workshops

Dirty Little Secrets

just the basics about photography

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a very firm belief that the equipment is only as good as its operator, and I’m going to put that philosophy to the test. After many months of being hounded by several people who shall remain nameless, I have decided to put together a series of informal and affordable workshops for everyday photographers. As the name of the series suggests, I will be covering the basics plus blowing the cover on several of the dirty little secrets we photographers know. With the right foundation, including some very basic skills that any person using any camera can employ, you’ll be shooting better and more confidently than ever! I will also be offering a couple of advanced workshops for people with analogue or digital SLR cameras who want to learn how to use their camera to its full potential. Lastly, if there is enough interest, I may schedule additional workshops for more specific things like action, macro, wedding, or boudoir photography.

The workshops run approximately once a month, costing between $20 and $40. I require a minimum of 5 participants in order to run each workshop, and to accommodate individual questions will limit the workshops to a maximum of 10. Participants will also have access to live help via this blog, as well as opportunities to participate in no-cost field trips and, for the really brave, curious, or serious, tag along on actual shoots for some practical field experience. For those looking to break into the field and actually get paid to take pictures, I will assist you with some tips for building a portfolio, attracting clients, and setting your prices.

If you would like to volunteer yourself or your family as models (read: get free portraits), or would like to sign up right now, please supply me with your email in a comment (I won't publish it.) In order to secure your spot, fees are payable a minimum of 4 weeks in advance of each workshop, fully refundable up to 10 business days before the workshop. Payment can be accepted via cash, cheque or PayPal.

I look forward to seeing you all!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Say Hello to Your Camera: You just bought a camera, want to know your camera's advanced features, or have a camera you have never taken off auto mode - what do all those knobs and buttons do? We’ll also go over a list of very important terms and concepts, and a little bit of photography history, that will help you understand why the knobs and buttons are there in the first place. January 13, 2008, 1:00 p.m., 1.0 hours, $20

Say Hello to your SLR: If you own or are interested in buying an SLR, this is the place to be. This is an advanced workshop for those who would like a more in-depth look at what SLR cameras can do. We’ll cover the different kinds of cameras available, discuss several types of lenses and what their applications are, and take a more practical and hands-on look at some of the concepts touched on in Say Hello to Your Camera. 2:30 p.m. January 13, 2008, 1.0 hours, $20

Technical Critiquing: If there’s one workshop everyone needs to attend, this is the one. When we look at a photo, we all know whether we like it or not (subjective) but often can't quite put our finger on what it is that we like about it so much. Every photographer I know spends time scoping out other people’s work for inspiration and ideas, and to expand our own roster of abilities. In this workshop, we will critique a variety of photographs using proper lingo and jargon to identify the elements (objective) that attract or repel us, as well as go over some simple techniques to improve these images using even the most basic editing freeware. Most importantly, we will learn how to apply a critical eye to our own pictures, learn from our mistakes, and adopt elements of others’ successful images into our own shooting. Though not a prerequisite, this particular workshop will be best understood and participated in by those who took the 'Say Hello to Your Camera' session. 1:00 p.m. February 10, 2008, 2.0 hours, $40

Composition: whether you are doing landscapes, portraits, or art photography, there are a number of tried-and-true basics that master artists of all types – painters, musicians, sculptors, choreographers – have employed since the beginning of time. We will look at how to apply these classic techniques to improve the impact even our most candid on-the-fly shots have. 1:00 p.m. March 9, 2008, 1.0 hours, $20

The Business End of Things: this handy little workshop will cover things like defining your style, marketing yourself, legal responsibilities, copyright, and other such stuff. 2:30 p.m. March 9, 2008, 1.0 hours, $20

Portraiture: My favourite thing to photograph is people. In this intensive hands-on workshop, we’ll be practicing on live subjects. We’ll learn about posing and ‘un’posing, group vs. individual portraits, creative use of props, and getting tough people and cranky kids to smile. 1:00 p.m. April 6, 2.0 hours, $40

Wedding & event photography: This brief but intensive workshop is designed for the serious amateur who is interested in starting to do weddings, or the unwitting family member who gets volunteered to save the bride & groom some cash. We'll cover the classic pitfalls and how to handle these situations tactfully and professionally. This workshop will set you on the road for increased success capturing essence of the day. 3:30 p.m. April 6, 2008, $20.

Lighting: natural vs artificial/flash vs available light - what are they, what are the pros and cons of each, and how can we use them advantageously? We’ll cover the basics first, and learn some simple problem solving techniques for difficult lighting situations. 1:00 p.m. May 4, 2008, 1.0 hours, $20

Lighting with your SLR: This advanced technical workshop will examine the complex relationship between aperture, film speed, and shutter speed, and how you use these three elements together to solve more difficult lighting puzzles. If you've been shooting in auto-mode, this is the workshop you've been dreaming of. 2:30 p.m. May 4, 2008, 1.5 hours, $30

Breaking all the rules (or making up your own): Gotta know the rules to break ‘em - this workshop is geared towards taking what you’ve learned, and throwing it all out the window, for the sake of being a rebel. We’ll go over some fun techniques like panning and zooming, ideas for getting people to do things that will make your pictures more interesting, doing camera-based photo manipulation, and building home-made filters. 1:00 p.m. June 1, 2008, 1.5 hours, $30

Although it isn't necessary to attend every workshop, the order of the workshops is designed to allow for growth and advancement over the course of the series.