Portrait Photography Workshops

Portrait & flash photography - One-day workshops

Objectives:

To teach basic portrait and flash photography techniques, using models in a studio and outside on location... and to have fun!!!

Facilitators:

Graham Meadows: Graham is a professional photographer and established international author. He is currently the chief photographer for the Auckland Zoo, and one of the facilitators at the Auckland Zoo Photography Workshops.

Maegan McDowell: Maegan is an up-and-coming photographer with a superb eye for artistry, who acts both as tutor and Art Director. Check out her images taken at our workshops on her Facebook pages here and here

Enquiries and contact: Tel: 09 420 8982 Email: Refer Contact above.

Details

Workshop location: Graham’s office and studio, and the surrounding paddocks, gardens and native bush on his rural property at 1559 State Highway 16, Woodhill (between Kumeu and Helensville).

Dates: Workshops are usually run on Saturdays. The next proposed dates are Saturday March 6th, Saturday March 13th, and Saturday April 10th. A workshop will go ahead once six photographers have registered.

Time: The workshop runs from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, with a 30-minute break for lunch.

Facilities: The office and studio building is 6m wide x 12m long, so quite compact - hence the restriction on numbers. The studio area is 6m by 6m with seating and bench space/chairs for working on computers. Two computers with Photoshop loaded are available for use if needed. Basic kitchen facilities include hot water, a microwave and fridge. There is a toilet, and a make-up and changing room for models.

Note: I regret that the studio does not have facilities for those with physical disabilities, and many of the outdoor locations are on uneven ground or steep hillsides. Therefore I am waiting to hear if I can run at least one workshop privately at the Auckland Zoo, in the NZCCM lecture theatre that we use for the zoo workshops, with outdoor shoots in the zoo grounds (no animals in the images). If you are interested in this option, which has yet to be costed but will probably be around $250-270, please contact me.

Locations for shoots: Indoor and outdoor – 2 hours photography allocated for each (outdoor weather-dependent, if unavailable the studio is used).

Number of photographers: Six.

Models: We plan to use two, trying to select different hair colour and ethnicity; but which and how many models are used on the day depends on their availability.

Make-up artist: Amy Reichenbach, Director of Essential Beauty. As well as making up the models she will teach participants how to apply basic make-up for portrait photography at home. See Amy's profile here

Studio poses: These range from head and shoulders to full-body portraiture, posing with simple props. Models will pose naturally, and can also be directed. The whole purpose of this workshop is to keep things simple and concentrate on basic lighting techniques. Following the success of the first two workshops we have already been requested to develop a second workshop to cover additional lighting techniques and poses.

Studio Lighting: Techniques shown range from the simplest use of natural light and reflectors to the use of 3-4 electronic flashes with wireless connection. Techniques will include how to create, reduce or accentuate shadows, and highlight selected areas of a model's features.

Studio Backdrops: There are 8 different colours of wall-to-floor Colorama backdrop (2.7 metre wide x 11 metres long) to choose from, including black. There are also two moveable backdrops 2 metres wide and high, onto which various colours of satin, cloth or canvas can be placed.

Outdoor locations: These make use of natural features such as paddocks with long grass and wild flowers, gates, fences, trees, gaps through foliage etc, with or without props. Shots will cover from head to full-body.

Outdoor lighting: We use a mixture of natural light, diffusers, reflectors and on-camera flash.

Programme overview: The workshop starts with a 15-minute demonstration of basic make-up techniques being applied to a model. The photographers then split into two groups of three for a morning session lasting 2 hours in total. One group will photograph a model in the studio, while the other group photographs another model outdoors. After one hour the models change places. For the afternoon session the photographer groups change places, and the models once again change places after one hour. This ensures that every photographer will have the opportunity to photograph each model both in the studio and outdoors.

Workshop notes: The notes provided are kept simple, and participants are asked to make their own notes as they go through the day.

Bring: Camera equipment and any flash gear. USB stick to transfer images. Note pad. Food and drinks for the day - tea, coffee, milk and bottled water are provided. If you have one, bring your laptop.

Fee: $250 including GST, payable upon registration. Download Registration form.

Examples

View some examples of portrait photos taken by past participants.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By registering for the workshop you will agree to the following Terms and Conditions:

• No registration is accepted until the registration fee has been paid.
• Registrations are accepted in order of payment, and any given workshop is closed off once six people have registered.
• If a workshop is cancelled by me the registration fee is refundable. It is not refundable if a registrant later cancels or fails to turn up. The fee paid may be transferred to a later Portrait Workshop on condition that six participants attended the workshop that was missed by the registrant.
• The copyright of each photograph is owned by the photographer.
• Each model and photographer will sign a model release, which includes the terms and conditions listed below.
• Each model may receive copies of her/his photographs as part payment for her/his services.
• Photographs taken of the models may only be used for the photographer’s or model’s personal use and promotion, such as on a web site, Facebook or Flickr. If posted on a web site they must not exceed 500 pixels in width or height, and be clearly identified as being totally restricted for any other use. Do not assign a Creative Commons Licence.
• The photographs may not be used or sold for any commercial purpose, either by the photographer or the model; in the event that such a request eventuates, a new legal agreement and model release must be agreed and signed between the model and the photographer.

Links to photographers' images

Check out Richard's pictures at Flickr

Auckland Zoo Photography Workshops

In conjunction with Claire Vial I'm also tutoring three different workshops at the Auckland Zoo: Know Your Camera; Composition; and Photoshop Basics. Full details.

Also check out the following web site. Full details.