Lightroom Workshop

Okay, I better confess this right up front. I’m a huge fan of Adobe Lightroom!! Every time I use it I’m just blown away by how much you can do with it. I’ve now completed numerous jobs where all the retouching has been done within Lightroom and the results are quite amazing. I’ve also had enough time to delve into all the little nooks and crannies and find lots of little hidden gems…

So now I’m ready to pass it all on! This will be an intensive two-day workshop exploring all aspects of this amazing program. We’ll look at overall workflow issues, ways to speed up and streamline your workflow and make it easier to handle the mass images you generate so easily with a digital camera. We’ll delve deeply into the development module and explore how to optimize your images, as well as some amazing techniques and creative settings to explore.I’ll also show some really great ways that Lightroom can interface with Photoshop.

We’ll also demystify the local adjustment tools…… you know, those ones you sort of played with for a little bit, couldn’t quite understand, so you’ve been ignoring them. Well, no more. These are such cool tools, and once you have an understanding of how they work they are incredibly powerful and lots of fun.

The output modules  are also very powerful and enable you to create slideshows, websites, and amazing print output. We’ll delve into all the details of these so you can take advantage of the many options that provide for presenting your finished work.

I’m really looking forward to this workshop as an opportunity to share my enthusiasm for this great program!

I’ve scheduled two sessions for this workshop, as I’m sure it’s going to be a popular one. Here’s the information:

Workshop Dates:

June 13 &14  and  July 4 & 5 (9:30-5:00 both days)

Location: My Studio in Downtown Toronto (Liberty Village)

Workshop Fee: $400 + GST ($150 advance required to reserve)

Workshop Dates:

June 13 &14  and  July 4 & 5

Schedule: Saturday & Sunday 9:30- 5:00 (with breaks for lunch and coffee)

Location: My Studio in Downtown Toronto (Liberty Village)

Workshop Fee: $400 + GST ($150 advance required to reserve)

I have posted a PDF that gives a more detailed list of the topics we’ll be covering here.

To register, or for more information, contact me below:

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Text only. No markup allowed.

Workshop update

Well, it’s been a busy couple of months with lots of great workshops!

After returning from a very relaxing ( and much needed ) vacation in the south of France, I plunged into a busy workshop schedule.

We had a very enthusiastic group for a business workshop, from a wide variety of backgrounds and photographic interests. I really enjoy the discussions that ensue when such a diverse group of people get together for a workshop and everybody brings their unique perspective to bear on the subject matter. It makes for lively discussions and lots of great insights.

The  Printer Delight workshop lived up to its name… Lots of delight from lots of printers! We spent the first day exploring all the various technical aspects of digital printmaking. Lots of  confused looks, followed by Aha! moments as students suddenly understood the various options, choices, and previously bewildering dialog boxes. The second day was spent in a wild flurry of printmaking! We had nine computer systems and  as many printers all going and churning out some very impressive prints. We explored a variety of paper choices, printing  methods and sizes. Everybody got to go home with some great results and a sense of finally understanding the process and the variables involved in making fine prints. I really enjoyed seeing the smiles spread as the  prints emerged!

The Poured Resin workshop was a lot of fun. Very hands-on,  a bit messy, but beautiful results. We did make some unexpected discoveries about combinations of paper, glue, and resin, but we worked through it! The final, completed prints were really stunning! This is definitely a workshop you’ll want to catch on the next time round.

So now that the flurry is over its time to settle down and plan the next round. I’ve had a lot of requests for a Lightroom workshop so I’ve been working on the lesson plan and I’m ready to go. I’ll be posting dates and information about this upcoming workshop very shortly.

Talia and I are planning on holding another resin workshop in the fall, after the Toronto Outdoor Art Show. She’ll be participating in the show so be sure to go down and check out her work and have a look at some beautiful examples of the poured resin finish.

If you have any ideas for workshops you’d like to  participate in, drop me a comment and I’ll see if I can create it. I’m open to all suggestions.

That’s all for the moment, but keep an eye  here for announcements about the Lightroom workshop as well as others.

New Workshop: Poured Resin Print Finishing

This very exciting new workshop will teach you one of the hottest looks in fine art photography right now.

It consists of a method to mount photographic prints on artist’s boards, then enclose them in a poured resin finish.  It creates a look as if the prints were coated in molten glass.  It’s a great way to present and enhance your work!  And best of all, it’s a technique you can do at home with some basic materials and know-how.

I’ve recruited Talia Shipman to lead this workshop.  She’s perfected this technique through years of trial and error, and you will benefit from her experience.

On the Saturday, we’ll demonstrate the process, and explore some of the creative possibilities for this technique.  Then, on Sunday, you’ll be guided through mounting and finishing your own print!  We’ll supply all the materials and tools you’ll need… you just bring your own 11×14 print.

The dates for the workshop are May 9 & 10th, from 10:00 – 4:00.

Workshop Fee: $350, including all materials.

For more details, have a look at this PDF

This is going to be a really fun, hand’s-on workshop!  To register, or for more information, contact me below:

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Text only. No markup allowed.

Printer Delight!

Lots of you have been requesting (begging, demanding…) a printing workshop, so here it is!
Finally, an opportunity to learn how to set up your monitor and printer to get reliable, predictable results.
For those of you who wish to, you can actually bring in your computer and printer, get them both properly calibrated and learn exactly how to set them up and what your various options are.
You’ll also have a chance to make prints on professional quality printers and a variety of papers.
Headshots has very generously offered to provide some printers for us to use, as well as media to try out.

Here’s a detailed info sheet on the workshop for you to review.
I’ve scheduled two dates for the workshop:
March 14 & 15
    
April 25 & 26

The cost for the weekend is $400 plus $35 materials fee.
The workshop will take place in my studio.
If you are interested in either weekend, or have any questions, please contact me below.
This is going to be a fun and informative workshop!

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Text only. No markup allowed.

Business of Photography Workshop, New Dates

Welcome to the new year!  With all your new year resolutions still dancing in your head, now is a great time to get going on your photography business.

So….. Here are two dates for the Business of Photography workshop:

February 7 & 8, 2009

April 11 & 12, 2009

The workshop covers all you need to know to set up and run your photo business including:

• Business planning and set-up:  Business Plans, Financial plans and cash flow management, start-up costs, registering for GST and RST, naming your business.
•   Estimates and Billing: Quoting jobs, fees, expenses and mark-ups, job docketing, invoicing and collections.
•   Accounting and Bookkeeping: A simplified approach to financial record keeping and cash management.
•   Marketing:  Identifying potential markets, marketing plans, portfolios, developing and selling your image, reps, mailers and promotion.
•   General Business Practices: Attitude, professionalism, client management, copyright, making and surviving mistakes.
•   Digital:  Impact of digital on the studio, equipment issues, billing issues, business opportunities.

Here’s a detailed  schedule for the course, and some testimonials from previous students.  As you can see, the course is very comprehensive and detailed, and has been well received.

Additionally, after the course each student can schedule an individual consultation with me to review their work and get information on potential markets and business opportunities.

The course is held in my studio in Liberty Village (near King & Dufferin, in downtown Toronto).

The cost for the workshop is $400 (plus GST)

If you’re interested in attending, or would like further information, you can contact me via the form below or via my website.

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Text only. No markup allowed.

Successful Workshop

This weekend’s Business Workshop was a great success!  A good variety of participants from diverse backgrounds made for lively discussions and lots of exchange.  By Sunday evening everyone was pretty tired, but excited about getting their business up and running at a new level.

Thanks to everyone who participated!  You all made it a fun weekend.

 

I’ll be running more workshops in the new year, so check back here for further info.  If you have any suggestions for future workshops, post a comment or email me.

Business of Photography Workshop again

I’m once again offering my Business of Photography weekend workshop, running Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday.
 The dates and times for this workshop are:

 Friday, November 21  6:30pm – 9:30pm
 Saturday, November 22  1:30pm – 8:30pm
 Sunday, November 23  9:30am – 6:00pm

 It will be held in my studio, on Atlantic Avenue, near King and Dufferin.
 
This course covers all major aspects of operating a photographic business, focusing on the needs of the photographer running a small to medium sized freelance business.  Specific areas covered include:
 

 
  Business planning and set-up:  Business Plans, Financial plans and cash flow management, start-up costs, registering for GST and RST
  Estimates and Billing: Quoting jobs, fees, expenses and mark-ups, job docketing, invoicing and collections.
  Accounting and Bookkeeping: A simplified approach to financial record keeping and cash management.
  Marketing:  Identifying potential markets, marketing plans, portfolios, developing and selling your image, reps, mailers and promotion.
  General Business Practices: Attitude, professionalism, client management, copyright, making and surviving mistakes.
  Digital:  Impact of digital on the studio, equipment issues, billing issues, business opportunities.
 
 

Here’s an outline and schedule for the course that gives more detailed information.
 Additionally, each student can book a personal portfolio review with me, to look at their work and get input on potential markets and future directions for their work.

This course has been very well received in the past, and I’ve posted some testimonials from previous students for your information.
 
 The cost for this course is $400.  
 If you are interested in attending, or would like further information, send me an email via my website.  Feel free pass this information on to any one you think might be interested in the course.
  

Getting to White (or color)

I just came across a very detailed and helpful guide to getting pure white backgrounds for shots of people or products.  There are some good tips to keep in mind, but most important is having sufficient distance between your subject and the backdrop.  Here’s the link!

Coincidentally, I was just using a similar technique to get a variety of colored backgrounds for some jewelry shots for a client.  I used a mid grey seamless and color gels on the background light to change the color of the background.  The model is lit with a medium softbox, about three feet from her. She’s positioned about ten feet from the background, so the light from the softbox doesn’t affect the background. Using a mid grey seamless gives me a lot of flexibility in terms of the background tone.  By combining gels with adjusting the power on the background light I can get everything from near black, to deep, saturated colors, to bright colors, even white if I want.  Here are some examples from the shoot:

In case you’re wondering about the soft focus effect in some of the shots, they’re done with a 90mm tilt/shift lens, which allows me to tilt the plane of focus… Lots of fun!

My Business of Photography Course

Due to popular demand, I’m offering my Business of Photography course as a weekend workshop, running Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday.
The dates and times for this workshop are:
 June 20 (6:30-9:30pm), June 21 and 22 (9:00am-6:00pm).
It will be held in my studio near King and Dufferin.

This course covers all major aspects of operating a photographic business.  The course focuses on the needs of the photographer running a small to medium sized freelance business.  Specific areas covered include:

 
 Business planning and set-up:  Business Plans, Financial plans and cash flow management, start-up costs, registering for GST and RST
 Estimates and Billing: Quoting jobs, fees, expenses and mark-ups, job docketing, invoicing and collections.
 Accounting and Bookkeeping: A simplified approach to financial record keeping and cash management.
 Marketing:  Identifying potential markets, marketing plans, portfolios, developing and selling your image, reps, mailers and promotion.
 General Business Practices: Attitude, professionalism, client management, copyright, making and surviving mistakes.
 Digital:  Impact of digital on the studio, equipment issues, billing issues, business opportunities.

 

I’ve posted an outline and schedule for the course that gives more detailed information.
Additionally, each student can book a personal portfolio review with me, to look at their work and get input on potential markets and future directions for their work.

The cost for this course is $400.  
If you are interested in attending, or would like further information, feel free to email me at rob@rdaphoto.com.  You can also pass this information on to any one you think might be interested in the course.

What Lights Should I Buy?

So, now on to the second most common question I get asked!

Ok, so here, once and for all is my definitive answer… at least until some new gizmo comes along.

First off, flash!  Let me say right up front… I LOVE MY ALIEN BEES!  They’re everything I need in a studio or location flash unit… convenient, powerful, portable, reliable, and most important, cute!  I bought them originally for some location shooting… and now I hardly ever power up my old Balcar systems.

At the bottom of this post I’ve compiled a chart with my specific recommendations, and here is my reasoning for the choices: