Thorsten “The Great” Ott Returns with One of the Deepest Lighting Tutorials Ever Made!

Just how much information can you cram into your brain in 2hrs for $250.00?

UPDATE 8/09/10: THIS JUST IN! OTT HAS CONFIRMED THE PERMANENT PRICE OF THE NEW TUTORIAL AT AN AWESOME $175.00!!!!

Photography veteran Thorsten Ott makes his grand return to the photography community forefront with what could easily be argued as the “Photography Instructional Video Of The Year!” (Not really, he’s been teaching via his website successfully for over a year now.) When Ott asked me to review it, I knew it would be a serious brain filler going from past experience with Ott products. Enter “Creative Lighting For People Photography.”

Try this on for size: No more than 2 flashes were used in the instructional, over 15 lighting modifier diagrams (on the light tools themselves!) Over 20+ Behind the scenes videos of every model shoot (makes the video worth the asking price alone), Over 20 minutes of D.I.Y. to get the job done on the cheap, the man even D.I.Y.’s a 100% PRACTICAL ringlight that just about anyone with 4 fingers and scissors could do! Ott exhausts with over 6 core light modifiers more than 30 printable Lighting diagram setups and damn near his whole Photoshop regimen in scary detail! That’s all from my memory folks! What makes that last paragraph special: I watched the video 24hrs ago! Ott slowly simmers the knowledge into your brain for a lasting effect! You don’t even have to have a flash because Ott dissects how to shoot with panels so well its made me rethink outdoor natural light possibilities with them. Maybe I can and should leave the flashes at home for good?

Lets compare directly from his website:

About the tutorial video:

  • Price in US $200.00 $175.00 for immediate download (August Only FOREVER!!!)
  • Video duration is 120 minutes
  • Video quality is HD 1280 x 720p h.264 Apple Quicktime Player (free download)
  • High-speed/broadband internet required to download the 1.72 Gigabyte video file

Video Highlights:

  • Light with only 1 & 2 inexpensive mono-lights
  • Learn how to use 17 different lighting modifiers
  • Complete lighting diagrams with in-depth commentary of all 50 images
  • Behind-the-scenes video footage of 27 model shoots
  • My custom camera settings and post production PhotoShop work-flow
  • Inexpensive and DIY Lighting Modifiers including a new DIY Ring-flash
  • Modifiers include Lighting Panels, V-banks, 48″ Octabox, 22″ Beauty Dish, Reflectors and various Grids
  • White Balance, sRGB vs. 16 bit Prophoto, Monitor Calibration, Film Effects and Skin Softening plugins
  • 50 printable lighting diagrams included

CONCLUSION:

THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEO ON THE MARKET MAY HAVE JUST ARRIVED! A new bar has been set in core lighting instruction! One watch and you can easily see just how the fundamental put on this video could cause a shift in the industry. Photographers don’t really like how much info Ott has put into one place! It answers questions that they’d like to charge you for: Its like one day you’re a child in photography, the next you’re headed to adulthood. Armed with techniques that seasoned commercial shooters have had for years! Get it while its this cheap! Phenomenal video!

Lets back up:

Video Quality:

The video has obviously been made to some rigorous production quality standard that makes the picture clean, crisp, sharp and lacking nothing! I watched it on 3 year older Compaq 1.6GHZ (Pentium Dual Core), 3gig RAM, laptop with NO CHOPPY image quality, no jerky picture. Nothing short of DVD quality video! (WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT FOR PAYING $250.00 for a video…and you guys already know I’m cheap!)

Audio Quality:

Crystal clear! Just what you should expect from a $250 investment! Echo free. In sync. Just what audio should sound like. The only funny thing is how obviously deliberate Ott talks through the loads of information he set out to put forth! Its almost like he forces himself to slow down the pace thus actually enhancing the sense that he’s a teacher!

Download:

Try this, 1.7 gigs: drum-roll please … 2.5 hours for me at std DSL speeds in bandwidth congested Los Angeles! The file comes as a 1.6gig winzip file. Windows and Mac should handle this easily! Format is .MOV. For my PC Apple Quicktime seemed to stutter a bit with the file; however, when I played it in the free and widely available VideoLan VLC media player it played as smooth as eggs! (This could very well be my own system. On a Mac I’ve been told the file would probably run much better with the Apple Quicktime Player.  In the file are 51 printable jpeg lighting diagrams with explanations!

WHO IS THIS FOR:

Whoever has mastered the bare basics of gear e.g. F-Stops, Shutters, ISO, Lens…etc. I would definitely recommend this to veterans who just need to refresh yourselves with the fundamentals! I’d recommend this be used teach STUDENTS! Anyone who’s looking for a foundation on commercial photography.

Bottom Line:

People, when Thorsten sent me his video to review, I had no hesitations of canceling a session to see what he had to teach!  I’m actually very-very picky about what I say I like to you guys because many of my consistent readers base lot of weight on it… this is just one of those item that you should consider a TOOL and not a lesson! I cannot recommend this video enough! He figured out some way to take old images re-narrate the entire video from a totally different perspective than his last, added TONS of new info and more importantly ways to apply the knowledge! Creative Lighting for People Photography is a Prince of Cheap rated MASTERPIECE!

P.S. for all the cheapshots out there, Ott’s offering this gem for ONLY $200.00 $175.00 for the month of August (Thereafter full price is $175.00). Without a doubt, I SAY UP YOUR GAME AND GO GET IT!

Thorsten Ott Website: http://www.zeroplusplus.com/

TRAILER for the video: http://vimeo.com/13505374

NOTE: Since the release of the video Thorsten has just updated his website with yet another free lesson! Direct to the new free video http://vimeo.com/13787794

I’m David Griffin, A.K.A. “The Prince of Cheap.” You can find me at http://www.davidgriffinphotography.com

No Excuses… GET TA SHOOTIN!

Published by David Griffin

The Prince of Cheap I am a "Jesus Freak" and a DIY photography junkie! I'm also the *second* cheapest man alive... but only 'cause my Dad is the first!