Speedlight Photography Basics with Mike Fulton

I bought this class a couple years ago, watched it all and I found it great! It was just not right time for me to start using it. I was too scared of it. Now, 2020 I watched it all again and after these years of using my studio lights only in my studio I finally got it all and understood!!! I am going to offer a wedding photography from 2021 and I am now confident to use my speedlites. I need to practice first, of course, but now I have a vision how I am going to do it! This class is amazing!

Makes very useful and practical points on what to do and problem solving.The only problem is that it is buried in a running commentary. It gives the feeling of a normal workshop not a slick production machine- it may not be a bad thing. I bought this course in a discount deal package and it is different from the rest, so it is a good diversion.

I am recommending this course on the basis that it gets improved from a delivery aspect. There is a lot of really good information hidden away between pointless babble, irritating fiddling with equipment and what appears a lack of structure, or sticking to the structure in the planning of the delivery of content. Once the live aspect is over suggest you get someone who can edit to remove all the extraneous stuff of which there is a lot. Also, if Mike is going to fiddle with the gear, which i recognise as necessary if he is doing the show and tell approach, how about jumping in with a close up to show exactly what he is doing.

Mike is a good technical teacher. Don't forget this class is about "Basics". It helped my journey to become a better photographer. Just look at the photos taken by people who took this class. I think Mike should be proud.

Someone should tell this nice guy, Mike that he should restrain his comments and do his homework and structure the course and sticks to it. Of 100s of pictures he took not even one was inspiring or great shot. Yes, he did say that "I am not going to make good image", why not I ask? I do believe he is not only a nice individual but knows the tech side, not sure if he can make artistic images.

The first two videos are identical. I have a canon flash and this part is missing from the course. Lesson 1 and 2 are a repeat. Can I get the canon part?

Very in depth. I learned things and it helped me realize what I need to do to progress.

Inspiring class. I'm glad I watched this class. It gave me insight and many ideas for future projects.

loved this course. I had no clue how to use a speedlight before this. Feeling a lot more confident now and less afraid to use one. Love Mike's teaching style. highly recommend.

I truly enjoyed this course.. I have a Sony system and was somewhat disappointed that it was completely ignored from the course however the date it was recorded could have something to do with that.. I do not feel it was a course designed to increase artistic skills but it did a great job of getting into the technical weeds of how and why speed lights work as they do and how they work with TTL or manual and in combination. I have read the other reviews and I do agree that personal disparaging comments don't work well as a presenter. I do disagree with the comments relating to the quality of the photographs he was taking in this very sterile classroom environment.. In reality the stage lights were working against him on everything he was trying to teach and many of his mistakes I would bet relate to that.. Stage panels are shooting a ton of light yet he was having to teach as though they weren't there.. Certainly adds a bit of complexity to it.. I instead of critiquing his shots listened to the overall concepts he was teaching and as a result walked away with a great education on speed lights.. I am moving toward professional photography and having the technical side down in my opinion is critical so I can concentrate on the artistic element next... I would recommend this course.

Excellent course, especially when I learnt something within the first 5 mins of watching it. I have found Creative Live courses to be very thorough in detail and equally practical in application. 10 out of 10 Creative Live support has also been 💯 % helpful Thanks guys..

I would recommend this course, as I own the course, and watched the LIVE presentation and find it overall to be beneficial. However; it seems the instructor bounces all over the place as though he has no outline. This makes him difficult to follow. Further, his photography while he is doing the presentation is not inspiring at all. He is a professional photographer, but his results in this class do not present as professional. Again, his presentation is all over the place making it difficult to justify any further expenditures on classes this instructor teaches.

The instructor lost me early on, when he differentiated between men and "lady" photographers.

Binge watched this course. Mike really knows his stuff. Great addition to my library.

There are some aspects of this class that I like and others that I find frustrating and disappointing. Mike clearly knows a lot about flash photography and his passion for photography and teaching it is readily evident. The frustrating part is that he talks for 20 minutes on something that could be covered in 5 minutes, as he continually repeats himself. Its as if Creative Live gave him 2 days for the course, and he had to fill it with lots of rambling. What I felt was rather sad, was the number of times he called himself an "idiot" when something didn't go right - and this happens a lot. With some coaching on presentation skills, particularly about getting the message across clearly and succinctly, Mike would be a wonderful presenter, as he clearly has the heart, passion and knowledge!

A few days ago, I knew nothing about speedlights. And now, just after a few days of watching and absorbing this course, I feel like I've known them for so long. Knowledge is one thing though, familiarity is another. But that's something experience and practice will solve. Mike Fulton is not only a master of his craft, but a fantastic teacher. Five stars!

Took the mystery out of speedlights for me. Now I use them with confidence. Thanks!

I really enjoy this class! Mike teaches in a very casual, cordial manner. It's like you were right there with him. I especially appreciate all the live shoots in everyday situations.

It took me months of practice to understand some of the concepts that Mike taught. I am more of a manual user but I guess TTL is a quick way to make adjustments and not miss the moment as Mike demonstrated. At the end of the day, as a photographer you will have to make choices on how you want to capture that moment as it arises. It doesn't matter whether it's TTL or manual, as long as you get the desired result. He covered a range of topics which I believe will help me improve my technique.

I finally got an AHA! moment while watching this class. Ive been avoiding using Speedlites for years cuz I just didn't get it, Now I do! Thank you!

I watched a rebroadcast of this class and learned a lot, even though I didn't get to see the whole thing. Thank you for explaining so well and making it easier to understand how to use speedlights to make fabulous photos! I'm a beginner, so I am looking forward to trying some of the techniques I learned.

I have purchased quite a few classes from Creative Live, and have found all of them extremely helpful, with the exception of this one. I find it hard to watch and I don't think he is very clear. I have found videos about off camera lighting, since purchasing this, that have been much more informative and helpful. If I could get my money back, I would.

If you are interested in adding speedlights to your arsenal of photographic tools, this is the class for you. Mike offers up a ton of very practical information you can use to improve your use of these magical products! Mike's teaching style is very easy going and entertaining. I ended up purchasing this class so I can go back and review as needed. Very well done!

This class is a must for someone who is just getting started with Speedlites. I learned so much. I purchased the class and I am so glad...I can look back and get clarification on some of my questions. Great class and very well presented. Jean

I am in the midst of watching this class through the videos I purchased and am very impressed by how in depth the information is. VERY happy with this purchase. I like Mike’s ability to make concepts easy to understand and also that he shows you by example what he means. As a direct result of watching this class, while visiting family yesterday I found myself looking at my grandson’s face as light was shining on him through a window and thinking to myself, “Oh, that is short lighting and when he turns his face it becomes broad lighting.” Thanks, Mike. Can’t wait to see what other gems of understanding I have in store for me in the rest of the class videos.