Archive for workshops – Page 3

Tip of the Week: Networking

As photographers, we focus on the photography side, but sometimes forget the other side of developing new relationships.  Here are a few ideas:

  1. Develope your own Network such as Twitter or Facebook.
  2. Be active in whatever networks you are involved in.
  3. Get a mentor, as you will learn from their experience.
  4. Follow up with the people you meet.

These are just a few ideas to start building your network.  For more ideas, and a indepth discussion of social networking, join us for our “Mastering Social Networking” workshop with David Saffir on March 10th for part 1 and March 17th for part 2.  Cost is $109 for both sessions.

New Workshop Series added “Child Photography Master Class”

Join well-known child photographer Autumn Hull as we present the Child Photography Master Class.  This is a five-day workshop covering absolutely everything you need to know about the business of child photography, including the business plan, marketing, branding, studio lighting, practice sessions, digital workflow, basic and advanced retouching and designing with Photoshop.

The best part is that you can customize this workshop to learn just what you want.  You can sign up for each day individually and only pay for the days you attend.  We keep the class size small, so you will always get all of your questions answered, and you won’t get lost in the crowd.  This series will be held at SCV Center for Photography.

For more information and registration, go to: http://www.scvphotocenter.com/about/child-photography-master-classes

New workshop Series “The Shoot” just added…

Join local Southern California photographers Joey Carman and William Innes from the WIJC-Series workshop series as they explore everything about “The Shoot”.  This mini-series will be held at the SCV Center for Photography in Santa Clarita.

The four evening series will cover everything William and Joey do to prepare, shoot and produce their images. Each three hour session will be jammed packed with tips, ideas as well as an insightful fast track guide in how to take your photography and business to the next level.  Sign up for ALL 4 sessions for $250 for a savings of $26.

For more info go to: http://www.scvphotocenter.com/about/the-shoot-workshop-series

Tip of the Week: Convert to sRGB

It is a good idea to shoot and edit in the widest colorspace available.  Typically, this is Adobe RGB 1998.  If you set your camera to this color space, shoot in RAW, and have this as your default colorspace in Photoshop or Elements, it will give you the most possible color information in each shot.  However, when it comes time to output to print or web, Adobe RGB 1998 is too wide… your images will look flat and lifeless.  Or worse, the colors could shift. So…

For print:  When you are done editing your image, go to the Edit menu and select “Convert to Profile…” then select sRGB from the Destination Space popup.  Your prints will look much better.  Save this image as a copy (flatten it first) and append “_sRGB” to the filename so you remember what it is. 

For web/email:  In Photoshop CS4, when you select “Save for Web and Devices,” there is now a “Convert to sRGB” checkbox.  Make sure this is checked!

For more Photoshop tips and learning, join David Green for Photoshop 201 starting on Thursday, February 11th  from 7 to 10pm.

Using a Two-Light Setup for Studio Portrait Photography

Today we are pleased to post a guest blog entry by instructor David Saffir on Two-Light Portrait Photography.

Studio lighting can be quite simple, or complex. Beginner or seasoned pro, lighting can be a matter of personal style, equipment on hand, time constraints, or other factors.

I recently photographed Sarah Muldorfer, a model from our area at the SCV Center for Photography. We had started out with a multi-light, high-key setup. Once that was completed, I wanted to switch to a simpler look that emphasized her elegant dress, long hair, and long limbs. Her position on the set is about 6-8 feet in front of the backdrop.

Look at the lighting diagram. There is one primary light, a large umbrella/soft box located camera left, with its center approximately the same level, or a bit higher, than the lens axis. The umbrella is covered with a diffuser.

 

diagram muldorfer gown saffir finalr3 copy (2) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second light is also a strobe, set up with small reflector and a barn door. It was used to create a “spotlight” effect on the white background.  The light is aimed nearly parallel to the background, and was set to low intensity relative to the main light to create the  effect.

Normally I place a flag – such as a piece of foamcore – between a light and the camera to keep the image clean. Also, shooting an image like this with limited lighting pretty much requires that you eliminate ambient lighting – any source can cause issues – including an open door or window, other studio lights, etc.

I often mount the camera on a Gitzo tripod w/ ball head during a shoot. This is a rock-solid setup that works well during shoots where camera position changes fairly frequently. However, Sarah was experimenting with some different poses, and I took the shot hand held, almost as a candid. Exposure was f/8 @ 1/100, ISO 50, 100mm lens (medium format). If that shutter speed seems slow to you, remember that the strobes are firing at a speed of at least 1/1000!

Exposure is very important in this type of shot. If overexposed, detail in the model’s fair skin would be lost. If underexposed, the shadow/highlight transitions, particularly on her skin, would at best be noisy and at worst show a mix of color aliasing and artifacts.  I used a hand-held meter to measure exposure. (note: always point the meter into the lens of the camera, not the light. Meter position is usually just under the chin of the subject.)  Underexposure would also reduce, or eliminate details in her black dress.

Last, her pose turns most of her body toward the light. The umbrella-diffuser combination gives a wonderfully soft light, which still brings up the details. Her nose does not “break the line” of her cheek, and since she was moving when the shot was taken she looks relaxed and natural.  I think this was the shot of the day, and she was very please with it.

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For more on Two Light Portrait Lighting, join us on Thursday, January 21st for our Classic Two Light Portrait workshop from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.  Call for enrollment information as class size is limited.

Tip of the Week: Use NiMH Batteries in your flash

If you use your off-camera flash a lot your going to go through batteries, so try using nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries.  They recycle faster than alkaline batteries and you can recharge them quickly.

For more Flash tips and learning, sign up for our “Basics of Camera Flash” with Ron Brewer on Thursday, January 7th from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

Special workshop Deal

Special offer:

If you attend our “Tools of the Trade, taking your Photography and business to the Next Level” workshop this Saturday, and you bring a friend, you may qualify for a 25% discount for each of you.

Here’s the catch: one of you has to be a first-timer attending a session at the SCV Center for Photography.  Cost is $109 before discount.

Workshop agenda:

Designed for aspiring professionals, serious amateurs, and pros alike, this session tackles several topics important to success in today’s environment.

Morning Session: Studio Planning & Set-up.

Physical Environment and Ergonomics, Lighting.

Display/Monitor Selection.

Discover the latest software and hardware the pros use to manage workflow and achieve consistent results.

Getting the Most Out of Your Inkjet Printer:

Camera to printer workflow, selecting a printer, accurate color previews, printing from image editing software, successfully wrestling those pesky printer dialogues into line, media selection, printer troubleshooting, print correction, archiving.

Lunch: on your own

Afternoon Sessions: Fine Art Printmaking

Create Fine Art and Decor Prints for other photographers and galleries. Learn price points, media types, how to work with galleries and organizations, Fine Art Reproduction, etc.

Fine Art Media for Limited Editions, Matching Media and Client Needs, Media Types for Social Photography/Commercial/Fine Art/Other Purposes Q&A & Printing.   If time permits, we will make a few prints from student’s files.

December 2009 Workshop Calendar Released

Check it out.  December 2009 workshop calendar is online.  Lots of great new classes, including Digital Asset Management, Holiday Gifts, Photoshop Elements and Portraits with Ring Flash Live Model Shoot.  Nothing says the gift of photography like a gift certificate to the SCV Center for Photography, good for workshops or studio time.

SCV Center for Photography welcomes Tony Zinnanti Gallery Presentation

Tony Zinnanti Gallery Show

Tony Zinnanti Gallery Show

Photo Center Installation Features Traditional and Antique Photography

For the month of November, the Santa Clarita Center for Photography will be featuring “Silver Prints: A Survey of Traditional and Antique Photography” by local photographer and instructor, Tony Zinnanti. The installation features prints created from a variety of photographic techniques, including dry plate formulas from the 1800s and negatives produced with Zinnanti’s one hundred year old 8×10 camera.

While the Santa Clarita Valley Center for Photography largely centers around ever advancing digital technology, the center touts its expertise with traditional and fine art processes. Zinnanti’s personal darkroom is a satellite element of the photo center.

The installation, which consists of twelve hand printed black and white photos, features scenes of Santa Clarita, including haunting images of Mentryville cast from glass plate negatives.

The Santa Clarita Center for Photography is open for viewing during regular business hours, on weekends and by appointment.

Tony Zinnanti Gallery Show

Tony Zinnanti Gallery Show

 

Software Discounts

In an effort to help out Los Angeles Photographers in these tough times, the SCV Center for Photography has obtained discounts from some popular vendors.  Nik Software will give a 15% discount, onOne Software has agreed to a 20% discount and Photomatix a cool 15% discount.  See our resource page for the links and discount codes to all of these popular plugins.