Photos First!

Stop reading. Go and take photos!!! … And win a photo workshop while you’re at it. See details at the end of the newsletter.

All kinds of people join our ProProgram looking to start a photo business or improve their photography dramatically over a year. It’s a great year of learning, photo and personal development.

Sometimes, though, I have to tear people away from reading about photography to actually go and practise photography!

Really.

So, in this month’s Exposed! photo newsletter – Photos First - we look at the easiest way to get you taking more (and better) pictures.

Read the whole newsletter (and get a chance at winning a free photo workshop)

Harry says "Get a camera and take more photos!"

Composition Photo Safari - © Sarah R - Gatineau

A week ago we ran the Composition Photo Safari at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau.

The session was geared towards helping participants see and understand elements of composition from:

• recognizing the flow within the viewfinder
• understanding the effect of tones on composition
• learning to see the potential within the ordinary

Composition Photo Safari - © Anne G - Gatineau

Composition Photo Safari - Gatineau

Dancing Horses Photo Safari - Ottawa

This week we finished our longest running and most popular course – Creative Fundamentals.

Ottawa Photo Workshop

It’s popular because we take complicated ideas of f-stops, shutter speeds, iso and their inter-relationship and break them down into understandable concepts. Light bulbs go off and people smile.

Ottawa Photo Class - Willa

Students worked hard through the exercises – I love to see the different ways people interpret the same visual content.

Ottawa Photo Course - Laurie

Results are shown in the photos of this blog – we held the critique at our photo studio - Ottawa Studio Works.

Ottawa Photo Class - George

The next session of Creative Fundamentals is coming up April 25th, 28th, May 2nd.

Ottawa photography class - self portrait - Adrienne

Student’s said:

“I now know how to get my photos the way I want. It was fun!”

“Love the workshop!! Harry you are the best.” … Harry blushes.

Ottawa photo course - Christopher

Missed the last one? Don’t miss this one!

Contact us to reserve your spot with a $125 deposit and registration form.

It’s coming up fast – our annual Photographing Pro Hockey Photo Workshop with the Ottawa 67s.

Dates:
Saturday, January 28th, 2012: hockey prep, 10am-1pm
Saturday, February 4th, 2012: Game Day, noon-6pm (approximately)
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012: Review & Critique, 6-9pm

Locations
Ottawa Studio Works and the J Benson Cartage Centre at Lansdowne Park.

Costs
$325 + taxes

Ottawa Hockey Photography Course

Ottawa 67s hockey

We’ve been running this photo course for 5 years – it’s a great opportunity to test your photo skills in the high paced action of professional hockey. Players are working hard to earn spots in the NHL and participants of this course get within inches of the action.

Hockey photography Workshop

It’s a chance of a lifetime!

Course details

Contact us to reserve one of the last spots…

Ottawa hockey photo course

Photos for this blog post have come from past workshops with the 67s. Join the fun and test your skills!

Ottawa Hockey Photo Workshop

Photo Studio Open Hours

Ottawa Studio Works will be opening doors to the public again next week:

Monday, January 23rd; 6-8pm.
Tuesday, January 31st; 6-8pm.

Come by to see the artwork, ask about workshops or enquire about hiring a photographer.

Ottawa photo studio

Photo Newsletter Video Feedback

Last week we posted our first video through our Exposed! photo newsletter. It was called Rise and Tilt, featuring a way to get a cleaner background in your photos.

The video happened because a colleague – cartoonist and videographer Paul Mason – had been urging me to do a video for over a year. I procrastinated and he persisted.

Late last year we pulled it together and launched the first video. The response was great. Web stats spiked. Comments came in:

“Great stuff Harry! I burst laughing when I saw your “fight” with the cardboard TV. Very funny!”

Readership was up and I had way more fun producing the video than solely writing the newsletter. We have a second related newsletter lined up – look for it in the next few months.

Big thanks go out to Jess and Joel for acting, Ian Tamblyn for supplying the music and  Paul Mason for persisting! And thanks to you for reading/watching!

Paul Mason

Ottawa Portrait Workshop

On the weekend we ran our Ottawa based portraits workshop. This course covers the groundwork for people pictures from technical elements to managing people in the pictures.

Ottawa Portrait Workshop

The course is intense and participants earned their rest on Sunday – it’s a tough course with lots to learn. Stay tuned – student results will be posted in a week or so. Below is some of the fun. See some of last year’s results.

Ottawa Portrait Workshop

Coming up next week is the Composition Photo Safari and Photographing Pro Hockey is just around the corner.

Ottawa Portrait Workshop

A big thank-you to models, students and our hosts at the gallery!

Ottawa Portrait Workshop

Dancing Horses - Ottawa Photo Safari

In April we have confirmed a visit  to some dancing horses near Ottawa. Some lucky photographers will have the opportunity to photograph graceful horses and their riders as they train for the discipline of dressage.

We will spend two hours exploring stables, horses and the training arena or outdoor training area with your cameras.

Challenge yourself to capture the beauty, power and precision of the horses.

Dancing Horses Photo Safari

Date:

April 15th, 2012; 1-3pm

Location:

30 minutes from central Ottawa – car pooling is encouraged!

Cost:

$75 plus taxes = $84.75

Register by contacting us to reserve your spot. We ask for payment (credit card by phone or cheque in the mail) and a complete registration form.

Enrolment is limited to ten people. Challenge your photo skills in April!

Dancing Horses Photo Safari

Dancing Horses - Ottawa Photo Safari

Last year Mercedes Déziel Hupé completed many of our photo classes to graduate from the ProProgram. Trumpets cheered and people applauded.

Mercedes took the ProProgram as she wanted to strengthen her résumé for communications work in the Arts community. Having photo skills is a benefit when looking for work in comms fields.

Others participate in the ProProgram for different reasons – the most common is looking for a career change as someone’s interests change or due to layoffs.

What is Mercedes doing now?
Mercedes now works at the Ottawa Art Gallery – a non-profit, public art gallery.

… And she continues to pursue her personal passion in dance and photography as she presents her first exhibit this week at Avant Garde this week.

Details:

Ballet in the Streets

Vernissage: Thursday, January 12 at 7 pm

Avant-Garde Bar & Gallery

135 1/2 Besserer St, Ottawa

See you there!

"Ballet in the Streets" photo exhibit - Mercedes Déziel Hupé

Mercedes describes ”Ballet in the Streets”

“This collection of photographs is my tribute to my time as a dancer, from classical to contemporary. Through photography, I embrace a new side of this otherwise ephemeral art form.

I have been inspired by great photographers such as Lois Greenfield, whose studio approach to dance photography is unmatched. I am also inspired by the “Ballerina Project” which is a New York based phenomenon that celebrates the Big Apple as a creative hub.

Originally from the Capital region, I have experienced Arts as being overshadowed by politics. I photographed ballerinas and contemporary dancers in urban and industrial settings to emphasize how different they are from the environment in which we live. Despite the fact that they seem to stand out, the idea is the showcase the beauty and relevance of dance, especially in this fast-paced image-led world.

The dancer is a complete artist; from daily regimen to rehearsal, to exercises and performance. A dancer embodies strength, yet the dancer is surrounded by precarious circumstances. Dance changes everyone, from the performer to the spectator, the hobbyist and the photographer.

A dancer can be molded, but a dancer is usually born. It’s in the urge to move, to feel beauty and life, through your body. I wanted to show how dance shows through very easily. And how it is part of a dancer’s life, every day, everywhere.

By presenting dance outside of its normal frame of reference, whether that be the stage or the classroom, I state not only the existence, but the effervescence of dance in the capital region. I wish to render dance accessible and encourage reflection by bringing the dancer to the street.“

Late last year I had the pleasure of photographing a past portrait client again. This time we arranged the portrait at Ottawa Studio Works, our photography studio on Preston St.

She serves on two Boards and needed fresh photos for the causes.

It’s always fun working with J.

Next week we start our annual portrait workshop – Natural Light Portraits. The fun continues…

Ottawa Executive Portrait

We have another new workshop coming up in Ottawa. This time photojournalist Blair Gable teaches participants how to light subjects on the go.

The course – On Location Lighting – draws on 10 years of experience covering Obama, the Queen, Toronto Blue Jays, Princess Kate for editorial clients like MacLean’s, Globe and Mail, Reuter’s.

Blair Gable photographs Jose Bautista at Blue Jays spring training for MacLean's Magazine

The nature of his work forces him to create beautiful photos in very short timelines. He had to develop quick, lightweight & effective systems to make world leaders and superstars shine… in 15 minutes or less.

You may remember Blair from his photojournalism presentation in August 2011 at Ottawa Studio Works. It was packed.

Dates:

• Practical: Saturday & Sunday, April 21, 22, 2012. (9am-2pm)
• Critique: Sunday, April 29, 2012. (9am-12noon)

Location: Workshop is held in central Ottawa and at Ottawa Studio Works.

Cost: $400 + applicable taxes

Join us for this workshop. We’re lucky to access Blair’s talents. We ask for a $125 deposit and complete registration form to hold your spot. Contact us to register.

Blair Gable photographing Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Photo by Jason Ransom)