Prices do not include HST.

• Registration to the following workshops is available only to individuals who have graduated from the Learning to use your DSLR workshop.
  
  
• Registration is limited so that participants have a chance to practice and receive feedback.
  
  
• Registration fees are non-refundable. Prices do not include HST.

Date: Sunday, April 26

Time: 2:30 - 4:15 PM via online video conferencing from your own home

Early Bird $75+hst (after April 13th $85+hst)

Real life is messy, unpredictable, and not very pretty, which is one of the biggest challenges photographers face when capturing their daily lives.  We gravitate towards portrait photography (even light, posed subjects, neat backdrops) because it’s typically what we know from our own childhood but more often than not our lives aren’t well suited to capturing the “perfect” moment.

Understanding the differences between portrait, lifestyle, and documentary photography are key when you spend most of your time photographing your family, friends, and adventures.  In our eagerness to get the “perfect” photo we miss out on the real moments that are happening around us every day, which can be captured beautifully with patience and a solid understanding of light and camera settings.  

The mindset for lifestyle and documentary photography is much harder to embrace than most people expect but these types of photos require just as much skill as posed portraits.

The goal of this workshop is to develop an understanding of the different genres of photography (portrait, lifestyle, documentary), the key features of each style, as well as how they relate to the different photos you’re taking.  During the workshop, I will set up a variety of scenarios throughout my home to demonstrate the different concepts and how portraits, lifestyle images, and documentary images differ and walk you through taking photos within each style so you can see the differences and understand the mindset and settings you need for each genre.  I will cover light settings, as well as how to work with different situations to achieve the different styles of images. 

After the workshop I will provide all participants with a homework assignment that will be submitted for feedback. The workshop will be recorded and you will have access to the recording after the workshop.  

If you find yourself missing out on candid and unplanned photos and / or struggling to capture your life without getting frustrated or you feel like your photos all look the same, this is the workshop for you!

Registration is limited so that everyone has a chance to receive feedback.

NEW DATE added: Sunday, June 7th

Time: 3:00 - 4:30 pm via live video conferencing from your own home

(Sunday, May 3rd SOLD OUT)

Early Bird $65+hst (after April 29th $85+hst)

It turns out that learning all about your exposure triangle and how to master the settings on your camera was the easy part!  Oftentimes our biggest challenges come from convincing the children in our lives to cooperate for photos.  I’ve photographed over 4000 sessions over the last 10 years and I’ve learned a lot about how to convince even the most reluctant subjects to enjoy being in front of my camera.

The goal of this workshop is to teach you:

• Camera settings to maximize success 
• Understanding developmental ages and stages: what the most common challenges are and how to work with kids rather than against them
• Choosing the best light for your subject(s) based on their personality and age
• Setting up a photo ‘zone’ in your home or outdoors

The structure of this workshop:

• Theory and practical tips
• Live demonstrations
• Straight out of camera images
• Custom homework assignment for each participant as well as feedback on your homework images.  For those struggling with the light and set-up in their home, I’m happy to provide a video consult after the workshop to troubleshoot.  

Date: Saturday, May 9th 

Time: 3:30 - 5:00pm via live video conferencing from your own home

Early Bird $65+hst (after April 29th $85+hst)

Just in time to take beautiful photos of the Tulips!  

Flowers are beautiful subjects but one of the most difficult to photograph because of their beauty.  Photographers often struggle to create compelling and unique images of flowers, despite their beautiful colours and texture.  The skills you'll learn in this workshop will apply to landscape and nature photography as well as macro and still life photography.

The goal of this workshop is to teach you to:

• Work with the light you have available
• Photograph different colours creatively and accurately
• Use different accessories to get the shots you envision 
• Creatively compose your images
• Use movement to create abstract and compelling photos

The structure of this workshop:

• Theory and practical tips
• Live demonstrations
• Straight out of camera images
• Custom homework assignment for each participant as well as feedback on your homework images.  

Date: Thursday, May 14th 

Time: 7:00 - 8:30 pm via live video conferencing from your own home

Early Bird $65+hst (after April 29th $85+hst)

Learn how to take fun, creative, and safe photos of your pets!  Our pets are important members of our family but often some of the most difficult to photograph.  

The goal of this workshop is to help you:

• Understand your pets:  Learn how to observe our pet’s behaviour so we can create opportunities for fantastic photos
• How to use natural light (sunlight) to take better photos of our pets and the best time of day and weather for taking photos 
• How to choose the best places in and around your home to take photos of your pets
• Tips and tricks for getting your pet to cooperate with photos
• Suggestions for backdrops and props you can use to take photos of your pets
• The rules of photography that you can use to create more interesting photos of your pets

The structure of this workshop:

• Theory and practical tips
• Reviewing the step by step process of (a) observing and taking advantage of natural behaviour (b) indoor and outdoor light and locations (c) photo staging and preparation  
• Straight out of camera images and edited images
• Custom homework assignment for each participant as well as feedback on your homework images.  

Date: Sunday, May 24th 

Time: 3:30-5:00 PM via live video conferencing from your own home

Early Bird $65+hst (after April 29th $85+hst)

Low key images are photographs that have mainly dark tones and colours.  They are typically taken in lower light situations and have more contrast and a more dramatic appearance.  In contrast, high key images are very bright and airy.  There are fewer shadows and much less contrast.     

One of the challenges we all face is taking photos in the same environment day after day.  Understanding low key and high key photographs is a great way to create variety in your images.  Learning how to manipulate light (and your settings) to create bright, airy images or dark, moody images, gives you control to create beautiful photos when you’re faced with less than ideal light or backgrounds.

The goal of this workshop is to introduce you to:

• Manipulating light to create two very different styles of images
• Manipulating your settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed) in the same light to create vastly different photographs
• Finding pockets of light / dark to create high and low key images
• Better placing of your subject in relation to the light to set the mood for your images
• Editing your high key and low key images

The structure of this workshop:

• Theory and practical tips
• Reviewing the entire process of creating high key and low key images (a) pull back / behind the scenes images (b) Straight out of camera images (c) edited images
• Custom homework assignment for each participant as well as feedback on your homework images.  

Date: Monday, June 8th 

Time: 7:00-8:30 PM via live video conferencing from your own home

Early Bird $65+hst (after April 29th $85+hst)

One of the most important parts of photography is learning to view photos with a critical eye.  All too often this is confused with negativity rather than the essential process of learning to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of an image.  

The goal of this workshop is to introduce you to:

• The intentional process of image critique
• How to provide helpful and supportive feedback
• How to receive and interpret feedback on your photos 
• How to evaluate the key elements of a photo: storytelling, light, composition, editing, technique
• How to use the feedback you receive to improve your skills and photographs

The structure of this workshop:

• Theory and practical tips
• Reviewing participant and professional photos
• Practicing the image critique steps in a small group format

Date: Wednesday, June 17th

Time: 7:00-8:30 PM via live video conferencing from your own home

Early Bird $65+hst (after April 29th $85+hst)

Is a photo taken by a camera always a photograph?  Is a photo taken by a cell phone always a snapshot?  What is the difference between a photograph and a snapshot? This workshop is all about exploring the art of photography and how to avoid the common pitfalls of our digital culture.

The goal of this workshop is to introduce you to:

• The intentional process of image creation versus image capture
• The five most important strategies to creating compelling photographs 
• The key elements that differentiate snapshots and photographs 
• The role storytelling plays in the creation of photographs

The structure of this workshop:

• Theory and practical tips
• Review of the process of photography and differentiating between memory making and the intentional creation of a vision 
• Side by side review of snapshots and photographs
• Practicing the image critique steps in a small group format