After years of perfecting his unique "light painting with speedlights" technique, Mike Kelley has quickly become one of the most sought after architecture and interior photographers around. Mixing artificial light, natural ambient light, and high powered strobe light, Mike's images create a hyper realistic mood that has become a staple in the commercial and advertising world. Unlike traditional techniques such as single long exposures or high dynamic range renders, Mike's light painting technique allows him to have the most amount of control over every light source seen in his images. It is only after you have seen Mike's before and after examples that you can really appreciate just how impressive his work truly is.
Fstoppers.com has teamed up with Mike Kelley to produce Where Art Meets Architecture, a 7 hour long digital download on how to photograph real estate, architecture, and interiors. In this photography tutorial, Mike will explain each and every technique he uses to produce his stunning images. The full photography tutorial is broken down into three chapters, each covering the tools necessary to succeed in the different niche markets within the field of interior photography. So no matter if you are an experienced photographer or have never taken your camera out of auto mode, Mike will teach you the most basic steps to get started as well as walk you through some of his most complicated photo edits. From simple on-camera Real Estate photographs, to twilight exteriors with 20 layers of Photoshop, this tutorial will help you get on the fast track to making your photos of homes and architecture look as good as those seen in publications and commercials.
Watch a Free Lesson From Where Art Meets Architecture
If you aren't sure if this tutorial is for you, click the button below to watch a free lesson from Mike's tutorial before you buy.
What is covered:
Real Estate Photography: In the Real Estate section, Mike will teach you everything you need to know about this genre so you can kick start your career and start producing images for real estate agents, listing agents, and general property management. All of the basics will be covered in this chapter including:
- How to get started with minimal gear
- How to bounce flash effectively
- Using natural light to your advantage
- Properly composing your frame
- Choosing the correct focal length
- How to retain exterior window views
- Two, three, and four light setups
- Correcting pincushion and barrel distortion
- Fixing converging lines in Photoshop
- Creating a final image completely in camera
In addition to "building your foundation", Mike also talks candidly about how he found success in the real estate market, and how you too can build a money making business shooting properties for sale.
Architecture and Interior Photography: This chapter focuses on how to create photographs for higher paying clients like architects, home builders, interior designers, and magazine editorials. With the ground work already laid down, Mike focuses on streamlining your workflow and pushing your images into actual works of art. While on location at an actual architect's personal home, Mike walks you through eight flagship images from initial capture all the way through the final photoshop editing process. We have also included a full Photoshop PSD file of a twilight exterior images so you can follow along as Mike teaches every step in creating his signature look.
- Mike's Twilight Exterior Technique
- Advanced light painting and compositing
- Tethering to an ipad/iphone
- Using scrims to control reflections/specular highlights
- The "Moody Interior Twilight Shot"
- Faking warm sunlight
- Staging furniture for strong compositions
Commercial and Advertising Photography: In this final section, Mike takes you on the set of two commercial spaces and demonstrates how to produce perfect images for restaurants, hotels, wedding venues, resorts, and other commercial clients. Emphasis will be placed on meeting your clients needs and lighting images according to the use of the space.
- Creating twilight images while a restaurant is open for business
- Incorporating people into your photography
- Lighting multi room locations
- Replacing details in Photoshop
- Lighting large banquet halls
- How to create an inviting atmosphere
Additionally, Mike will also cover the business of commercial and advertising photography including how to market yourself, how to build residual income through image licensing, finding and maintaining clients, and pricing your work.
"‘Where Art Meets Architecture’ is the definitive workshop on shooting Real Estate, Architecture, or Interior images. What you learn in this 7 hour workshop is what many photographers dream about...By the time you are finished with this workshop, you will feel as if you have the tools you need to complete any job in this niche of photography."
-Anthony Thurston, SLR Lounge (read full 5-Star review here)
Not familiar with Mike's work? Check out this short Fstoppers Original we did with Mike as he photographs an exterior twilight shot in Arizona. Read the full original post here.
Two Additional Tutorials!
Since the release of Where Art Meets Architecture 1, Fstoppers has produced two new tutorials with Mike Kelley (WAMA II and III). These tutorials are MUCH more advanced and focus on very specific elements of the architecture photography market. If you are just getting started with real estate photography, lighting, and post production, we highly recommend watching WAMA 1 first, but we have also bundled all of the tutorials in this series at a discount if you want to learn everything Mike has to teach.
View the sales page for WAMA 2 Here.
View the sales page for WAMA 3 Here.
Below we ask for honest reviews from THOSE WHO HAVE PURCHASED THE TUTORIAL. Anything that is not a review of the product will be deleted.
Does the Real Estate section go over home interiors? That's the part I find challenging to figure out. That's the part I really want to see. Also does he show use of strobes in it which I know he uses now mainly?
I bought the video two nights ago, watched the whole thing in one day and already picked up 3 new Real Estate clients to shoot for just by following one of Mike's tips. I have a shoot booked for next week and more to come. I'm a realtor myself, so I have a lot of connections with agents and I know what I should be doing to get more business, however I wasn't pushed to do it until I watched Mike's videos and learned how he built his business in the beginning. I purchased Scott Hargis's tutorials about a year ago and after watching those, my photography business took off with all the tips I learned from Scott. I knew nothing about lighting for interior photography before Scott's videos. I learned even more by watching Mike's technique and I'm looking forward to putting them to good use to take my photos to the next level. This is well worth the $299 whether you're just starting, or already in the business. (it's already paid for itself with the business I gained just from purchasing this 2 nights ago) Thanks for putting this together Mike, and if you're ever in Hawaii for a job, look me up!
Now I just need another 15 clients so I can get the New Canon 5DS and the Tilt Shift Lenses I've been wanting!
Just bought this, downloading now. BTW, you spell your name WRONG Mr. Kelley!!
I'm sure this will be a very beneficial course guide.
Trick #Photography And Special Effects E-book. how to create mind-blowing artistic #photographs. http://bit.ly/1G5LDRD
I'm a little torn on which way to go now, if I could afford I'd get both. However after reading Mike's review on https://fstoppers.com/strobe-light/fs-reviews-scott-hargis-lighting-real... I don't know what I should go with?
Hi there, I am very interested in this tutorial but am only really interested in interiors and the associated ps files.
Would it be possible to provide any of the photoshop files for interiors as I saw a previous response saying there was only 1 exterior ps file.
I live in a tiny place in England and there would not be a call for the high end exterior stuff here unfortunately.
Michael has done an excellent job with the video. Beginners will fond everything useful and gain great insight while more experienced photographers will see just how Michael achieves such great results with his work in photoshop. The walk through from setup to shot to post processing has been a tremendous learning experience.
IMHO, Michael has one of the best techniques for architecture and interior design photography out there. I have long been a fan of his work and have sent countless other professionals to his website to see his work. Now I am able to tell my colleagues that they can see just HOW he obtains his final works so that they too can gain more skills.
Thanks to Michael for the time and effort that went into these videos and once again I must say you are at the top of my very short list of photographers in your line of work.
Great Video I thought it was worth the Money
Mike,
Thanks for producing this DVD/Video production. I am definitely in the camp that thinks it is well worth the money. I paid a similar price for a day's one to one tuition with a pro doing interior photography.
I'm just in the process of starting the photography side of my business and your guidance could not have come at a better time for me.
In terms of the photographic techniques and Photoshop post production, thanks for unlocking some doors I was well and truly stuck behind!
It has been a real revelation!!
Now I have to put the lessons you have provided into practice. I have started experimenting around my own home and keep coming back to the videos for further clarification and keep discovering small points I missed first time through. What a great resource. Once I am happy with the standard and a level of consistency, then comes the challenge of finding clients.
I fully endorse your view that the CamRanger is the way to go with this type of work. Its so much better than trying to use a laptop. Great piece of kit and works great with my two Nikon bodies and is very simple to set up.
Like your website, especially the before and after images. Absolutely superb!
Simply excellent. I have one question though for Mike about the remote flash setup being used. He may have mentioned it but I could not find any reference to it.
Is the Flash unit manually set to full power or, have you already determined the power output of the flash being used in advance?
Or is it set as TTL? (or whatever the Canon equivalent is :) )
I've been doing RE-Architectural-Commercial photography for a living full-time the past 7 years. I want learn & use Mike's light painting techniques. I just purchased Mike's videos and watch video #1. I had a major surprise. I NEVER have used the freakin PEN tool in PS. After watching Mike, I tried the PEN tool and kicked myself for not discovering it earlier!!!. For me, the $299 was worth it just for the PEN tool.
Anyway, Mike does an excellent job explaining the business realities of starting. You find lots of "photographer snobbery" on various forums (Don't ever shoot for free while building portfolio, spend 4 hours on a single room at an MLS RE shoot, etc) etc. Mike does a great job explaining economic /business realities. Realtors want fast, quality images on the cheap. Mike's one and two light explanation is to the point, simple and quick. I'm on the ADD side of things and Mike keeps the subjects precise an to the point.
I say this video, is well worth the money and experienced photographers (like myself) will learn lots as well.
Sorry if this topic has already been touched on but I am interested in the course and have next to no photoshop experience. I use Lightroom to post process and just wondering what level of experience is assumed to be able to learn/follow Mikes' post processing techniques?
SUPER BUY! Must get!
This is an awesome tutorial set. I've made it a point to cut not one corner in this quest to make super images. I have always had extreme interest in Real Estate and Architectural Photography even before I used a DSLR. I have invested heavily in the gear and training required to become really good at this profession. I would suggest to most to also get some PS instruction on sites such as Lynda.com or others. Mike does a fantastic job of explaining PS in a basic way but having those skills before watching this tutorial is a major help. Thanks Mike - Your work is amazing. If you are on the fence about this tutorial, just get it. It is a couple years old but the basics are the basics. Cam Ranger is something I have wanted for a while and this just gave me the excuse to go get it :-)
Just purchased the training and watched the first hour.
I am already convinced that it's worth its money.
But having seen a lot of Peter Hurley videos recently, this is a bit hard and boring to follow.
Mike is a great teacher here. You should know your PS basics and this is so easy to follow along and so many "POP" in the head moments. Funny too. "You don't want any crazy BO when walking into a house" lol
Dont you give Discount for X'mas ? lol
Way over the top....either you are a photog or a light room geek....the creativity of the shoot is completely lost in the complexities of the edit....too bad....What would this poor guy do if we only had film?
...at the end of the day the picture was nearly perfect...admittedly.....NICE
Where art meets Architecture??? I don't know about the tutorial but this slogan it's not so clever. Architecture it's already an Art.
I have to admit I hesitated before buying this dvd but came back to the website several times. Mostly my hesitation was due to other purchases that have sounded good from the marketing material only to find out there wasn't much substance in the actual product. This is not the case at all here. I was very impressed with the level of detail that Mike does share. He talks about photoshop, photography, and even has several business tips from his own expereience. I learned a great deal. If anyone has hesitated because of similar reasons I can tell you that this one is for real.
I bought Mike's course when it first came out. I've been shooting commercial and residential architecture for 32 years and day rate wise am at the upper echelons of the market. Mike's trailer intro piece was well done and it enticed me to invest in his tutorial. My equipment is top shelf so the section on not having to invest in the best gear to have good results was interesting, but didn't really apply to my work. What made the tutorial valuable to me was Mike's creative use of exposure blending, numerous capture techniques that I had not thought of, but made tremendous sense when presented, and some post processing tricks.
If you're serious about developing professional skills in this type of photography, $299 to Mike is one of the best investments you are likely to make.
Well done Mike!
Jim Wilson
Has anyone purchased this lately? Wondering if it's become out of date on the photoshop end as tech changes so quickly.
I am also very interested in this. PS version aside I would also like to know how much detail is really put into the the PS side of the tutorial as this is an area I am seriously lacking.
even though im not interested in architecture photography, i feel like i can learn a thing or two from this.
Definitely going to have to purchase this, looking forward to learning!!
I would consider buying this, but wonder if it has kept up with all the changes in Photoshop.
I gotta say I love the tutorials I have bought so far! This one is pretty amazing and has taken me into the realm of Real Estate Photography which I honestly wasn't even considering till I watched this tutorial. Mike does a great job of explaining the "how" and "why" he shoots the way he does. If you are even considering this, just go for it. What do you have to lose? Some say $300 but honestly we spend money on almost everything else we buy. Why not on learning? Whats all the gear if you don't know how to use it properly? Big thanks to the Fstoppers team and Mike Kelley for such a great tutorial!
I have bought several tutorials from fstoppers. All are great. Lee and Patrick do a great job and there is a lot to learn from these guys. Mike Kelley does a great job in this tutorial explaining everything he does. There is one thing that kinda left me fending for myself trying to figure out how it was done and that is importing all the files into photoshop into one workflow and how he organized them. Yea yea if you understand photoshop this is amateur stuff but for those new to photoshop or not as experienced I think there should of been a section explaining how Mike Kelley imports his photos and how it is all organized. Even the raw files already come pre loaded into PS that you download so that didn't help me in trying to figure out my issue. Questions like how did he get all the separate images into one work flow, how he organizes the files etc would of been a tremendous help to a newbie like myself. Instead I'm having to figure all that out on my own time trying to research how it is done which is kind of a bummer but it is what it is. Over all it is a great tutorial and you will definitely walk away with the knowledge you seek.
Hi, I just bought this tutorial, and all together I get 7 hours of video material. Did i missed something?
It's not supposed to be 8?
I can honestly say that this course was worth every cent. It has added a whole world of photography to my skill set that I didn't have before. In addition, Mike really truly guides you through many topics that if you listen and heed his advice on will save you many years of trial and error.
Plus, Fstoppers has a money back guarantee which they really do honor without any hassle. I have returned a course to them and I was refunded very fast without a single issue.
Ok, I was just wondering If I should by this or not. As a Brazilian person it's very expensive for me.
Otherwise, should I spend money for more knowledge or equipment. And then I realize that equipments are nothing without knowledge. It totally worth.
I have just finished Art Meets Architecture 2 and I must say that Mike's courses improve with each version. This course takes you through a variety projects and goes through each image using a step by step process beginning with helpful hints in the field followed by detailed techniques unveiling the mysteries of Photoshop. For architecture I have not seen another course that is equivalent or even close. After completing both courses I can safely say that I feel much more confident about tackling Photoshop that baffled me for years. Thank you Mike. This is well worth the investment.
This course is listed as intermediate. What is the assumed level of knowledge??
I wasn't sure what I would take from this program, but after watching, I made sure to buy part 2! I only wish I would have purchased both parts sooner.
Wow, well done guys!!!.... Pew pew!!.. Comedy!!.. For real though, at first 300 does seem steep! However at a dollar to cents view, compared to taking a local class this by far takes the cake. The quality is excellent and engaging and most important repeatable.. I was definitely more skilled after learning this and I still go back to listen to key areas when I need to.. I lost my vids to a virus but was able to recover them quickly from Fstoppers.. Grateful! DMB
Hi, I just buy the course, and I have a question: Mike always work with psd files so do I have to convert always my raw files to psd too or I can work with raw format? thanks in advance!
I'm just starting out and from what I've read I think I will go with Lightroom instead of Photoshop. And, it looks like all work in this program is done on Photoshop. Is this the program for me? Thanks.
did you end up buying this? i have only used LR too and im not sure if this is for me if im not a photoshop guy
Mike, how exactly do you charge for real estate?
You did not make it clear enough in your DVDs, you mentioned charging based on the square foot of the property and a per photo basis.
Let's say the property is 2000 square feet and consists of 10 images, how would you charge for this?
Thank you for what you do, love the DVDs, it's amazing content !
Midway through the course, am really impressed with the high quality instruction, even more so, considering this was your first time around. Thanks for all you do, can't wait to get through volume 2 and 3.
Hi Guy's, I recently purchased the three lessons from F-Stoppers on Mike Kelley. I'm very happy with the content that is contained in the video lessons but none of the .jpeg files have been included in any of the downloads from any of the lessons!? Is there any way I can now download these working .jpeg files so that I can follow and work along with Mike jouring his lessons?
Ok, i have been shooting natural light, and i have been doing hdr and all the bracketing, but now i want to start getting those architects and interior designers, i know very little of photoshop and use only Lightroom... i have 2 bowens lights and a speedlight that i never use for real estate, and i dont own a tilt shift lens,,,
i want to get more interior and architectural than real estate... Is this video for me?? or should i invest in the 2 or the 3??
trying to get the Wama1-2 combo but the checkout keeps sending me back to this page... anybody there that can help.?
Does this course go on sale? At this point, the course, as much as I would love to buy it is out of my budget. I just lost my job.
I really like the tutorial so far, however, it's difficult to follow along without all the files used in the tutorial (only the PSD from the outside of one house is included). Other tutorials have included all the files that they work on throughout so you can follow along with them. This is the one major drawback that would make me think twice about purchasing another tutorial.
Well hello there!
I'm seriously thinking about pulling the trigger on what seems to be the definitive tutorial on shooting interiors but I have a question: does the tutorial offer any insight into working in small spaces such as small cottage bathrooms etc?
P.S. I hope there's still someone out there listening =))
Hi guys, I have just watched the trailer again. Indeed it makes this course very mouthwatering but I am still undecided whether to buy or not.
May I ask you to look at two videos I have seen and tell me what advantages Mike Kelly's course has over these. The first video is;
How to Be a Commercial Photographer - the second
Interior Design
Both videos are available on Udemy at a very heavily discounted price. You honest apraisel of this material will help making my purchase decision.
All the best from Munich
I can only afford one of these tutorials so which should it be? 1 or 2.
First and foremost I would like to apologize to Patrick and Lee for any flack I may have given them regarding this tutorial.
This is probably due to my work as a political journalist. Journalists get so used to posing questions which may be very annoying. Politicians are a pretty thick skinned bunch, journalists on the other hand can be pretty irritating (me?) at times.
Let us take a clean sheet, let bygones be bygones and start over again.
After much thought, I did take the bull by the horns and purchased Mike Kelley's tutorial.
"Where Art Meets Architecture 1". *
WOW!!!!
I AM IMPRESSED and it takes an awful lot to impress me. I am not going to ramble on about how excellent this tutorial is as I plan to write a comprehensive appraisal on same, I will say this, it is worth every cent of the purchase price!!
The reason I decided to make this move was the fact that I was commissioned at the beginning of the week to photograph a two bedroomed flat which is going on the market later this year.
This is my very first paid project in commercial photography, it's a beginning and hopefully I will receive further projects in future?
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the whole tutorial before the shoot so I missed out on some of the very valuable tips and tricks Mike has to offer. Due to this I will have more post to carry out in PS.
Finally, I do have a question, in the zip file was a psd of shooting the house at dusk. From what Mike was saying during the tutorial when he was shooting the kitchen, I was given to understand the kitchen psd should have been in the packet as well - is this correct?
Toodle-oo and best wishes from Germany
Desi
* Another couple of jobs like this and I will purchase the other two tutorials.