Macro/Close-up and Image Stacking Photography 

Macro photography lets you explore and create exciting photographs of a whole new and intimate world. Zeroing in to create an interesting abstract or just filling the frame with a tiny flower, insect or a jewel.

This program will address the challenges you'll face with Macro Photography and the methods and tools used to overcome those challenges. We will deal with the lighting and equipment, as well as several techniques to get better images.

You will understand the importance of Depth-of-Field as it affects Macro Photos. You will learn how to create high-magnification images using macro lenses, tubes, and diopters.  In addition, you will learn how to create one completely focused image from several partially focused images. This focus stacking technique is Ideal for macro-photography as well as landscape photography when the sharpness of the entire scene is important.

Timelapse Imagery

A time-lapse video essentially compresses time into a smaller space, creating some exceptional and evocative results.

In theory, time-lapse videos are easy to create – after all, you simply take a few hundred photos, one after another, line them up in a video application and you are done. Not true, if you want to create a stunning, seamless, flicker-free time-lapse video.  There is a lot more involved than setting up a camera and capturing the sequence.

With digital cameras, we have infinite possibilities to capture time-lapse sequences and create exceptional video with even the simplest digital point-and-shoot cameras to DSLRs. This session will provide the basics necessary to create time-lapse videos. 

We will cover the following topics:

• Equipment 

• Camera settings

• Intervalometer settings

• Settings based on the speed of activity

• Creating a quick video using Lightroom

• Creating a video using LR Timelapse

The Magic of Travel Photography

In this program, you will discover new locations and perspectives. Learn how to take amazing photos even in crowded places and gain the knowledge to propel your photographic skills to the next level.

Uncover the secrets to traveling with your gear and what to carry. Learn how to transform your images from snapshots to pro shots.

Most of all you will realize how to unlock the creativity living inside you.

The Essence of Our Natural World

A detailed program on creating exceptional images of our natural world and beyond.

It will address how to use the various features of your camera and how to set them up to obtain exceptional images You will learn how to obtain tack-sharp images and the best Settings for for Exposure; Focus Modes; and Flight shot techniques. Capturing handheld and tripod-mounted images will be covered, including panning techniques, long exposures for day and night photography, and much more. Remember, creating a great wildlife or landscape image with a story requires far more than just being at the place.

Wildlife Photography (Birds and Mammals combined or individually)

The camera technology of the last several years has made wildlife, bird, and bird-in-flight photography easier than it was before. While DSLR cameras have made action photography much easier than it was when manual focus was the rule rather than the exception.  The new generation of Mirrorless cameras have exceeded the capabilities of DSLR's in the realm of nature, wildlife, and action photography.

This program will address the various features of todays cameras and how to set them up to obtain images that are at par and better than the best of DSLR’s. You will learn How to obtain tack sharp images, Exposure; Auto Focus Modes; Manual Focus; Flight shot Techniques – handheld and using a tripod with an appropriate lens mount; Panning techniques, and much more.

Composition - The instrument of photographic communication

The ability to communicate your message is crucial in photography.  Organizing the elements into a strong and compelling composition and then exposing are the primary components of this program.

The advent of digital equipment allows for instant feedback, but it is you the maker who needs to use this vehicle of instant feedback to improve and strengthen the message.  Furthermore, software-based editing tools allow you to refine and enhance the design elements even after the camera has exposed and the message captured – conveyed.  The digital medium allows us to communicate in ways that would have been too complex or virtually impossible in the analog capture.

Image Processing Workflow

This is a comprehensive program that entails the complete photography workflow.  Starting with image capture using color management, white balance and exposure tools we move to the image download and digital asset management.  We will cover color calibration in the work environment. The next segment involves using tablets and iPads as image editing tools.  We will see how to best utilize some of the new image editing applications like On1 RAW, Capture One, and Affinity.  These applications along with Lightroom and Photoshop will be used in conjunction with plug-ins, Topaz Labs, Skylum and more.  The program is intended to demonstrate how to best utilize what photographers have available to speed up and enhance their workflow

A Photographer’s Color Management Workflow

The best weapon in any photographer’s kit is a ColorChecker Passport and iOne Studio a Monitor/Printer Profiler. This seminar is for everyone who is concerned about good color quality in Still and Hybrid Photography. Here is what you will learn:

• Using the Color Checker to white balance and obtain the correct color in your images

• Using Lightroom for profiling and color managing your images

• Preventing and Correcting color casts

• Warming and Cooling your portraits and landscapes to set the right mood

• Calibrating your monitor for optimized editing

• Calibrating your printer for perfect prints

Landscape Photography

A detailed program on creating exceptional landscapes.

When we are out and looking at a landscape or seascape we typically let our eyes wander looking for elements that we find appealing.  Though we can see vast scenes, our brain tends to ignore all but the most appealing - our eyes focus and we absorb the visual so we can remember the experience. Regretfully, our cameras and lenses are just tools and have no human brain-like capability - we need to train our lenses on the scene, compose, and focus using the best possible light so as to capture a compelling photograph. Easier said than done.  Creating a great landscape requires a lot more than just being at the place. This program will cover:

• Pre-visualising

• Storytelling

• Composition

• Color

• Focusing

• Focus Stacking

• Panoramas

• Time-lapse

Astro and Nightscape Photography

This program includes photographing the night skies, the Milky Way, and star trails but also techniques for creating star stacks, start trails, and time-lapse capture.

You will learn

• Camera settings — Shutter speed, aperture, BULB, ISO, white balance for optimum nighttime exposures

• Using the histogram in RGB mode

• Taking High ISO test shots for calculation and composition

• Combining ambient light for exceptional astro landscapes

• Shooting base exposures and flat frame, dark frame exposures and combining these for noise-free images

• Post-processing techniques

• Shooting and creating time-lapse sequences and videos

• Light painting

• Timelapse imagery

• Also covered is Live Composite shooting available in some Lumix Cameras.

Lighting – for commercial and product photography 

(EXTENDED SESSION 2.5 HOURS MINIMUM)

Product photography is a challenge and this program will help you overcome that challenge. You will learn lighting theory and will see how to overcome reflections and distortion.  You will learn how to add and subtract light as needed.  Most of all you will learn to create professional images.

The session will concentrate on the following:

• Setting up and using off-camera lights

• Using reflectors, diffusers, and other light modifiers

• Correct use of polarizers including cross-polarization

• Creative lighting techniques

• You'll use and learn how to:

• Control and modify the quality of light produced by strobes

• Properly use modifiers like umbrellas, softboxes, snoots, bounce techniques

• We will use: One, two, three, and four light sources, light reflectors, modifiers, and gels

• Learn how to set up the five basic lighting patterns 

• How to set up lighting patterns for specific subjects 

• How to combine lighting patterns 

• Establish lighting ratios for mood and sculpting

• Learn how to produce quality photos of simple and complex products, glass, liquids, solids, and food

You will leave with an understanding of how light works, the color of light, the quantity of light, and quality of light. You will learn how to get consistent results and be confident in lighting your subject in any environment.

Lighting – Small Flashes – Big Results

You will see that you do not need to spend thousands to achieve awesome results.

The session will concentrate on the following:

• Setting  up and using off-camera speed lights

• Shooting hot shoe flash units and other lights

• Using reflectors, diffusers, and other light modifiers

• Creative lighting tricks

• You'll use and learn how to:

• Control and modify the quality of light produced from a typical shoe mounted flash

• Properly use umbrellas, softboxes, snoots, and bounce techniques

• Use a single strobe combined with ambient light for great images

We will use: One, two, three, and four light sources, light reflectors, modifies and gels

• Learn how to set up the five basic lighting patterns 

• How to set up lighting patterns for specific subjects 

• How to combine lighting patterns 

• Establish lighting ratios for mood and sculpting

• Lighting for skin and hair colors

Use camera angles and appropriate focal lengths for image capture

Light Painting – Still Life

This program is designed to show you the process of Light Painting Still Life to create fine art.  In this program, you will learn how to apply light sculpting techniques and how to maximize the digital process.  A full demonstration of a light painting will be shown and then the process of combining multiple images to create the final work of art will be demonstrated.  (This program can be extended to a hands-on workshop – 1 additional hour is required).

Light Painting Cars

Light painting is an excellent way to photograph your car or if you like, a scale model, and truly make it shine! The process results in incredibly unique and impressive images. With a bit of persistence and some added creativity, you can create pictures that resemble commercial advertisements.

• Setup and props

• Equipment

• Your light source

• Setting up the shot

• Exposure settings

• Light (painting)

• Controlling the power of your light

• Post-processing

Inspiring Images (Showcase Presentation)

1-hour (or more as needed) presentation of images captured from around the world using mirrorless cameras for stills, time-lapse and video.  In this program we travel near and far, Africa, Iceland, India, and more seeing images of nature, wildlife, people, and places.