If you’re near St Louis come see me this Friday and Saturday at Creve Coeur Camera! I’ll be teaching 101 classes in Studio Lighting, Green Screen, and Speedlight lighting. I’ll also be signing copies of my books, Portrait and Candid Photography and Make Money with your Digital Photography.
Archive for the ‘event’ Category
Come See Me on May 10th and 11th at Creve Coeur Camera!
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013Graduation Party Fun
Monday, March 25th, 2013Here’s a great idea to liven up any party or event – shoot pictures on green screen! You can set up the easy-to-use green screen backdrop virtually anywhere, then just pop them into the included Photo Illusions software for instant composite photos. Fast, fun, and affordable – your party will be a hit! Here are just a few images I created using the Erin Manning Creation Kit.
Watch this video and I’ll show you how I did it.
Lighting Basics Seminar and Workshop!
Tuesday, October 16th, 2012Join me November 10, 2012 at Mike’s Camera in Denver. I’ll be giving an instructional seminar “Lighting Basics – How to Shoot Professional-Looking Portraits” in the morning, then a hands-on workshop in the afternoon where you can put this practical knowledge to use. I’m excited to be presenting at the Mike’s Camera Learning Center and I hope to see you there!
The Top Pro Tour/Home Studio Lighting Kit Winner
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
Announcing the winner of my Home Studio Lighting Kit contest! The FJ Westcott Top Pro Tour in Burbank was an amazing success. From lighting patterns, lighting ratios, composition, and hands-on shooting with live models – everyone had fun and learned something new. We selected the Top 10 images and after careful consideration we have chosen the winner of the Home Studio Lighting Kit, it’s…drum roll please …Frederick Melikian! Honorable Mentions go out to Michael Palma and Judith Grothause. Congratulations! Thank you all for participating in the workshop and the contest, it was wonderful meeting you. I hope to see you again in another workshop.
The Winner
Frederick Melikian
Honorable Mentions
Michael Palma
Judith Grothause
Nov 20th – Portrait and Candid Photography Workshop
Friday, November 5th, 2010
Are you tired of the same old ho-hum holiday snapshots? Would you like more consistent results when capturing those special moments? You’re not alone. Get a handle on this season’s shots with my Portrait and Candid Photography Workshop. This one-day-only event takes place on Saturday, November 20th, just in time for the holidays!
Click HERE to find out more.
Photographing Groups
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009Whether you’re gathering for a family reunion, celebrating a birthday, or capturing your favorite sports team, a group photo is always a good idea. The problem is, a successful group photograph can be a challenge for even the most experienced photographer – from impatient subjects, to closed eyes, bored expressions, bad light, and blurry images, what’s a person to do? Don’t worry, with a few tips and a little practice you’ll feel confident about directing the group and your pictures will look fabulous.
My BlogHer Photo Contest Winners
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
The three main areas we covered in my Digital 101 class at BlogHer were light, composition, and authenticity. My talented students picked up on the lessons very quickly and either found prior photos that would be appropriate or created new ones for submission into my BlogHer Photo Contest. After much deliberation the winners are…. drum roll please!
First Prize – Bridget Ivey aka QueenofHaddock
Very beautiful. I love the late afternoon quality of light and the timeless feel to the image. A candid shot often incorporates a person in a personal moment, unaware of the camera, and you’ve captured this moment as if it’s a memory the viewer is experiencing. You won a F.J. Westcott 42″ 6-in-1 Reflector Kit!
Second Prize – Cindy Streams aka CityStreams
This little boy looks so sweet and the image really tells a story. You’ve created a compelling composition with him in the foreground and the family visible, but blurred in the background. His expression is very authentic….as if he’s excited and proud to have a new baby in the family. You won $50 worth of Digital Photography Titles from Wiley!
Third Prize – Tara Gerner-Ziegmont aka FeelsLikeHomeBlog
Great shot! The color is vibrant, the composition interesting – nice use of the rule of thirds and the angle creates energy in the image. You won a dSLR Gorillapod from Joby!
Honorable Mention – Virginia DeBolt aka Veesees
The relationship between Mother and child evokes a warm and fuzzy feeling and the S-curve of the hand and little baby foot creates an interesting composition. Nice job. You won a Gorillapod Original from Joby!
Remember that all my BlogHer students win a premium subscription ($40 value) to Club Smilebox. Email me for details.
Thank you to everyone who participated! I enjoyed meeting you all and look forward to seeing more of your wonderful images online.
My BlogHer Experience
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009I had the best time teaching Digital Photo 101 at the BlogHer conference July 24th in Chicago – what a fun group! We planned to have the initial part of the class inside, which worked out great for learning about the camera functions, lighting basics and a little about composition. Next, we went outside for a hands-on lesson about working with natural light using reflectors and diffusers. The sun was in and out of the clouds that day, so it made for an interesting lighting lesson. Essentially, bring a reflector where ever you go (or learn to look for light surfaces for reflective light), it makes you look fabulous.
We picked a spot to set up along the Chicago River.
Here’s our (reflected) group shot, thanks Ashley!
“Group hug” or “Jump for joy” are a couple of good ideas when you’re thinking of things to do in a group picture.
I’m announcing the winners of my BlogHer Photo Contest later today (August 18th) so stay tuned for some wonderful images from the winners and great prizes!
1st Prize – F.J. Westcott 42″ 6-in-1 Reflector Kit
2nd Prize – $50 worth of Digital Photography Titles from Wiley
3rd Prize – A Gorillapod from Joby
All my BlogHer photo students – A one year premium membership to Club Smilebox (email me for the info!)
