Madelynn Mutter: Taking Your Own Reference Photos

Join Maddy in the field as she reveals her complete process for gathering the reference photos behind her paintings About the Course Discover how Maddy gathers the references behind her paintings Watch the course trailer In this course, Maddy shows you how she finds, photographs, and selects the reference photos behind her paintings. You will spend a day in the field with her, then sit down at the computer as she sorts through everything she brought home. PART 1 Why Your Own References Maddy covers her camera gear, model release forms, and why she shoots every reference herself. 4 VIDEO LESSONS (17 MIN) 0 Why Take Your Own References Maddy traces a career built on knocking on doors and explains why painting from your own photos removes any copyright risk. 6m 1 Model Release Forms Maddy explains how she gets written permission from anyone whose animals, property, or likeness will appear in a painting. 3m 2 Camera and Lens Recommendations Maddy walks through the progression from a phone to her Canon 90D and telephoto lens, and explains why the setup should stay simple. 6m 3 Editing Software Maddy shares her minimal editing approach, using basic exposure and contrast adjustments rather than professional software. 2m PART 2 On Location at the Family Farm Maddy visits her family's dairy farm and photographs a place she has known her whole life. 4 VIDEO LESSONS (18 MIN) 4 The Story Behind the Reference Maddy visits a family dairy that has not run in forty years and explains why a personal connection deepens a painting. 5m PREVIEW 5 Photographing the Barn Maddy adjusts for harsh afternoon light and steps back to capture the barn, milkshed, and silo in a single frame. 5m 6 Taking Photos as Notes Maddy photographs a neighboring farm as a visual note for a painting that may not happen for years. 4m 7 Working Every Angle Maddy circles a hay barn to find golden bales set against deep shadow and an old hay wagon worth including. 4m PART 3 A Day with the Longhorns Maddy heads to Wayment Longhorns and works the light around a herd that will not hold still. 3 VIDEO LESSONS (17 MIN) 8 Approaching Landowners Maddy explains how to introduce yourself to a landowner, share your intent, and help them see the value in what they have. 4m PREVIEW 9 Meeting Kory Wayment Maddy introduces longhorn rancher Kory Wayment, who shares the breed's history and what he looks for when buying an animal. 5m 10 Photographing the Herd Maddy works the light around a moving herd, watching for the silhouettes, shadows, and moments worth capturing. 8m PART 4 Back in the Studio Maddy sorts through the full shoot at her computer, keeping the frames worth painting and deleting the rest. 5 VIDEO LESSONS (41 MIN) 11 Reviewing the Shoot Maddy begins culling the day's photos, keeping the strong shapes and deleting awkward poses and blurred frames. 10m PREVIEW 12 Finding Cows and Calves Maddy reviews the recurring theme of the shoot and identifies which cow and calf pairings would translate well into paintings. 14m 13 Portraits and Group Photos Maddy looks for the painting hidden inside a herd photo and explains what makes a portrait worth keeping. 10m 14 Storing and Backing Up Photos Maddy covers external drives, folder organization, and sharing finished shoots with the ranchers who hosted her. 3m 15 Why This Matters Maddy closes with the case for experiencing your subject firsthand and starting with the places you already know. 4m SPECIAL OFFER Painting the West Purchase Maddy's full oil painting course and this photography course comes with it, free. 50 VIDEO LESSONS (8 HOURS) As a special launch promotion, this photography course is included free when you purchase Painting the West. Painting the West follows Maddy as she takes a raw panel all the way to a finished painting, covering her priming method, her sketchbook warmups, and the color studies behind her muted palette. The reference she paints from is the cow and calf she photographs in Part 3 of this course. View the course 1 The Studio and the Setup Supplies, mediums, priming a raw panel, and choosing brushes. 5 lessons (45 min) 2 Sketchbook Warmups Quick studies that train you to draw shapes rather than subjects. 5 lessons (34 min) 3 Building a Personal Color Palette Chroma, pigment codes, and the color studies behind her muted palette. 8 lessons (49 min) 4 Planning the Painting Aspect ratio, imprimatura, and a full value study before any color. 8 lessons (1 hr 10 min) 5 First Session: Blocking In Mixing the full palette and blocking the whole painting in wet. 9 lessons (1 hr 51 min) 6 Second Session: Detail & Finish Texture, detail, and finishing over dry paint, through to the signature. 16 lessons (2 hr 49 min) FREE GIFT Digital Field Guide A printable guide covering Maddy's gear, permissions, and what she looks for on a shoot PRINTABLE FIELD GUIDE