The Art of Lighting
A Hands-On Cinematography Workshop
Learn to shape light, create mood, and bring your images to life.
Saturday, November 21 · 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM · Burlington, VT
Shape the light. Tell the story.
Join professional cinematographer Ashton Harrewyn for an immersive, hands-on workshop exploring the art and craft of cinematic lighting.
Working with professional, industry-standard lighting and grip equipment, you'll learn how to approach lighting with intention, control light and shadow, and create compelling images for film, commercial, and portrait work.
Over the course of the day, you'll move from theory to practice: watching live demonstrations, then building and refining lighting setups alongside a small group of fellow creatives. Lunch, catered by Cha Cha Garna, is included.
What You'll Learn
Lighting Fundamentals — Understand direction, quality, intensity, color, and contrast.
Shaping Light — Explore hard vs. soft light, diffusion, bounce, negative fill, and light control.
Creating Mood & Depth — Discover how lighting placement and ratios influence emotion, dimension, and visual storytelling.
Cinematic Lighting Techniques — Experiment with key, fill, backlight, high-key, low-key, and motivated lighting.
Real-World Applications — Build and refine lighting setups through live demonstrations and hands-on exercises.
Inside a Previous Workshop
These photos are from a previous Sharp Cheddar Films lighting class: students building setups, shaping light, and working hands-on with professional gear.
Light with intention.
Great lighting isn't about how many lights you use. It's about knowing where to put them, how to shape them, and why.
Learn to control light and shadow, shape faces and products, create depth and atmosphere, and build compelling lighting setups for commercial, narrative, and portrait work — from lighting theory to real-world application.
Designed for aspiring filmmakers, cinematographers, photographers, and creatives looking to strengthen their lighting skills and gain confidence working on professional sets.
What Past Students Say
“Taking Ashton's full-day lighting workshop was an incredibly valuable experience. The workshop explored everything from lighting theory and terminology to proper gear usage, along with practical tips and techniques that can be applied immediately.
As someone who works full time in the commercial advertising space, I especially appreciated Ashton’s ability to share real-world knowledge and translate complex concepts into clear, practical applications. He broke everything down in a way that made it easy to integrate what I learned directly into my own work.
We covered how to light interview subjects and people effectively and creatively, as well as how to approach product lighting in a studio environment. Ashton also walked us through gear setup, creative ways to maximize the equipment you already have, and how to adapt lighting choices to different shooting scenarios and story needs.
Overall, I left the workshop with valuable hands-on experience, feeling inspired, confident, and ready to put these techniques into practice.”
— Ryan Malle, Filmmaker
“I recently attended Ash’s lighting and gaffing workshop for local Vermont filmmakers, and it was genuinely one of the most valuable hands-on learning experiences I’ve had in a long time. Ash has an incredible ability to break down complex lighting concepts in a way that feels approachable, practical, and immediately applicable to real-world shoots.
One of the highlights for me was exploring fractured lighting techniques using gobo slides for background lighting—seeing how these adjustments could completely transform an interview or product setup was eye-opening. The workshop struck a great balance between creative experimentation and technical grounding, especially for anyone looking to elevate the visual storytelling in their work.
Beyond the techniques themselves, Ash’s patient, thorough teaching style really stood out. He took the time to answer questions, demonstrate variations, and make sure everyone understood not just the how, but the why behind each decision. If you’re a filmmaker or cinematographer in Vermont looking to deepen your understanding of lighting in a thoughtful, supportive environment, I can’t recommend his workshops highly enough.”
— Scott Cherhoniak, Filmmaker
Workshop Details
Date: Saturday, November 21
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Location: Sharp Cheddar Films Studio, 180 Flynn Avenue, Burlington, VT
Lunch: Catered by Cha Cha Garna — included!
Price: $375
Payment: Zelle, Cash App, cash, or check
Small group · Limited spots available
Reserve your spot — call or email Ashton:
Hosted by Sharp Cheddar Films | Burlington, Vermont
Learn the techniques. Shape the light. Tell the story.
$375 · Small group · Limited spots available. Reserve yours by calling 802-338-2705 or emailing ashton@sharpcheddarfilms.com.