Lightroom for Wedding Photographers

For as much as I enjoy photographing a wedding, only a small part of the actual work occurs the day of the wedding.  I spend quite a bit of time in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom after the fact, squeezing any extra juice out of the images.  So this next class was a must-attend.

I attended the Lightroom for Wedding Photographers class first thing in the morning and it was definitely time well spent.  It was taught by David Ziser, who also taught the Wedding Photography Workshop on Tuesday.  Not only did he demonstrate some special techniques, he also shared insight into his processes and workflow.

Seeing the Light

The second session of the day was hosted by Jack Reznicki, a commercial photographer out of New York. He spent a great deal of time going through images he has taken explaining how light can affect your images.

Exploring Elements of Digital Photographic Portraits

Helene Glassman taught a class on the basics of digital photographic portraits.  Having done this for some time, I did find that this class was a bit too basic for my taste.  But, it would be great for a beginner.  It covered basic posing techniques using in-class demonstrations.  She also grabbed volunteers from the crowd to assemble for an impromptu group shoot.

Life on Location: Survival Tips for Photographers

This class, hosted by Joe McNally was very similar to his books, Hot Shoe Diaries and From the Moment it Clicks.  Joe would show a photo and then tell how the picture was taken. We heard stories of Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson’s dad standing in a corn field in case she fell from the balance beam held 9 feet in the air.  Stories of travelling to Canada to take pictures of Phan Thi Kim Phuc, with her son, 30 years after the Vietnam Napalm picture made headlines.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, these were just some of those words.  A very great story time with someone who has seen the world.

Bringing Out the Big Guns

This session showed what power a collection of high-end studio strobes can provide. There was a martial artist present who served as a model.  And the instructor, Joe McNally, was able to freeze him in mid air, perfectly lit by the collection of Elinchrom strobes.  If nothing else, it was great seeing just how fast Joe could be on his feet and how close he worked with his assistant in getting everything put together for the ultimate shot.

Stuff You Need to Know to Be a Photographer

With a class title like this, I had to at least check it out.  Not knowing what this class was all about, I just sat back and observed.  I was completely blown away.  Zack Arias spent an hour going through the basics of what is required to be a photographer.  Photography isn’t about F-Stops and what lenses to buy.  It’s about connecting with the moment… Knowing your gear so well, that it’s not part of your thought process when you go to capture that moment.  Photography isn’t about glitzy sales pitches, GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), high SEO, or marketing.  It’s about people.  It’s about life.

By far, this was the best class I attended, and if you ever get a chance to see Zack in action, do it.

The Art of Digital Photography

By the time the final presentation of the day started, my mind was full of the great knowledge I had learned, inspired by the presentation I had just attended, and drained from such a long day.

On stage were seven fantastic artists.  I call them artists, because they weren’t all conventional photographers.  They each took turn showing off their work.  Each photographer / graphic artist was unique, but what they all had in common is that they are all the pinnacle of their craft.

Below is an image of Wildlife and Nature Photographer, Moose Peterson and Street Photographer, Jay Maisel, during the presentation.

Below is an image of Joe McNally, seated with Julianne Kost, Jim DiVitale, and Moose Peterson.  He is illuminated only by the glow of his artwork off of his monitor.  And the smile on his face shows how proud he is of the images that he is showing.