Save $30 on the Look Fabulous Tour

Fashion Flair for Portraits and Weddings

A 33-city tour teaching how to photograph weddings and portraits with a contemporary flair that features a fresh editorial edge using lifestyle, glamour, and fashion lighting and posing techniques.  The instruction will take place in a two-part educational format: an 8-hour daytime hands-on master class and a 4-hour evening seminar lecture.  Students may attend either the master class, the seminar, or both.  The classes will be co-taught by Lindsay Adler and Lou Freeman.

Seminar instruction features Lindsay Adler and Lou Freeman covering every essential element necessary for today’s photographers to capture fresh, vibrant, and trendy images using principles inspired by fashion, glamour, lifestyle, and editorial photography.

You will learn how to differentiate yourself from the competition by utilizing in-camera creative techniques to break boundaries that will let you stand out from the crowd.

The instruction is geared towards professional portrait and wedding photographers as well as prosumer enthusiasts who are looking to enhance their shooting style for maximum client impact.

- See more at: http://www.lookfabuloustour.com/index.php

Use discount code LFTDC (Code expires May 30^th 2013) when you register to save $10!

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Date:              Sunday, February 24th at 1:00 pm
Location:   Davies Creative Photography – 4593 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304

In this class we will introduce the use of flash and strobe lighting.

• We will review the basics of flash photography and the impact they have on your exposure.
• We will discuss all the different types of lighting available including flash, strobes, hot lights, reflectors and more.
• We will cover the fundamental controls that all lights have.
• We will discuss the different types of flash and strobe and why you might choose them.
• We will discuss the different ways that flashes & strobes can be triggered and the implications of those choices.

You should bring your camera with you. If you have a flash for your camera, feel free to bring it along, but it is not required. Lighting and triggering methods will be provided. This is a beginner class and there is a lot of theory, so hands-on time is lower in this class. The intermediate class will have significantly more hands-on as we go beyond the fundamentals into more complex topics.

Students should have basic understanding of the exposure controls: how to set your camera to manual mode and how to adjust shutter speed, aperture and ISO. If you are unsure, please bring your camera’s manual with you to class.

If you prefer to pay by a method other than PayPal (including credit card, cash at the door, etc) please email me at matt@daviescreative.com (or use the “Contact Us” link at the left) and I will get you registered for the workshop.

Here is what past attendees have said about this workshop:

Good information, reinforced what I knew & added more to my brain (now to keep it in there) – Michael L.

I’ve never worked with flash or strobes, so the foundation information this class provided was great. I really liked the info on multiple flashes and lighting scenes (key, fill, rim, etc). – John P.

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Date:              Sunday, February 17th at 1:00 pm
Location:   Davies Creative Photography – 4593 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304

In this workshop, we will explore the fundamental of photography – the exposure. We will discuss the role of aperture, shutter speed and ISO in making the exposure. We will discuss how to determine the technically correct exposure and how to use this information to make creative decisions in your photography. We will discuss how to use your camera to make adjustments. We will cover the typical settings that most cameras use and how to apply them to making your creative exposure decisions. All throughout the workshop, we will try everything we learn.

I highly recommend this workshop to everyone, regardless of skill level. It is always good for even the most experienced shooters to go back and review the fundamentals of exposure and refresh your basic skills For beginners, this workshop is one that can have a huge impact immediately on the quality of the photos you take.

Here are some testimonials from previous attendees of this workshop:

“This workshop helped me get out of the frustration about how much I didn’t understand about my camera and photography in general. Matthew made it really easy for me to understand what my camera is telling me. Now that my camera and I have discovered how to talk to each other, we can get to work!! Matt is a fabulous teacher! He talks in detail about every thing related to the topic and explains things in English that humans understand A great workshop. This was just the nudge I needed in the right direction! Thank you!” – Anshi

“It was just what I needed. I’ve been using my DSLR for about four years but haven’t been realizing it’s full potential. This class really helped to understand the basics of light and exposure and how to adjust my camera to handle the differences.” – Shawn

“Matthew did a great job of presenting material that is typically considered “the mechanics” of photography. That type of material can be mind numbing. But the informal lecture and hands-on sessions made it much more interesting. I liked that he used real life examples of why one cares about the settings and that he didn’t just read from a text book. ” – John

“Great workshop! Highly recommend this to anyone who is new to the world of DSLRs, or those who would like to gain a more complete understanding of how they work.” – Steve

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I’m offering $100 gift certificates to

Davies Creative Workshops for $50 each.

No limit on how many you can buy. This deal will remain live until 5:00 PM tomorrow – Wednesday – so don’t wait too long.  I’ve never offered this before, and I may never offer it again!

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This is a great system ready to go. Cosmetically it’s showing it’s use, but mechanically everything is working fine. This is the RB67 Pro body, a 120 6×7 film back with insert, a 127mm f/3.8 C lens. The shutter is working fine and the bellows are clean. Dark slide and focus screen are included. The waist level finder is the newer single action model.

I’ve upgrade to an RZ67 Pro II so it’s time for this gal to find a new home and make someone else happy.

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This is a truly massive bag. It is designed to hold multiple bodies and 5-7 lenses. Outside shows scuffing from use but inside it’s clean and neat. As you can see it fits two Mamiya RB/RZ bodies, 4 film backs 4 lenses, a prism finder and a winder. I have a bag full of extra dividers. It has the shoulder strap that turns it into a shoulder bag, and the tripod holder is still attached. It still has the harness adjustment tool inside the harness pocket as well.

The outside of the bag is an 8+ because of the scuff marks, but inside it’s a 9+.

Here is a link to an independent review of the bag: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lowepro-Photo-Trekker-II-AW-Camera-Backpack-Review.aspx – this review also shows the incredible amount of DSLR equipment you can pack into this bag.

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PPA Super Monday

On October 14th and 15th at 9 am I will be helping you learn all about flash photography and how to setup a home based photography studio. My classes, “How to Create a Home Studio” and “Flash Made Easy: A Class for Beginners and Natural Light Photographers”, are part of a nationwide educational event by Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Called Super Monday—as the majority are held on Mondays—these classes have been a huge success each year. Known for individual and focused attention, Super Monday features educational classes on diverse topics around the country, hosted by professional photographers.

You can learn more and register at http://www.ppa.com/education-events/sm/states/sm_states_co.php where you will receive early bird pricing of $99 (normally $120) until October 3^rd.

Please visit our Facebook page and give us a Like: http://www.facebook.com/dcworkshops - we will post special announcements there.

Also you can visit our blog at http://workshops.daviescreative.com/

Register for workshops here: http://www.meetup.com/daviescreativeworkshops/

Upcoming Davies Creative Workshops

The outdoor model shoot at Flagstaff was a huge success and there are already loads of great images up on the website. We’ll be scheduling and indoor version of that model shoot to cover working in the studio with controlled lighting.  Here are the images: http://www.meetup.com/daviescreativeworkshops/photos/10309572/

If there is a particular workshop subject you are interested in, just email me at matt@daviescreative.com and let me know – we’ll get a workshop developed.

Tips & Tricks Articles:

Manfrotto Presents Imagine More – This website was created to provide inspiration and showcase great work. It’s got many sections all worth exploring. It’s easy to get lost in the wealth of images and information they have amassed, and it updates all the time.

How To Take Spectacular Photos Through An Airplane Window Using a Nikon D7000 – While this article was written specifically for D7000 users the information is actually generic and will apply to any camera. Gives you a great thing to try on your next trip, so make sure you book a window seat.

Correcting Mixed Light in Lightroom 4 – This video from Photofocus discusses a few of the strategies that can be used when having to handle mixed light sources. You might find a good tip or two in here, even if it doesn’t fix every problem.

Using Facial View and Camera Angle to take Flattering Portraits – This article talks to the importance of the angle of the face when making portraits. It’s full of actual examples to review as you follow along with the text.

Free Lightroom Presets from OnOne Software – This page has a free download of presets for Lightroom 2, 3 & 4. With 60 custom pre-sets, you will quickly be able to change the overall look of your image. It’s really hard to beat free!

Visual Guide to Photoshop Shortcuts – I liked this photo posted on Facebook that shows you in a visual manner many of the important keyboard shortcuts for Photoshop.

Perfect Inspiration Episode 21 – ON FILLING THE FRAME WITH FEWER ELEMENTS – OnOne Software’s weekly video series is worth checking out, and you can subscribe to notifications of future episodes.

Perfect Inspiration Episode 22 – ON USING JUXTAPOSITION TO TELL A STORY – OnOne Software’s weekly video series is worth checking out, and you can subscribe to notifications of future episodes.

Free Webinars:

Click on the title of the webinar to be taken to the website to register.

David duChemin presents: LEARNING TO SPEAK THE VISUAL LANGUAGE

Nik Software Educational Webinars

XRite’s recorded webinar archive

8/27/2012 – Hair and Makeup

8/29/2012 – The Evolution of Your Creative Rights

8/30/2012 – How to Make it as a Photography Assistant

9/5/2012 – David Duchemin presents: GOING PRO 2: More Ideas for VisionMongers

9/6/2012 – Location, Posing, Execution

9/12/2012 – Claudia Rocchini presents: How to photograph animals in (semi-)controlled environments

9/13/2012 – Working With Models

9/19/2012 - Steve Gosling presents: Imperfect impressions

9/20/2012 – Lightweight Location Lighting with Kevin Kubota

9/26/2012 – Joe McNally presents: A Geographic Tale. Stories and strategies behind the pictures.

10/9/2012 – Adam Barker presents: Master the Magic Hour – Take your landscape and active lifestyle photography to the next level.

10/16/2012 – Purebaby Newborn Photography Workshop

Pro Tour Workshops

8/30/2012 – Sandy Puc’s Photography Fundamentals Tour - $169 – DoubleTree by Hilton Denver Tech Center

8/30/2012 – Sal Cincotta The Wedding Tour – $99 sales and consultations

8/31/2012 – Sal Cincotta The Wedding Tour – $699 all day workshop

10/28/2012 – Sallee School’s Fall Sememster with Ryan Schembri and JB Sallee - Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park – $69 Online / $99 at the door

Photography Organizations:

Professional Photographers of America - National organization with focus on portrait and wedding photographers.

American Society of Media Photographers – National organization with a focus on commercial photography.

Professional Photographers of Colorado - State affiliate of PPA with separate membership. Holds annual trade show with image competition and workshops most months.

ASMP Colorado – State chapter of the ASMP national organization.

ASMP Colorado Meetup Group – Join this group for local meetings.

Mile High Photographers - Local membership group with good monthly activities as part of the membership cost.

The Colorado Photography Learning Group  - This is their Facebook page. They have three Meetup.com groups covering different areas of the state.

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Have no fear, Super Monday is coming to Davies Creative Photography on Sunday, October 14^th —and I am joining in to share my secrets to set up a home studio correctly from the beginning.

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This was a very successful model shoot we did last year and I’m excited to repeat it again this year.

I will have a couple of models on hand and will be providing instruction for those that require it.  I’ll be providing some lighting equipment, but if you have speedlights and/or reflectors, bring them as well. I encourage you to learn on your own equipment whenever you can.

We’ll split into two groups – those requiring instruction, and those that just want to shoot the model. The models will bounce back and forth between groups, and I will provide guidance to both groups.

Here is some feedback from the last one:

• Really fun shoot. Models were professional and great. Lots of nice shooting options up Flagstaff. Nice group of photographers were easy to work with which made for a really fun shoot. Looking forward to future events.
• Matt did a great job of teaching and individualizing the session to meet each person’s needs. The setting was varied and interesting, the models were wonderful – professional, good sports and patient. The group of photographers were congenial, open and sharing of info. I will definitely take more workshops.
• It was great. Matt is a good teacher, empowering, good at relating technical info. Pleasant group. I got more than I had hoped or expected. Matt made it simple enough for me to remember and complex enough to make a difference in my photography. Thanks, Matt and also Ronie and Angela for being great models.
  

If anyone wants to pay by a method other than PayPal, just email me (or use the “Contact Us” in the left sidebar) and I will add you to the shoot manually.

Models confirmed so far:

Natalie – MM Profile: http://www.modelmayhem.com/625923

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