Join me at The Photographer Studio July 21st and 22nd, 2012 for the Weekend Warrior version of the Dirty Little Secrets workshop.
Just the Basics, Saturday July 21, 2012, 10am - 6pm
An entire day dedicated to learning photojargon, by the end of the day we will have covered the Law of Reciprocity, metering, DOF, understanding light, and basic composition. While all main content will be covered and done by 6pm, for those willing and able to stay there will be an opportunity to work with models from about 6pm to 9pm. This workshop is suitable for individuals who have recently purchased a DSLR or for those who would have been using their camera for a while but would like to increase their confidence and skills shooting manually. Lunch is included; there will be a half-hour meal break before the models arrive.
The Business End of Things, Sunday July 22, 10am - 5pm
The Business End of Things is just that - an entire day dedicated to the nitty gritty of setting up shop. Discussions covered over the day will include copyright, licensing, pricing strategies, marketing plans, operating costs, insurance and liability, taxes, software, and more. By the end of the day you will have a well-stocked toolkit for legally operating a small business. This workshop is suitable for those individuals who are thinking of setting up a small- or home-based photography business and need some help figuring out where to start. Lunch is included.
Each day of the Weekend Warrior is a stand-alone workshop and costs $150 or you may attend both days for a total of $250. The real bonus is that attendance at the Weekend Warrior qualifies you for a discount on the full series starting up in January of 2013 (official dates announced in October 2012.)
Located in The Photographer Studio at 15607 - 100a Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta.
Min 6 participants, max 12. Please email Hope Walls to register.
Week 15 DLS exercise: reflecting
Simple, quick, and easy: find several reflective surfaces and take a self-portrait - could be a mirror, a kitchen appliance, your shadow, or even a mud puddle. Be creative, have fun, and post your favourite(s) on your blog or email them to me! They form a part of next week's exercise, so be sure and get these ones done BEFORE Monday!!!
Week 14 DLS exercises: time to play with dollies!
So, we kind of missed out on playing with Barbies as we had so many wonderful models, but the project is still the same.
As threatened, here is the Barbie exercise (though you can of course use whatever you like - Potatoes, popsicle stick figures, marshmallow people, marionettes, stuffed animals, etc... no one has ever fulfilled my dream of using apple head dolls - if you feel like humouring me, you should totally use apple head dolls.) Since it's close to Easter, I imagine you could find some chocolate bunnies or peeps or something to use... (Below is TOTALLY not my picture but I wish it was - picture is a link back to the source @ Irregular Bones - not sure where they got it from...)
This exercise is simple.
Your client is a family, and you need to get a set of pictures that includes but isn't limited to:
a) just Mom & Dad
b) the kids together
c) each kid individually
d) the entire family
The images should include some formal, some casual, and some candid shots. Pay attention to composition, weird background inclusions, patterns and all that other stuff we've chatted about. The only unbreakable rule is that your family MUST NOT be alive. Here is my now infamous Barbie set, though I'm feeling inspired and might want to try doing a new set using something else fun:
Get creative, be playful, and HAVE FUN! Aim for between 20 or 25 pictures in your set. ;)
This exercise is simple.
Your client is a family, and you need to get a set of pictures that includes but isn't limited to:
a) just Mom & Dad
b) the kids together
c) each kid individually
d) the entire family
The images should include some formal, some casual, and some candid shots. Pay attention to composition, weird background inclusions, patterns and all that other stuff we've chatted about. The only unbreakable rule is that your family MUST NOT be alive. Here is my now infamous Barbie set, though I'm feeling inspired and might want to try doing a new set using something else fun:
Get creative, be playful, and HAVE FUN! Aim for between 20 or 25 pictures in your set. ;)
Week 13 DLS exercises: location, location, location!
First we learned some technical skills. Then we transitioned into some creative skills. Week 13 marks the last week we're going to be focussing on honing your critical/creative eye before moving towards the 3rd skill set we'll be looking at: dealing with people. Our models are all lined up and ready for you, so we need to make sure you're ready for them!
Last week you went looking for details within a location, clues that could intimate a deeper and more personal message about the person or persons being photographed. We're going to pan out from the macro to the wide angle this week to consider instead of the details, the big picture. Specifically, you're going to start looking at locations with the idea of how a person would look there. I want you to go scouting for 2 or 3 locations - at least one in your home, one anywhere outdoors, where you could see yourself placing a person to take a picture.
Maybe the lighting is beautiful by that one window, maybe the scenery is gorgeous out your back door, maybe there's a funky frame going on at the corner church, maybe there's a great tree begging for someone to sit in it. I want you to take 2 or 3 pictures at each location, composing the image in your head as you would with a person in it. Pay special attention to your composition and lighting. If you need to use a model, you can. You may even want to make a game of doing before and after pictures!
I'll post the 'after' pictures with people in them in a few days...
Week 12 DLS exercise: show me but don't show me
With spring in the air, it's hard not to feel the urge to get out there and shoot everything that moves. (Or doesn't.) Sometimes as photographers we get so wrapped up in the work side of things that we forget to PLAY and honour ourselves. So this week's dual purpose exercise is specially designed to get you out and about, AND get you geared up for the portraiture workshop.
You've probably heard the term 'lifestyle photography' tossed around a bit. But what IS lifestyle photography? Well, it's the new way of saying 'photojournalism' and a hipper way of offering a 'documentary' or the like. What it is, though, is essentially storytelling through pictures. Studio portraits offer a plethora of options in terms of controlling the setting, lighting, and space, but the story you tell against a backdrop is, by virtue, created as opposed to discovered.
When you venture out to take pictures on location, however, you ultimately have the leisure of watching people interact with their surroundings. Depending on the location, you have a non-static environment. Whether you are in a person's home, at a spot they find particularly beautiful, or a park you've suggested, there is intrinsically a very different dynamic. They often provide clues to the person's "lifestyle" hence why the term is so popular.
This week, I'm going to prohibit the use of people, and ask you to concentrate on making a picture story about YOU using the places and objects around you to show a bit of who you are. Are you a scrap booker? Are you married? Do you have children? Pets? Are you a gardener? Do you go for a daily walk? Read the paper every day? Do you have a favourite coffee shop? I want you to show 5 pictures that reveal a bit about yourself, your family, and your interests without actually showing a single human being.
Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!!!!
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