Wisdom and Inspiration
Review: The Best of Dean Collins on Lighting DVD
By DE Staff
Oct 15, 2006

A guiding light to a generation of photographers, Dean Collins revolutionized the profession of photography with an energetic approach and a sincere desire to share his timeless wisdom with anyone eager to learn. He was in demand as a speaker on every continent, and was often requested to photograph heads of state, many of the world’s best athletes, and some of the most famous entertainers known today.
 
Sadly, after fighting cancer for three years, he passed away in February 2005, at the age of 51. But his spirit and passion for photographic education live on. To honor Collins, Software Cinema re-released a remix of The Best of Dean Collins on Lighting in a four DVD set, packing in over six hours of training tutorials from the original Finelight Video series on VHS.

Quite literally a fountain of photographic knowledge, Collins speaks at a somewhat expeditious pace in these videos—but you almost don’t even have to listen to what he’s saying—you can absorb it through osmosis as he demonstrates how to think about light and take command of the environment down to the slightest detail, instead of being a slave to the harsh midday sun.

With a technical precision second-to-none, Collins is clearly not the type of photographer who wildly takes a lot of pictures in the hopes that a few of them miraculously turn out the way he had envisioned. As a proactive photographer, his method is one of efficiency and control. When Collins goes to work, there are no wasted motions as he solves and guides you through each lighting situation like a simple math problem.

Whether it’s a commercial shoot in a studio or a portrait shoot outdoors for a model’s portfolio, Collins approaches basic and advanced photographic theories in a way both beginners and professionals can easily understand and apply. Watch a sample video from Disc 4 “Collins on Basics," which, as the title suggests, covers fundamental lighting concepts every good photographer should know. He hammers the key components of lighting control into your brain until it becomes instinctual.

For anyone who is serious about being a profitable photographer, The Best of Dean Collins on Lighting is an essential addition to your library and is destined to become a classic. Though the fashions and hairstyles are a little dated, the lighting concepts still hold true, as they always will, and remain just as important in today’s predominantly digital world. And no one explains those concepts better and more simply than Collins.

Like all exceptional teachers, Dean Collins doesn’t just give you a fish, and he doesn’t just teach you how to fish—he teaches you how to teach others how to fish. He is greatly missed.



In his honor, for every Best of Dean Collins DVD purchased, Software Cinema is donating $5 to CureSearch, the largest pediatric cancer research organization in the world.


For more information or to purchase The Best of Dean Collins, click here.

Don't wait! Currently, Software Cinema is offering a 20% discount through October 31, Promotion Code SDDC906



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