The Keys to Creative Studio Lighting – Get Creative With Ian Van Der Wolde

If you’ve mastered the basics of lighting, it’s time to level up—and get creative.

Join renowned photographer and lighting educator Ian van der Wolde for a one-of-a-kind studio lighting workshop that dives deep into creative control, atmosphere, and mood. In this hands-on session, you’ll go beyond the standard setups and start exploring the art of light—how colour, contrast, and texture can transform your portraits from clean and clinical to striking and cinematic.

This is not your average lighting workshop.

We’ll focus on the creative side of studio lighting: how to use coloured gels, hard and soft light sources, gobos, and specialised modifiers to craft unique, dramatic, and mood-rich portraits. Whether you’re shooting for editorial, advertising, or portfolio development, these tools will help you inject emotion and visual interest into your work.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to use coloured lighting to enhance mood and storytelling.
• Mixing hard and soft light for contrast, separation, and texture.
• Creating shapes, shadows, and visual intrigue with gobos and spot modifiers.
• How to layer light sources for complex, high-impact results.
• Styling your setups with intention to match the subject, setting, and creative direction.

With Ian’s guidance, you’ll learn to build light from scratch, breaking down the thought process behind each lighting decision. He’ll walk you through different setups—ranging from bold, punchy fashion-style lighting to subtle, moody portraiture—and then give you the space to experiment, shoot, and refine your own creative choices.

A professional model will be joining us for the shoot, giving you the chance to test everything in a practical setting and leave with impactful images for your portfolio.

This workshop is perfect for:

• Intermediate to advanced photographers ready to move beyond the basics.
• Studio shooters looking to develop a more creative lighting style.
• Anyone wanting to understand how light can evoke emotion and tell a story.

You’ll leave with:

Practical experience using coloured light and advanced modifiers

A deeper understanding of creative lighting theory

A toolkit of setups you can adapt to any shoot

New portfolio images that stand out

This workshop is your chance to push past “safe” lighting and explore how to create truly artistic portraits using light as your brush. If you’re ready to take your studio work to the next level, this is the event for you.

Where to park?
There’s plenty of street parking around the studio, and if that’s full, you’ll usually find space at Bunnings or Woolworths just across the road (also a good excuse to grab a snack or last-minute plant).

Important note: Google Maps likes to play games—it often drops people at the back of the complex. We are Unit 27, but don’t let that fool you: we’re actually the second unit in the main front section of the complex, not hiding out in the far corners.

Please don’t park in the warehouse bays inside the complex (we know they look tempting), as they’re reserved for loading and you might end up making friends with a forklift. Parking is at your own discretion—we can’t be held responsible for any parking fines, tow trucks, or passive-aggressive notes left on windscreens.

Spaces are limited—don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn from one of Australia’s leading educators and elevate the way you think about light.