In these three one on one coaching sessions you will expand your photographic knowledge and learn to get consistent results in your photos. Do you know about the basic functions of your camera…… aperture, shutter speed, and depth of field? Are you totally comfortable with these technical aspects of your camera, or is this where you need to begin? If this sounds like you, then you would be Level 1 Beginner. If the above mentioned information and ISO and White balance are things you already understand, but just how to apply this information is sometimes confusing, then you would be Level 2 Intermediate. If all of the above is pedantic information and you are quite comfortable with the workings of your camera, you would be Level 3 Advanced. Deciding on which level is right for you is not important as Ron will have a conversation with you discussing your level of understanding before beginning your 3 session program.
Three sessions – attend photography coaching sessions in Westport, one-on-one with your own personal photography coach Ron Lake who is a professional fine art photographer, with an MFA in photography and a teacher of photography for over 30 years.
These coaching sessions are based on getting you started , or progressing rapidly from wherever you are at to the next level.
- Level 1 Beginner. If you are just starting out Session 1 for you would be hands-on, camera, camera, camera… ……. Can’t use it if you don’t understand it. ( Bring the manual……. because I won’t know every sub menu either, nobody does )
- Level 2 Intermediate. If you feel you have a good grasp but are not yet virtuoso with all thing camera, in your Session 1, I would go over your camera first and then move on to the Exposure Triangle, and make sure you have a nice hold on how all of that works together. The mechanics of your camera does really need to be well understood to make powerful images. We would also go over your favorite subjects that you wish to become better at shooting and how to arrive at that next level.
- Level 3 Advanced, in the first session, a review of the Exposure triangle, and your current method of shooting would be addressed and then an immediate conversation as to the specifics of what it is you would like to improve on and how we can work together to get you there.
At the end of each session, there will be a shooting assignment that will not be too time consuming, but will make you think and understand your camera better. At the beginning of each new session, the images will be reviewed, this is what is known as a photographic critique. This may sound intimidating, but remember you are one-on-one with your own personal photography coach so no worries.
This program is designed to fit the needs of each individual at a pace that is appropriate for their current level of experience. Once you are comfortable with your camera, and regularly achieve consistent results moving up to the next level of ability is the goal. Below is an example of how I will instruct you sequentially to become the photographer you want to be.
Session 1: We’ll start with making sure you are clear on the basics of the Exposure Triangle – aperture, shutter speed and ISO. We will go over how those relate to each other and how adjustments to one can affect the others. We will dig deeper into how to creatively use depth of field and how it is affected by aperture, lens focal length and subject distance. Ron will show you examples of how depth of field can make your photos look dramatically different no matter if you are shooting portraits, landscapes or events. We will talk about shutter speed and how to control it so you can show motion in your photos or freeze action. You will then be given an assignment to complete before the next session. The assignment won’t be too time consuming but will make you think a little more and give you some practice changing settings on your camera and let you see how different settings affect the outcome of an image. We will then be able to talk about them in the next session. As always with photography, there will be mistakes and also some pleasant surprises. The goal here will be to become better equipped to understand what you are doing and why.
Session 2: You’ll get feedback on photos you made in the first assignment.Only you and Ron will see your photos and we can discuss pros and cons and what you can learn from them. It is intimidating to show your pictures, in an open Critique night at a camera club but here we will be one on one, so no worries. There are no prizes for best photos, but yes affirmation when you hit a good one, and explanation as to why regarding the bad ones. I’ll also be showing my work as examples both good and bad.
As the process goes forward we will talk about how to creatively use your lens, or lenses and how the selection of which lens is an integral part of how to approach different subject matter. Discussion on when to use a wide angle or telephoto lens and how it will impact your photos will be one of the next steps for moving forward. From here we will move on to the all to important… Angle Of View….. yes, you have to try different angles, and lots of them. This discussion and the next assignment will help you “work the scene” and get better photos than you would have imagined to bring to the next session.
Session 3: The session starts with feedback from the Session 2 assignment. After we go over some of your photos and you learn from them what was good and what was bad we will move forward to what the pros do. Here Ron will discuss techniques and theories used by the professional photographers and talk about and show examples of how to look beyond what you initially see and get photos that are beyond the obvious. We will discuss some techniques that assure consistent results and get you thinking about being intentional about your photography, and then discuss the next logical progression in your work.
Cancellations and deposit
Full payment must be paid in order to secure your space and begin a workshop. The cost for the 3 session workshop is $379.00 . With each session being approximately 1 hour.
Credit card and PayPal are all excepted
Additional sessions are priced at $100.00 per hour, and ongoing mentoring sessions are possible.
The instruction will be one on one at the studio of your host to Westport Travel Photography meetup.com Ron Lake
The address is 35 Roseville Road just off the post road exit 18 or from the Merrit pkwy. Take exit 42
Contact Ron Lake for questions, directions and information pertaining to starting your Workshop @photoz35@yahoo.com or phone 203-451-5001 cell or 203-454-9956 home