Flashes of Inspiration

Ideas for workshops hit me at odd times, in short or long flashes of inspiration and excitement. Sometimes it is without question an instinct I know I must follow. Sometimes it is more like bits of information that needs to be assembled into a well-thought out plan. Sometimes it is a snippet of an idea given to me by someone else that then needs to be developed and produced into a full idea. All of these are creative energies that are bursting into my little universe and sending me spiraling into a direction of pure excitement and drive.

For someone who is a planner and organizer, this is a great calling. The creative juices and energy flowing out of me is liberating and thrilling. I get such a rush when these flashes of inspiration hit me. And the more I think them through and then plan them out, the more exciting the adrenaline rush gets. I am in my own little planning and organizing heaven.

The real rush comes from when a workshop is completed and successful. When the energy generated from the group attending is at such a high level that it takes days to come down from the high. The cumulative effect of which produces another “Flash of Inspiration”.

A perfect example of this is the workshop I produced over the weekend. The workshop was 'Creative Macro Photography' with Charles Needle. Last year I just knew I had to have a workshop on macro photography, and I just knew that it had to be held out at La Conner Flats in La Conner. And I knew that it had to be something unusual, not your typical macro class. I met Charles Needle at a conference, saw his work, and just knew that he was what I was looking for.

And it worked. Those bits of inspiration flashed through me and paid off heavenly.

The Art of Bridge Photography

Bridges make up some of the most impressive architectural structures in the world. Often the identity of a city is tied to one of its bridges. Examples would be the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, or the Rainbow Bridge in La Conner. Bridges can make powerful images.

Vince Streano has been photographing bridges for some of the largest engineering and architectural companies in the United States for over twenty years. His bridge photography has appeared in publications throughout the world, and he has a reputation as an expert in the photography of bridges.

Vince will be conducting a three part workshop on the art of bridge photography.

During the lecture portion and discussion Vince will show a portfolio of his bridge images. Then participants will learn how to research a bridge using an actual bridge assignment from one of Vince’s clients. They will learn how to scout for vantage points before traveling to the bridge, and how to plan a shot list of subjects, including that one “hero” shot clients are always looking for. They will also learn about booking a helicopter for aerials or a boat for shots from the water. Vince will talk about lens selection, composition, best angles and lighting. The lecture will conclude with a discussion of the three bridges that participants will be photographing; the Twin Bridges, Rainbow Bridge, and Deception Pass Bridge.

For more info on this workshop visit us at www.thatphotoshoppe.com

Clips from the Color and Light workshop. Now available on DVD. DVD will be available at www.thatphotoshoppe.com

Taking Photography for Granted?

We take so many things for granted.  Food – it comes from a grocery store; cars – just add gas, put it into drive and go; electricity – just flip a switch; heating – just turn it up. All of these things are part of our lives, we don’t question why or how, we just assume they will always be accessible to us.  Some feel that Photography is becoming like that, we just do it assume it will do it for us.

Digital Photography has revolutionized the Photography industry. Today’s cameras are smaller, faster, instantaneous and automatic. Do today’s Photographers take Photography for granted? Do they just Point-n-shoot?  This is a constant conversation amongst the pros, which say that because today’s cameras are getting so good, even on automatic, everyone thinks they are Photographers. They take it for granted since the camera will do all of the work. No one needs to learn anything about Photography anymore.  Shoot, even cell phones take great images, right?

The students who take our workshops want to learn Photography. They don’t take it for granted, nor do they rely on the cameras to do it all.  Our students come to us at all different levels of experience, from beginner to advance. We strive to teach them to do more than Point-n-Shoot and to accommodate all levels of experience at each workshop.  We teach technology, how to use today’s cameras, Photography principles, how to release their creativity, to rely on their instincts, and how to expand their talent.

Most importantly - to practice what they have learned and enjoy it. Then it’s time to take Photography for granted.

A photography workshop with emotion

August 29, 2009

There are 2 types of black in photographs. The pigment, such as tires, black cars and burned wood. Then there is the black that is caused by there being no light - The Absence of Light. It was the second type of black this photography workshop explored.

Instructor Dick Garvey explained to the students how to use absence of light to give depth, texture, form to their images. Why this "negative space" can be a positive in our endless quest to mess with people's minds and cause wonder in our images.

Karla Locke, owner of That Photo Shoppe of Anacortes, and Photographer, Dick Garvey chose to hold the workshop at the Northern State Mental Hospital in Sedro Woolley. We chose this location for its old history, the architecture, and its long-standing reputation among other photographers, as a place to photograph.

What was unexpected was the 'intensity' of the location and how it would affect the participants.

Imaginations ran wild as everyone walked the grounds. The eeriness of the place caused emotions in the photographers to run high. The photographs portrayed a mix of emotion, and portrayed some of the history. Most photographs revealed the loneliness, the desolation and some of the despair that must have been felt there at one time. A few found beauty amongst all of it.

It become a challenging workshop for participants, not only in the assignment (the absence of light), but also in the location. As a workshop coordinator, this was the first workshop where the 'location' created such an intense feeling amongst everyone. I originally thought it would be an interesting place to photograph but did not expect it to impact everyone like it did. What started out as a workshop on 'The Absence of Light', now became a workshop on the history of a mental asylum and what must of transpired there years ago. The feelings' of the location became a vital part of the workshop and showed up in everyone's work.

Photographers put a lot of emotion into their work and one of their goals is to evoke an emotion from their viewers. The images from this workshop do just that.

You can view the images at www.thatphotoshoppe.com, or on Flickr.