Learn By Doing
Practise your skills and reach your photography goals, project by project
Each project gives you simple step-by-step instructions to follow and direct feedback from Karl along the way, then a chance to display your finished images in the gallery. It's the fastest way to turn what you've learned into real, finished work - and to keep building your skills, one project at a time.
"I'll show you exactly how to do this in easy steps - shot with just one light and a couple of mirrors to bounce the light back. I'm challenging you to create a stylish old-masters-style still life with one light too." - Karl Taylor
How the project works
1
Live Launch Show
Karl walks you through the brief live, with time for questions before you start.
2
Bite-Sized Training
Short, focused lessons will guide you through the key stages of the project, including prop sourcing, light placement, surface choice, composition, colour and post-production.
3
Build and Test Your Image
This is where the learning happens. Move the light, change the distance, adjust the objects, test the shadows and refine the image until it starts to feel intentional.
4
Mid-Project Discussion
We’ll look at progress, discuss common problems and help you keep learning. Rough attempts, lighting tests and behind-the-scenes setups are all useful at this stage
5
Upload to the Project Gallery
Share your results, a work-in-progress shot, or a behind-the-scenes setup. This is not a competition. Every upload helps other members see what was tried, what changed and what improved. You can upload or update any of your images at any time during the project.
6
Review and Peter Lippmann Interview
I’ll review selected member submissions during the project review. Peter Lippmann will also be joining me for a live interview, where selected project images will be shown as part of the discussion around still life, lighting and composition.
WATCH HOW 'RAKING' A SINGLE LIGHT BRINGS THE IMAGE TO LIFE
On this project you will create your own still life image with one light, carefully chosen props, controlled shadow and refined composition.
What You'll Learn
Choose props that tell a story and feel considered
Build a composition around a single light source
Use fabric, surfaces and background texture
Create an old-master-inspired mood in post-production
"These projects bring 30 years of professional lighting experience into simple exercises anyone can try at home."
Curated by Karl TaylorLoved by photographers at every level
What members are saying about the Visual Education projects.
"Just signed up, i have to say this is one of the best live/class i have watched on photography in a long time. Really made me feel really excited to create my images."
Cashfire
"Great class! I’ve learned many new things and revisited others. The project’s direction is very motivating, and I look forward to participating. Thanks a lot!"
Iglika
"Fun! Thanks Karl and team for creating an environment which encourages learning and sharing. This class was a great excuse to get in the studio (aka garage), just start shooting, and now sharing results."
Joe
Start Learning Today
Want to take part in the full project?
Join Visual Education to participate, upload your work, access the project tutorials, take part in the review process, earn badges, and continue learning with the full project. The sooner you join, the more of this round you get - including the live Mid-Project Review.
Launched
29 Jul
Mid-Project Review
Join in time
Closes
27 Sept
Monthly
£19.00/month
Pay as you go.
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ANNUAL
£11.00/month
£132 Per Year, Billed Annually
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Project Gallery
See what our members are creating for this Project.
Comments
It’s nice to see so many great shots here, well done, All, Love Visual Education
Important lesson learned: build in enough time to step away for that cup of tea and fresh set of eyes. Tried to squeeze the project into one afternoon and discovered something unintentionally left in an otherwise very satisfying shot.
Still grew a ton and had a wonderful time with the lessons/project/shoot. Thank you for putting these together!!
What a bummer! When I first read the new topic, I immediately had an idea in mind for a picture using an entirely different set of materials—lots of different finished metals, glass, and mirrors.
However, while prepping my table, I watched the introduction and realized I now need to go find some new props that fit the brief better.
I gave my initial idea a shot anyway because it was just too fun to pass up. I would have loved to follow through with this concept, but I’m pretty sure optical fibers weren’t quite available during the old-master era!
Ha, always a good idea to watch the launch first!
I’ve enjoyed this project. The photos with the fish are replacements for the earlier 3 posted. For these fishy images I used just window light coming from the right hand side. This was also reflected by two silver reflectors to fill in some of the deeper shadows. I dodged a little in PS, particularly the bread and fish. Shot in RAW and processed in PS and NIK Color Efex. I choose a preset and then added a green tinge, although I’m not sure I like this. I did consider adding a digital oil painting look, but have followed Karl’s suggestions apart from adding noise.
This has been a good project for me which has led me into making numerous still life images. using flash and others with fixed lights. I think my best are those using two fixed lights, one through an umbrella and one with a snoot.
Wow, I’m impressed with the images uploaded so far. Feeling proud seeing everyone’s efforts and equally inspired as a member. On my side, I have a story, and my props-gathering are slowly coming together.
Hi, If I may add a post-processing comment I would strongly disagree with any added artificial digital noise – this is essentially a completely alien concept for the old master painters work. This is popular image degradation technique these days, but I promise it will pass just as quickly like blown highlights or magenta tints from 2010s.
I strongly dislike digital noise. But then surely if we wanted it, why not just shoot the master image at ISO 3200, or whatever the desirably noisy settings is…
I enjoyed the class otherwise and looking forward to have some play with some fruit and vegetables!
Hi, adding digital noise is actually a very versatile process and is even used in increasing apparent contrast in images especially prior to printing. Watch this class to see that at work: https://visualeducation.com/class/preparing-your-images-for-print-using-photoshop/
The main reason for adding digital noise in my own example was to introduce the feeling of texture that is apparent from an original canvas. In this class I actually introduce noise and a canvas ‘texture’ to further invoke that mood: https://visualeducation.com/class/painterly-portrait-post-production/
All of this is OK as long as you retain your layers and the original file below before you add noise and then you can choose how much noise to introduce or revert back to no noise.
I love the approach of using just one light source. What was for me especially helpful, were the previous projects and discussions regarding shadow and its quality and especially reflections of modifiers in shiny objects … so much to take care of! One thing is knowing and the other thing is being able to implement it.
Now at least I recognize a lot of issues in my first attempt of doing the still life. I liked the back/above direction of the light, but forgot about the typical light direction of a period painting; as a result not all reflections made sense and I had to doge and burn in post to correct some of the obvious issues. Well the next trial may hopefully improve.
And I also need some more convex reflectors (cosmetic mirror) to highlight parts of the still life (instead in post) , and clamps to hold reflectors in place (instead of books and boxes) and, and, and … 😉 It is an exciting challenge to achieve a light setup that requires just the absolute minimal post production – I did not expect that enjoyment out of a still life (including the historic background of such paintings) … a completely new genre for me.
Thanks Karl and Team
Thank you and glad you enjoyed it.
Hi there, I’m struggling with my upload, because I can see that the image I sent is really different from my exported jpg file as I can see it on my PC (jpg is very similar to my PSD). Let’s say that there’s a massive lost of information, namely in dark tones, which results black. May you help me, or should I modify my image to fit the compression of your site? Thank you. Regards.
Sorry for replying to myself with a new question for you : when I upload the image on Facebook, it is quite darker than my original : but I noticed that when I download it from Facebook and open it with my default viewer (on PC), it is really closer to my native JPG. Karl, is it the same with Visual Education? Does the image on the gallery uploads appears darker and ugly compressed if compared to the file you will open on your Mac? Thank you, Regards.
Hi, it shouldn’t change on our platform. One of the reasons images appear to change on different platforms is the embedded colour profile in the image. For example if your image was using an Adobe RGB profile and then uploaded to a website it may change in appearance because the website automatically recodes the image with an SrGB profile which is common for web display. Generally speaking if you export your images with an SrGB profile before uploading them then they should look the same as long as you are viewing them on the same screen of course.
Here’s a brief rundown of my discoveries so far with this project.
Number one, the light from my garage door is magnificent. I never knew this until I tried lighting my composition with it. I credit you, Karl for this cool thing that’s happened, because you insisted on using one light source.
Number two, is the genre Vanitas, I find it fascinating, and my favorite artist so far is Pieter Claesz.
Number three, the importance of taking behind-the-scenes photographs and doing them a little bit nicely.
Those are just a few of the things that I can think of right off the top of my head, but this is a fantastic project. And it’s just started lol!
Incredible shot. I genuinely thought this was a painting being used as inspiration.
An enjoyable protect, I’m a bit into flowers and people photography and have lots of lights. However this was a challenge and I chose to use only reflected window light ………..The second reflector (the one on the right) in my set up photo I held above the props
I chose window light due to the logistics, I needed to use a certain desk which I could only move a little due to space.
I have watched a lot of your videos since joining a couple of months ago, they are very enjoyable and instructional, Thanks
Ian Crowson. http://www.iancrowsonphotography.co.uk
Hi everybody, I love the challenge of this project. All my advice is to do your best, don’t rush, watch the segments of what is required, and give it a go
Karl T gave a great explanation of what we need to do and how to do it
Cheers
👍
Now I understand why the previous projects were given to us. Whoever took them seriously will have a benefit. Problem with me is I am new in this type of photography (studio based), and I have to get clients to survive. My head is filled with anxiety and tension, and I am not very young. But to create such photographs, we have to be absolutely calm and patient, or maybe a controlled chaos can be very helpful too. It is all about the balance I suppose. Good luck to us.
That’s right sir, our goal here is to help people improve and these exercises are designed to test people and put them a little outside of their comfort zone. Through this you reach the potential of learning through practise.
Kind of confused about what you mean by symbolism. Can you provide some specifics? I’ve never understood symbolism in certain types of images. Ok, I’ll be honest, any painting/ image. I failed that part of art class.
Hi, during the launch show I explain about ‘symbolism’ when I spoke in particular about the old masters example paintings that I put on the blog post page. In those examples is one with a skull in the painting. That skull is a symbol, in particular in ‘vanitas’ paintings. Rewind the launch show to learn what I’m talking about when I look at those paintings during the show.