Charlie Borland

I’ve been extremely impressed with Charlie’s course. What stands out most isn’t any single lighting or editing technique—it’s the depth of experience behind the instruction. Charlie seems to have encountered virtually every lighting and photography problem you can run into on a real-world shoot, and he doesn’t just tell you what settings to use. He shows you how to recognize the problem, understand what is causing it, and then gives you practical ways to solve it. His instruction on masks has been equally valuable. Charlie provides example after example of how masks can be used to make precise, localized corrections, and seeing them applied to so many different real-world situations has helped the concept finally click for me. His flash instruction is excellent as well. I’m learning what each technique accomplishes and adding another solution to my toolbox. The biggest thing I’m taking away from the course is a different way of looking at a scene: recognize the problem before pressing the shutter, understand what is causing it, and then choose the most appropriate and efficient solution—whether that means changing something in the room, using flash, making another exposure, or correcting a specific area with a mask. You can learn camera settings anywhere. What is much harder to acquire is the judgment that comes from years of encountering different situations and solving them. Charlie shares that experience throughout this course, and for me, that has been its greatest value.
- Review by Wes Brown on Mastering Architecture and Real Estate Photography