We are very pleased to say we will be again be offering a fall photo workshop with David Trattles in Ottawa.

Photographer David Trattles

Dave is a leading social documentary photography – published widely and well traveled. His work is defined by people and their stories:”All photography that involves people. Documentary, Travel, Portrait and Weddings.”

David Trattles photo

David’s workshops have sold out every time he comes to Ottawa. He wows participants with a mix of experiential stories, new ideas and critique:

“My biggest photo self discovery on this course was that I needed to be a little “messy”. My work was too “square” and “nice” as David put it.” Jessie

“I really appreciated the challenge Dave gave me to see outside my photographic box. I feel a lot freer from my viewfinder, squaring images up and having everything in focus!” Ross

“Harry – thank you for introducing me to David.  This course has changed the way I take photographs.  More importantly it has changed the way I see myself and the world around me.”  Prasad

Interested? Please contact us to sign up.

So, last weekend I did a Custom Photo Course with Luke who had specific questions on some technical photography elements he was working on.

Within half an hour the light bulb popped above his head and he said “Ok – workshop’s over!” – meaning I had helped solve his puzzle. We finished the session (see his photo below) and Luke was pretty pleased:

“Thanks again for Saturday – really enjoyed meeting you and I got a lot out of our time together.”

What about Steve McCurry?!

Luke also said:

“By the way, are you aware that Steve McCurry will be at the Museum of Civilization this Wednesday (April 14th)?  The show starts at 5 and Steve will be speaking at 7:00 p.m.“

See the official details. This is a very worthwhile show – if you have any interest in photojournalism or social documentary photo work you should consider going!

Who is Steve McCurry?

Steve McCurry s a well known photojournalist who made a name for himself by entering Afghanistan many years ago with a bag load of cameras and film returning with the start of some iconic portraits – his most famous being the Afghan girl on the cover of National Geographic magazine.

Luke’s photo of, erm, his instructor:

Photo Course Portrait - Ottawa

Test your skills at the Sport Photo Workshop Series exploring bike race photography.

The workshop

The course covers four weekday evenings in June experimenting with the challenges of shooting races and cyclists. We will cover:

• equipment management for fast paced sports
• shooting high speed subjects
• motion basics
• use of creative motion
• dealing with different weather and shooting locations
• compositional details

The sessions will be held in different parts of Ottawa including at least one, probably two, criterion bike races as well as a session to challenge yourselves with creative applications of motion.

Who is Harry Nowell?

Harry Nowell has worked as a photographer since the early 90’s covering sports events, editorial work and supplying sports imagery to a network of stock agencies around the world. His imagery has been licensed in Europe, Asia, Australia and North/South America.

Harry has covered World Cup Nordic and Biathlon events, alpine events, bike races. His work has been featured in magazines around North America. Clients include the NCC, Canadian Geographic, Canoe& Kayak Magazine, Explore, etc. Harry teaches photo workshops throughout the year. He runs HarryNowell.com from Chelsea, Quebec.

Workshop Details:

June 2, 9, 16, 23, 2009 – evenings

$250 + GST

More workshop info. See photos from last year’s workshop. More photos!

Designed to help you take better race photos the course will make you shine!

People ask: “Why should I take a workshop at HarryNowell.com and not the one being offered by my

1. local community college
2. small art school
3. friend’s mother’s cousin?“

Good question. I want to say “Take my courses because they’re the best.” But, really, not all workshops are right for all people. The good news is that with a little legwork, you can find the photo workshop that best suits your needs.

Some people believe better equipment will help them create better photos – weigh in on the “instruction vs equipment” debate.

Below are some tips to help you find a photo workshop that’s right for you:

Working the Night Light Photo Workshop

1. Decide what you want to learn – Are you just looking for the basics
or are you more interested in a specific area of photography (landscapes, portraits, sports, post-processing etc)?

2. What format works for you? – Often a short, intense workshop over
a few days helps kick start your experience. A course that offers many sessions over several weeks may better help you progress to your goals.

Working the Urban Landscapes Photo Workshop

3. Choose a workshop that has a large practical component with the photographer present. Would you fly an airplane based purely on classroom teaching? Hands on workshops with the instructor will help you learn more, faster. Is there a critique session? These are valuable!

4. How long are the sessions? Learning is intense! After six hours of learning your brain will not process new material very well. For most effective learning, look for a workshop with reasonably short sessions.

5. How big are the workshops? Personal attention will help you get further ahead. And ten students is a lot for an instructor to assist! For best success choose a course with a low maximum enrollment. You are paying for the instructor’s expertise – you should receive the attention you’re paying for.

Harry Nowell, self portrait

6. Find the right photographer – There are many, many people with cameras who offer photo services after their regular job finishes. Look for an experienced photographer with many years behind them.

7. Find the right teacher – Many skilled photographers have never been taught to teach. Not every talented person can teach the skills they possess. I would not want Mike Tyson, heavyweight boxing champion, to teach me boxing! Teaching, like photography, is a technical skill. It is important to find someone who understands effective teaching principles.

8. Contact the photography instructor – How is their service? Do they respond quickly? Are they courteous and professional? Do they seem enthusiastic about the subject matter?

9. Look for student testimonials or ask for referrals. The more opinions you can find the better.

Harry Nowell

10. Have fun and take care of yourself – Remember, you can’t be expected to learn everything over night. Becoming a better photographer is a process that takes time. Finding the right photo workshop and photographer is a good first step.

We finished the second Creative Fundamentals practical session on Saturday. Good weather and a good weekend. We often share our photo location with the annual Level Six Whitewater Rodeo competition at this time of the year. Adds some extra fun to the photography.

And… coming up tonight is the Algonquin College Annual Photography Exhibition where students show off their work today and tomorrow:

April 27th: 3-9pm, awards at 7pm

April 28th: 9-3pm

Adobe Tower, Klondike Room, 343 Preston St., Ottawa

See you there,

Harry

Natural Light Portraits is coming up next week.

Cross processed portrait

Students find it challenging partly because of the portrait scenarios set up in the afternoon – past students have been introduced to normal people looking for portraits for different reasons:

• actor headshots
• baby and mom
• newly engaged couples
• business headshots

The course may be full – pending receiving deposits. Interested? Please let us know – we can put you on the waiting list – there may be a second section if demand warrants.

Harry

The winter photo workshop line-up has been set.

Have a look… Christmas is coming:

• Natural Light Portraits
• Sports Photo Workshop
• Sessions Photo Challenge
• Night Light
• Creative Fundamentals

Details:

Natural Light Portraits —
January 7 (eve), 10 (day), 14 (eve), 2009.
Better People Pictures!

“A great learning opportunity described as three days of fun!”
H.P. Ottawa Natural Light Portraits

Sports Photo Workshop —
January 24, 25, 28, 2009.
Capturing Pro Hockey with media passes for the Ottawa 67s.

“Challenging, fun, great learning and a teacher who is positive and able to provide constructive feedback in a gentle and positive manner.”
M.M. Ottawa Sport Photo Workshop

Sessions Photo Challenge —
February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2009 – evenings.
Watch your photo skills grow!

“My fellow photographers have noticed a huge difference in my photography since I’ve taken your workshops. They also say, “That Nowell Guy has really made a difference”. And of course I say, Harry is the Best instructor EVER! They go, yeah, yeah, we know. So you can be very proud of your ability of teach. Thank God, there is a Harry.”
Cheryl – Ottawa garduate of many of my courses.

Night Light —
March 28th, April 1st, 2009 – evenings.
Pump up the light – pump up the fun!

“… it is becoming more like ‘art’, which is one of my favorite outcomes of this course.  Harry is an awesome teacher.  I give him 10/10!”
Sandy,  Night Light

Spring 2009

Creative Fundamentals —
April 15, 18, 22, 2009
Our most popular photography workshop.

“I learned more about my camera and photography than I have in the ten years I been photographing”
Nicole, Creative Fundamentals

Creative Business Seminar —
April 19, 2009
“I find your courses very well prepared, highly constructive.  Your approach is very holistic.  You are a good listener and are not afraid to share your expertise.  BRAVO!”
Anonymous, Creative Business Seminar

New!! Professional Program
Custom Photo Courses
Live Critique Sessions

Questions? Anytime,

Harry