Andrei Kovalev
Spéos portrait course by Andrei Kovalev: a robed warrior with a red-ribboned sword faces a giant monster’s open jaws.
Online course · Spéos Paris · 2022

Commercial + Fine-Art Portrait Photography

An intensive online course I ran with Spéos Paris, for photographers who wanted to master complex portrait photography, build a portfolio and grow their careers.

14
weeks

of intensive training: video lessons, practical assignments and live sessions.

15
live sessions

with me, to discuss new material and give feedback on assignments.

2
case studies

live, in-depth breakdowns of two large-scale commercial projects.

500+
examples

from my 15 years of commercial work and personal productions.

Inside the lessons

Each lesson takes apart real commercial jobs and my own fine-art projects. A few moments from the video lessons:

15 chapters

Every chapter came with a video lesson, a written recap, practical assignments with deadlines, and a live session with me to discuss the work. Lessons came out on a schedule; once online, students could watch them any time.

  1. 1. Concepting

    Lesson 1 cover, Concepting: a hooded figure in red floats cross-legged among glowing screens of text.

  2. 2. Previsualisation

    Lesson 2 cover, Previsualisation: a figure in an antlered root mask stands on a hilltop beside chalk sketches of the same costume.

  3. 3. Location + set design

    Lesson 3 cover, Location + set design: a man sits in a set built inside a vast workshop, overlaid with location sketches.

  4. 4. Styling + costume

    Lesson 4 cover, Styling + costume: a man in glasses lounges on a red sofa with a Boston terrier on his lap.

  5. 5. Testing

    Lesson 5 cover, Testing: a strip of test portraits of one bearded man in glasses, in many lights and styles.

  6. 6. Directing

    Lesson 6 cover, Directing: a curly-haired woman in a red scarf looks straight into the camera.

  7. 7. Production management

    Lesson 7 cover, Production management: an empty studio with a camera on a tripod, overlaid with shoot plans and sun-path maps.

  8. 8. Defining light

    Lesson 8 cover, Defining light: a white-bearded man leans on a film light in a glasshouse full of old lamps.

  9. 9. Toys + tools

    Lesson 9 cover, Toys + tools: the same man sits among vintage studio lights, with chalk drawings of lighting gear around him.

  10. 10. Special effects

    Lesson 10 cover, Special effects: a woman in black stands in smoke and shafts of light between leaves.

  11. 11. Editing

    Lesson 11 cover, Editing: a man carries a huge bundle of dried tropical leaves on his back against a pale background.

  12. 12. Thinking outside the box

    Lesson 12 cover, Thinking outside the box: a figure in an ochre suit with a wicker basket over the head, in a dark hangar.

  13. 13. Build your circle

    Lesson 13 cover, Build your circle: a curly-haired man seen from behind faces a set lit pink and violet.

  14. 14. Personal style

    Lesson 14 cover, Personal style: a row of close-up faces of older men, cropped at the eyes.

  15. 15. World-building

    Lesson 15 cover, World-building: a silhouette faces a glowing jellyfish-like sculpture in red haze.

Trailer

Course trailer, 2021

Since 2017 I have taught small groups intensive, practical courses on complex portrait photography. This one I made with the Spéos Institute of Photography in Paris, where I studied in 2012.

Credits

Organised in partnership with the Spéos Institute of Photography, Paris.