One of the things I really love about photography is that there is always something new to learn and even though I feel I have come quite a long way in the last few years I’m very aware that there is still a long way to go.  With that in mind I signed up for a workshop with Leeds based commercial photographer Jay Mawson held at Banana Studio in Newcastle. I had been an admirer of his work for quite a while now and was really looking forward to the experience.  It turned out to be a really interesting day during which Jay shared his philosophy on lighting techniques and getting the best from the people you are shooting.  Perhaps the most refreshing aspect were the stripped back set ups, utilising single strobe and reflector, natural light and on camera flash, allowing the photographer to concentrate wholly on the image and the models expression / pose.  During a series of demonstrations and discussions Jay outlined his workflow, supplemented with the odd pearl of wisdom from Steve Robertson, this was  followed up with ample opportunity to put this into practice with the five models on call using different sets around the studio.  It was also good sharing your thoughts and ideas with the other photographers on the course who were great company throughout the day.  At the end I came away feeling really enthused about the whole thing and with lots of food for thought.  Big thank you to Jay and Steve for a stimulating day, Eric and all his staff at the studio who rolled out the red carpet as usual, models Kirsty, Louise, Shonagh, Abbey and Sarah and last but not least to the other photographers who took part on the day.