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The Academy with John Gress

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THE LATEST

05/18/2022
Lighting Technique

8 common portrait lighting mistakes that every new photographer makes

In today's video I breakdown a TTL HHS outdoor hard light portrait and a soft light Rembrandt setup in the studio.
05/14/2022
Lighting Technique

Lighting Handbook Tutorial – Breaking down a hard light outdoor portrait & a soft light studio setup

In this live video we go over several critique images and retouching in photoshop.
05/02/2022
Live

Live: Q&A and Critique April 28, 2022

After I bought the Canon EOS R5, I switched over almost all of my lenses from the EF mount to the RF mount. But now I am unsure which lens is he best lens in different situations. So in today's video, I am going to test if the RF70-200 f4 at 70mm outperforms the RF 28-70mm f/2.0 at 70mm in the studio at f4, 5.6 and f8.
05/02/2022
Gear

Review: Is the Canon EOS RF 70-200mm f4 or RF 28-70mm f2 a better choice at 70mm for R5 studio photographers?

In this months member exclusive video I go over tow hard light and two soft light setup's and cover feathering, catch lights, fine tuning shadows and more.
04/22/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Lighting Technique

Member Exclusive: Hard and Soft Light with Pierce & Jordan

In today's video I am going to show you how to get a perfect white background for high-key headshot photography in the studio.
04/20/2022
Lighting Technique

High Key Lighting Tutorial – Two ways to get a pure white background in the photo studio

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EXCLUSIVE TRAINING VIDEOS

In this months member exclusive video I go over tow hard light and two soft light setup's and cover feathering, catch lights, fine tuning shadows and more.
04/22/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Lighting Technique

Member Exclusive: Hard and Soft Light with Pierce & Jordan

In today's video I set out to critique five portraits and headshots. After pointing out the positives I share my advice on how the images could be improved. So basically, this video is full of portrait and lighting tips and tricks!
03/28/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Lighting Technique , Posing

Member Exclusive: Portrait Photography & Lighting Photo Critique

Member Exclusive: Everything you need to know to get started with one light
03/18/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Fundamentals

Member Exclusive: Everything you need to know to get started with one light

What is the difference between Speedlights, Monolights and Packs & Heads?
03/14/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Fundamentals , Lighting Technique

Member Exclusive: What is the difference between Speedlights, Monolights and Packs & Heads?

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LIVE SESSIONS

In this live video we go over several critique images and retouching in photoshop.
05/02/2022
Live

Live: Q&A and Critique April 28, 2022

In this live video we go over several critique images
04/18/2022
Live

Live: Q&A and Critique April 16, 2022

Live: Q&A and Critique March 17, 2022
03/25/2022
Live

Live: Q&A and Critique March 17, 2022

02/13/2022
Live

Live: Q&A and Critique February 12, 2022

In this video we cover strategies for shooting gymnastics and freezing motion with flash.
02/01/2022
Live

Live: Q&A and Critique January 31, 2022

Live: Q&A and Critique January 22, 2022
01/22/2022
Live

Live: Q&A and Critique January 22, 2022

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GEAR

After I bought the Canon EOS R5, I switched over almost all of my lenses from the EF mount to the RF mount. But now I am unsure which lens is he best lens in different situations. So in today's video, I am going to test if the RF70-200 f4 at 70mm outperforms the RF 28-70mm f/2.0 at 70mm in the studio at f4, 5.6 and f8.
05/02/2022
Gear

Review: Is the Canon EOS RF 70-200mm f4 or RF 28-70mm f2 a better choice at 70mm for R5 studio photographers?

After I bought the Canon EOS R5, I switched over almost all of my lenses from the EF mount to the RF mount. But...

In today's video I am going to go over how I travel with my gear, including may cases and everything in them! Then at 19:27 I share how I check my bags for free at the airport!
04/18/2022
Gear , Pre-Production

How I travel with all of my lighting gear and check my bags for free!

In today's video I am going to go over how I travel with my gear, including may cases and everything in them! Then at...

After I bought the Canon EOS R5, I switched over almost all of my lenses from the EF mount to the RF mount. But now I am unsure which lens is he best lens in different situations. So in today's video, I am going to test if the RF70-200 f4 outperforms the RF 85mm f1.2 in the studio at f4, 5.6 and f8.
04/04/2022
Gear

Review: Is the Canon EOS RF 70-200mm or f4.0 RF 85mm f1.2 a better choice for R5 studio photographers?

After I bought the Canon EOS R5, I switched over almost all of my lenses from the EF mount to the RF mount. But...

Is the Nanlite Forza 500 significantly brighter than the FS-300?
12/11/2021
Gear

Is the Nanlite Forza 500 significantly brighter than the FS-300?

Is the Nanlite Forza 500 significantly brighter than the FS-300?

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FUNDAMENTALS

In today's video were going to explore if high ISO or under exposure leads to excessive noise in digital photography, specifically when shooting in the photo studio at ISO 100, 200 400 and 800 with the Canon EOS R5 camera. We will also look at how these files look with and without Capture One's default noise processing
04/17/2022
Fundamentals

Does High ISO or Underexposure Cause Noise with the Canon EOS R5?

Member Exclusive: Everything you need to know to get started with one light
03/18/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Fundamentals

Member Exclusive: Everything you need to know to get started with one light

What is the difference between Speedlights, Monolights and Packs & Heads?
03/14/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Fundamentals , Lighting Technique

Member Exclusive: What is the difference between Speedlights, Monolights and Packs & Heads?

People often ask me how much space you need for a studio. So in today's video I will test out how much depth you need to shoot a full body portrait with 50mm, 70mm and 85mm lenses.
03/07/2022
Fundamentals

How long does a studio need to be for full length portraits?

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BEFORE THE SHOOT

In today's video were going to explore if high ISO or under exposure leads to excessive noise in digital photography, specifically when shooting in the photo studio at ISO 100, 200 400 and 800 with the Canon EOS R5 camera. We will also look at how these files look with and without Capture One's default noise processing
04/17/2022
Fundamentals

Does High ISO or Underexposure Cause Noise with the Canon EOS R5?

Member Exclusive: Everything you need to know to get started with one light
03/18/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Fundamentals

Member Exclusive: Everything you need to know to get started with one light

What is the difference between Speedlights, Monolights and Packs & Heads?
03/14/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Fundamentals , Lighting Technique

Member Exclusive: What is the difference between Speedlights, Monolights and Packs & Heads?

People often ask me how much space you need for a studio. So in today's video I will test out how much depth you need to shoot a full body portrait with 50mm, 70mm and 85mm lenses.
03/07/2022
Fundamentals

How long does a studio need to be for full length portraits?

READ MORE

BUSINESS

Photographers love to tag their work before posting them online. However, they will come back to haunt you and bite you in the ass! Unless of course the watermark is on a proof.
01/17/2022
Business

Why watermarking your images for social media is a bad idea

In today's video I wanted to share with you 3 key strategies for building a successful photography business. While I am coming at this from the perspective of a commercial photographer, I think the advice will ring true regardless of your genre.
01/10/2022
Business

3 Tips For How to be a Successful Professional Photographer

Studio Tour: John Gress's New Chicago Portait Photogray Studio
09/30/2021
Business

Studio Tour: John Gress’s New Chicago Portait Photogray Studio

When I was 14 year's old I wanted to be a lawyer or a naval officer and then I borrowed my mom's camera and went to summer camp. Having that point-and-shoot in my hands gave me a reason to walk up to new people and make friends, something I couldn't do at my school because the die was cast for this poor and overweight kid. I quickly realized photography was for me and I set out to make it my career, overcoming some big hurdles along the way as I transitioned from photojournalism to become a commercial photographer.
09/03/2021
Business , Fundamentals

How I overcame major challenges and setbacks to become a successful commercial photographer

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LIGHTING TECHNIQUES

05/18/2022
Lighting Technique

8 common portrait lighting mistakes that every new photographer makes

In today's video I breakdown a TTL HHS outdoor hard light portrait and a soft light Rembrandt setup in the studio.
05/14/2022
Lighting Technique

Lighting Handbook Tutorial – Breaking down a hard light outdoor portrait & a soft light studio setup

In this months member exclusive video I go over tow hard light and two soft light setup's and cover feathering, catch lights, fine tuning shadows and more.
04/22/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Lighting Technique

Member Exclusive: Hard and Soft Light with Pierce & Jordan

In today's video I am going to show you how to get a perfect white background for high-key headshot photography in the studio.
04/20/2022
Lighting Technique

High Key Lighting Tutorial – Two ways to get a pure white background in the photo studio

READ MORE

POSING & MORE

In today's video I set out to critique five portraits and headshots. After pointing out the positives I share my advice on how the images could be improved. So basically, this video is full of portrait and lighting tips and tricks!
03/28/2022
Exclusive Training Videos , Lighting Technique , Posing

Member Exclusive: Portrait Photography & Lighting Photo Critique

readylightmendia vs. johngressmedia photo critique studio lighting
09/23/2021
Exclusive Training Videos , Fundamentals , Lighting Technique , Posing

ReadyLightMedia va. JohnGressMedia Photo Critique: Fashion & portrait photography tips

There are two ways photographers can grow and improve -- practice and critique. But the feedback we get online is often all positive and unqualified or destructive and also unqualified. So in today's video, James Quantz Jr. and I will go over 6 images, submitted by their makers, and give suggestions on how the photos could be improved.
05/29/2021
Lighting Technique , Posing

Photo critique with James Quantz Jr.

photo critique with gary hughes
03/27/2021
Lighting Technique , Posing

Photo Critique with Gary Hughes

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AFTER THE SHOOT

Step-by-step Black & White retouching using Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, and Neural Filters for Skin Smoothing. I also mask out the backgrounds and replace them.
11/06/2021
Exclusive Training Videos , Post-Production

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE: Lightroom and Photoshop B&W Tutorial

Capture One 21 Photoshop Black & white B&W retouching tutorial
06/26/2021
Exclusive Training Videos , Post-Production

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE: Capture One and Photoshop BW Tutorial

retouching in Capture one with beyond film style packs
05/01/2021
Exclusive Training Videos , Post-Production

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE: How I retouch my photos in Capture One 21 including using the Beyond Film style packs.

I was wrong about photogaphy
04/17/2021
Business , Fundamentals , Gear , Lighting Technique , Post-Production

The 10 things I thought I knew about photography, but I was wrong

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