcasing iconic images spanning the last 70 years. Participants will gain insights into the art of precise focusing using the M rangefinder system before heading out to the streets for a hands-on shooting experience with the M camera.

A leisurely lunch break will be accompanied by discussions on the captured photographs. There will be a range of M cameras for workshop attendees to try out as part of the workshop.

BOOK HERE

• Date: Saturday 13th July.

• Location: Leica Store and Gallery Melbourne

• Duration: 11:00am - 3:00pm

• Level: Suitable for all levels of photography enthusiasts

• Equipment: Bring your camera

  Leica Cameras can be provided if you would like to try one out. If you have a particular Leica lens or camera you would like to use, please contact our administration team (akademie.lcau@leica-camera.com). Please note: we cannot guarantee any particular item but we will do our best.

MASTERING LOW LIGHT - CINEMATIC PORTRAITURE - SENSUAL PORTRAITURE

If you’ve always wanted to learn to create images that evoke emotion and tell a story, assisted by beautiful lighting and subject direction, now is your last chance to experience KD’s final workshop in Thailand. So what’s it all about? Let’s paint the picture….

What would it be like to capture the intimacy of two people in love? How could this be done without interference and manipulation of the moment? A couple’s private moments are rarely seen, not captured. But if you were to capture it, how would you go about doing it with honesty and in good taste? The answers to these questions will be explored during KD’s final workshop in Thailand.

Imagine this - you have been asked by a loving couple to shoot their intimate moments in their home. You are arrive during the final hours of light and shoot until dusk. During this time you navigate your camera into new territory and explore the beauty of light, shadow and emotion, creating the ultimate mood and tone that results in a picture story that is sincere and special.

This is the story we will be creating on the day with our guest models. The goal is to use our imagination as a group to collectively put together different scenarios that would mimic scenes in either real life or a romantic movie, that can be translated into a beautiful picture story. The techniques you will learn can also be utilised in your daily photography and aimed at providing you with the tools to use your Leica to create more natural and powerful pictures during your daily adventures.

We will be utilising mostly natural light but technically, when required, we will also look into using artificial light (LED) to mimic natural light and shadow to create more artistic and striking portraits with the mood and tone we are accustomed to seeing in the cinema. Using two models you will have the opportunity to shoot them individually as well as together.

Topics Covered :

1. Creating emotion and mood in portraiture

2. Rules of composition, and when to break them

3. Directing your subject

4. Manual Exposure Control

5. Lighting control and creativity

Schedule :

16:00 - 16:15     Arrive and register

16:15 - 16:30     Short presentation

16:30 - 18:00 First practical session in two rooms 

18:00 - 18:30     Short shoot in downstairs bar (depending on occupancy)

18:30 - 19:15     Dinner break

19:15 - 20:30    Second practical session on the street

20:30 - 21:30  Final shot analysis and editing advice

Skill Level: All levels

What to bring:

• Digital Camera and lenses between 21-200mm

• Positive attitude

• No computer, flash or tripod required
  

Fee and Payment :

Bank transfer to local Thai account of 10,000 THB.

Your position will be confirmed once payment has been made.

To make a booking please contact us using the form on this page

Following the success of my previous workshops in Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore, I'm returning to offer this workshop for a 4th time in Bangkok  - only this time I have 2 special guest celebrity models. These talented Thai actors also happen to be a lovely couple and excited to participate in this workshop.

May I present Alex Rendell and Toey Jarinporn Joonkiat. Having success on Thai TV is one thing but how will they do on this low light workshop? Well come join and find out. We will be shooting the couple together and separately, focusing on a combination of carefully planned composition and great low light lighting to create dramatic imagery. This is the first of it's kind workshop and the first time I'm using two actors together.

Previous workshops have also included the use of Thai actors including Katreeya and Charm. By using actors, the pictures become cinematic in nature due to the actors' ability to pose in the moment, compared to modelling as you'd normally see in typical workshops. Students are motivated to work together as a team and share shooting positions fairly, while being coached by myself along the way, ensuring great pictures while learning the art of mastering low light.

Shooting in low light can be a daunting task, and this workshop simplifies the process while ensuring the highest quality results are achieved. While some think that mastering low light is about shooting with fast apertures at high ISO, my workshops prove that there is much more to it. This workshop is also the only one of it's kind, where most night time photography workshops focus on cityscapes with tripod.

The workshop focuses on enhancing your skills to be able to deal with shooting in low light in any situation 'without' a tripod and with amazing results, and instilling confidence in your ability to work in any lighting condition. 

The course starts off with a 1.5 hour tutorial on all the intricacies of working in low light, and provides a deep insight into the problems and solutions associated with this area. The three main topics cover dealing with ambient light, adding light, and subtracting light, using LED and flash. 

This is followed by a practical shooting experience using ambient and LED with the goal of achieving pictures that look dramatic, yet natural. Following the shoot, we then go back and inspect/critique the results together, or on the following day, based on time and preference. This part if crucial for further development. If not suitable this can be done by email or Skype correspondence at no further cost.

While we work with a professional model during the workshop, the aim is to help you develop skills that you can apply in every day photography of friends, family and your chosen creative subjects. You'll learn how to pose a subject to existing light, or add/subtract light to suit a pose or situation - all very valuable tools you'll need to get to the next level.

As a coach my personal aim is to have you walk away with a new understanding and skill set that propels your photography to the next level, and the workshop is followed up with continued communication to ensure this.

This workshop will be conducted in Bangkok on Monday January 26 from 6pm-11pm.

Workshop fee: 10,000 baht. There is only a small limited amount of positions so book in fast to avoid missing out.

To reserve a position email me using the contact section above.

Looks like I'll be back in Bangkok on February 11th for a very special workshop with special guest British Martial Arts actress Selina Lo. Having trained at Paul McCartney's prestigious LIPA Academy and Sylvia Young Theatre School, she is also an accomplished dancer, singer and pianist. From IMDB: Selina Lo is an actress and writer, known for The Prince & Me: The Elephant Adventure(2010), The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012) and Razed (2013).

On the evening we will be going through the usual practices of mastering low light, but on this specifically, we will be focusing on creating scenes from our own film through our own creative minds as a team. I'm sure Selina also doesn't mind throwing in a few action moves as well which will really test our reflexes and ability to freeze action in low light.

Shooting in low light can be a daunting task, and this workshop simplifies the process while ensuring the highest quality results are achieved. While some think that mastering low light is about shooting with fast apertures at high ISO, my workshops prove that there is much more to it. This workshop is also the only one of it's kind, where most night time photography workshops focus on cityscapes with tripod.

The workshop focuses on enhancing your skills to be able to deal with shooting in low light in any situation 'without' a tripod and with amazing results, and instilling confidence in your ability to work in any lighting condition.  The course starts off with a 1.5 hour tutorial on all the intricacies of working in low light, and provides a deep insight into the problems and solutions associated with this area. The three main topics cover dealing with ambient light, adding light, and subtracting light, using LED and flash. 

This is followed by a practical shooting experience using ambient and LED with the goal of achieving pictures that look dramatic, yet natural. Following the shoot, we then go back and inspect/critique the results together, or on the following day, based on time and preference. This part if crucial for further development. If not suitable this can be done by email or Skype correspondence at no further cost.

While we work with a professional model during the workshop, the aim is to help you develop skills that you can apply in every day photography of friends, family and your chosen creative subjects. You'll learn how to pose a subject to existing light, or add/subtract light to suit a pose or situation - all very valuable tools you'll need to get to the next level.

As a coach my personal aim is to have you walk away with a new understanding and skill set that propels your photography to the next level, and the workshop is followed up with continued communication to ensure this.

This workshop will be conducted in Bangkok on Wednesday February 11 from 6pm-11pm. 

Workshop fee: 12,000 baht. There is only a small limited amount of positions so book in fast to avoid missing out.

To reserve a position email me using the contact section above.

Mastering Low Light Photography with Kristian Dowling

Saturday 29 November, 10am—12pm

CCP (Centre for Contemporary Photography) 404 George Street Fitzroy

Presented by Leica Akademie. Leica showbag valued at $30 provided to each attendee. $20 CCP members, $35 non-members. Bookings essential.      Book here > 

Being a photographer often means having to adapt to difficult situations and surroundings when capturing an image. Especially in low light situations, the technique behind capturing a natural looking image is an added level of difficulty. The challenges faced in low light are now assisted by the incredible high-ISO capabilities of today's cameras - but is it enough? Sometimes putting the ISO 'up' doesn't result in better pictures, so what can you do? 

Join Kristian Dowling for a one-night only photography workshop on mastering low light photography with Leica Camera. Kristian's experience working in low light has taken him behind the scenes of the world's biggest events like New York Fashion Week to Hollywood sets and on tour with the likes of pop sensation Katy Perry. Learn Kristian's techniques on how to see and read light like a book and use problem solving technique to bridge the 'technical gap' between your creative ideas and the final image. During the night you'll learn not only how to work with existing light, but how to add and subtract it using LED and flash, while maintaining a natural looking picture in the most difficult situations.

Kristian Dowling is an internationally acclaimed photographer specialising in editorial portraiture and documentary. His work started on the streets of Melbourne following his love of documentary, but he's best known for his work in Los Angeles as an entertainment photographer, where he has worked with the biggest names in Hollywood. Specialising in lighting, Kristian conducts workshops and private training for photographers across the globe, and is dedicated to sharing his knowledge with keen photographers dedicated to learning photography the traditional way.

Come join this free event below......

If you love documentary, street photography and/or portraiture this is the workshop for you.  Join professional photographer Kristian Dowling as he takes you through the steps of documentary photography and portraiture. Leica Camera will be there with some Leica M equipment for you to use on the day.

Topics of the workshop include:

• Combining pictures to make stories
• Composition and time as a key foundation
• Seeing the light and using exposure as your secret weapon
• How to pose subjects to available light in difficult or flat lighting

Day plan:

10am              Arrive at Studio

10:30am         Introductions

11am               Start tutorial

12:30pm         Lunch break

1:15pm            Start practical shoot on street (with model available for portraits)

3:45pm          Editing of pictures

5-6pm            Workshop ends

What to bring?

• Basic Camera kit with manual control and lenses up to 200mm. You don't need to have a Leica camera. Any camera is fine.

• Laptop computer with either Lightroom or Photoshop

Location:

35 ITF- Silom Palace Building, Silom Road

Bangkok 10500,Thailand

Tel: (66) 0-2266-4080  

Prepare yourself for an exclusive event aimed at training you to see and manipulate light in the studio. Join professional photographer Kristian Dowling as he takes you through the steps of being a professional photographer, working under pressure in a studio environment with Profoto lighting. Stylist Hilde Marie Johansen will be creating some amazing styling of Thai model Nikita, who will be giving you her best looks. Best of all, Leica Camera will be there with the Leica S System for you to use on the day.

Topics of the workshop include:

• Understanding the relationship between light and shadow
• Controlling light with light shapers
• Differences between hard and soft light
• Manual exposure for full control

Work of Hilde Marie Johansen

Day plan:

10am            Arrive at Studio

10:30am       Introductions

11am             Start tutorial

12:30pm       Lunch break

1:15pm          Start practical with model

3:45pm         Editing of pictures

5-6pm           Workshop ends

What to bring?

• Basic Camera kit with manual control and lenses no wider than 35mm, up to 200mm. You don't need to have a Leica camera. Any camera is fine.
• Laptop computer with either Lightroom or Photoshop

Location:

Studio Sota

6 Ladprao 96, Wanthonglang

Bangkok Thailand 10310

Join Kristian in Perth for this exclusive event on July 9, 2013 at Camera Electronic Service

Discover how you can use lighting to take your photography to new levels. Learn from renowned Kristian Dowling as he gives you a insight into his photography and gives you great hands on tips and hints.

Kristian is a celebrity-entertainment photographer with over a decade of experience shooting events such as NY Fashion Week, the MTV Music and Movie Awards, and most recently went on tour with pop star, Katy Perry. He is best known for his flexibility and understanding of light, earning him a reputation of being a photographer that can deliver amazing results without the use of photo manipulation. And, he is ready and willing to share these tips with you.

Each particpant will be asked to assist with lighing setup as well as modelling and directing with Kristian. Plus, learn how you can use the wireless WT-5 setup. You’ll have professional models to work with and see the variety of lighting options you have available in a studio environment.

When it comes to learning, there’s nothing more fun than sharing the experience with others. During Kristian’s workshops it’s all about ‘team-work’ – combining our individual talents and skills to achieve collective results.

Course Details:

• Time: 10am-5pm
• Date: Sunday 12 May 2013
• Location: Melbourne Super Studio, Melbourne, Victoria

Topics covered:

• Lighting: how to find it, create it and shape it
• Never see light the same again
• Lighting and Manual Exposure
• Various lighting techniques
• Shoot with a model
• Hands-on practical in studio
• Post Processing and Editing
• Sharing and Evaluation of pictures

BOOK at Nikon School