#970 Online Photo Challenge Review

Posted on July 10, 2013 by admin

Our online photo program roars along with a new photo challenge every month. Members receive video lessons, tips, links and share ideas as they produce their best shots for the photo challenge.

June’s challenge was photojournalistic storytelling and members were guided as they created single photos that told stories within themselves.

Photojournalism Challenge – “One Photo Stories” Love – © Gina R

The creative challenges are often tougher than the technical challenges because there are fewer “recipes for success!” Still, participants rose to the challenge with some amazing photos.

Photojournalistic storytelling – Online Photo Challenge – © Maisie I

And they continue to enjoy the process!
Comments from the past month:
• “[My photos improved over the last year…] It’s all thanks to you, the course and the forum! I know that I wouldn’t have learnt as much just taking a class here and there. For this, I can’t thank you enough!”

• “Harry, you always keep me on my toes and throw in extra food for thought. I love it, thank you!”

Photojournalistic Storytelling – Online Challenge – © Lynn G

“I found this challenge to be very challenging. I got out shooting and I tried a new style that should help improve my images going forward. It was a good exercise and (as always) it was helpful to see what others were shooting”

Photojournalistic Storytelling – Online Photo Challenge – © John D.

“Thanks for another great challenge!”

“Photojournalism, a very good challenge… it makes you think about taking just a photo vs. a photo story. Gives the photo taking purpose and helps with composition.”

Photojournalistic Storytelling – Online Photo Challenge – © Allan C.

“This was my first challenge and I found it consumed a lot of my thoughts; I was excited, scared and felt hungry for the challenge … I do feel a little sad that it’s over but I will continue to use the story telling in all my photos in the future. I look forward to the July challenge.”

Photojournalistic Storytelling – Online Photo Challenge
– © Marcel M.

Want better photos?
Looking to boost your skills?
The online photo program helps you get the experience for better pictures.

How?
Weekly content with lessons, videos, links, critique and a member forum.
Join us…

#965 Photo Student Wins Int’l Credit! + Fall Photo Class Planning

Posted on June 28, 2013 by admin

Summer has just arrived (yay!) but that means we are busy planning our fall photography classes. And we want YOUR help! See below.

…But first we’d like to congratulate Morina, a graduate of our photo program!
This morning I received an email from Morina, a ProProgram graduate. She has taken many photo courses within her program. This morning she sent a message and a page from Photography Week:

“Harry, you’ve taught me well! You are the first person I want to thank – highly commended for my photo in the international magazine Photography Week. You said “Do something different” – I did and look what has happened. So excited….”

Really, we just kept feeding Morina photo skills. She worked hard over 2 or 3 years to turn that knowledge into award winning photography!

Congratulations, Morina!

Student Success – Morina Reece’s photo “Highly Commended” in Photography Week Magazine. Good work Morina!

Preliminary Fall Line-up
We’ve started to load some photography courses on the fall’s agenda:
• Creative Fundamentals (Sept/Oct) – A classic course (that’s already a quarter full.)
• Night Light (Oct) – Popular course chasing the magic light of the night.
• On Location Lighting with Blair Gable (Oct) – Learn lighting from a leading photojournalist.
• Photography for Communications Professionals (Nov) – We help you get better workplace pictures!
• Mastering Lightroom with Peter Handley (RGD) (Fall – dates to be set) – Improve your post processing guided by a prominent graphic designer.
• Online Photo Program (start anytime!) – Our monthly challenges keep you consistently engaged and help you improve your photography!

Photo Class Help!
But we need YOUR HELP. Most of our courses are developed because YOU requested them.

What do you want to learn!?
Let us know via email or in the comments, below.

#952 One Year Anniversary – Online Program – Special Offer!

Posted on May 28, 2013 by admin

Happy Anniversary to us!!
A year ago, in June, we added the Online Photo Program to our list of photo classes to help bring our well-loved photo courses to people beyond Ottawa!

It was a lot of work and we weren’t sure quite what we were getting into!
But… what we did create has people coming back for more!

First photo challenge - self portraits © Jane B.

First online photo challenge – “self portraits” © Jane B.

Members keep sending in comments saying how the program has helped them:
• be more active photographers
• learn in a fun environment
• be part of a community of photographers looking to improve their skills.

First Online Photo Challenge “Self Portraits” © Maisie I.

Whatever the Online Photo Program does, I am seeing people improve their skills and produce better and better photos!

See last month’s online photo program review for more member photos and comments!

See part of the first critique session ever on the Online Photo Program:

Special Offer!
In celebration of the first year of photo fun on the online photo program we are offering a celebratory, limited offer to the lucky people who click the button below until June 3rd!

30% off! Hurry – it won’t last long!
Instead of $180 for 6 months of monthly photo courses, you get 6 months of photo challenges, video, notes, critique and sharing for $125! Price returns to $180 after June 3rd.

Special Offer has expired…
Register Online.

First Online Photo Challenge “Self Portraits” © Cheryl K.

#941 Photo Class Update

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin

Smartphone photography

Our spring photo courses are filling up in Ottawa:

• Spring’s Creative Fundamentals filled up – and dates have been set for September’s class in Gatineau Park.

• Macro Photography with Louise Tanguay is full – email us to be put on the waiting list!

• Tulips Safari with Louise is close to full!

• There is still some room on the Waterfall Safari and Smartphone Photography Seminar/Safari with Blair Gable.

Waterfall Photo Safari

• On-Location Lighting with Blair is still a long way off (October!) but last spring sold out quickly!

• And the Online Program always has room for you! People are discovering this relatively new program and loving it!

• We’re looking at offering our popular Natural Light Portraits course this summer because you keep asking. What do YOU think?

Online photo course - member photo from "CLOSER! Challenge" - © Scott Hall

#940 Online Photo Course “Slow Photo” Results

Posted on May 1, 2013 by admin

Last month’s challenge on the Online Photo Class was “Slow Photos.”
Members were asked to shoot at slow shutter speeds of 1 second or longer. That’s tough – just try it! Much of the time it’s hard to even shoot at one second because there’s too much light.

Members, as usual, wow-ed me with their creative ideas. They took the info and lessons I presented in the weekly material sent via email, web and private Facebook forum and created some beauty!

Better photos through the Online Photo Program! © Don Douglas

Online photo members enjoyed it, too!

“I’m not sure why it took me so long to come aboard, I knew about this ages ago. I was certainly in a funk with photography and now feel inspired to shoot again.

I enjoyed the informative critique video very much and learned a lot through that review and exercise. I’m glad I signed up for this online program. Look forward to more…”
G.R. April

Slow photography - Online Photo Class!

“I had a couple of main goals when I signed up – have fun, actually get out and shoot, enjoy the process.

So far all of these goals have been fully met… I have been out shooting more in the last two months than in the year before that!”
A.G. April

“Once again a fun challenge with lots of learnings. I particularly enjoyed experimenting with light painting.”
M.M., April

Join us for “Fast Photos” in May.

Slow photo challenge - © Allan Cameron

#938 – From the Web – Photo Distractions

Posted on April 26, 2013 by admin

A big thanks to our blog readers, Facebook followers and photo class students who provided some fun links for this edition of “Photo Fun” from the web.

Classic Significant Cameras from the Last 125 Years
First up this week is a very fun look at “landmark cameras” starting waaaaaay back. Have a look at the list:
• How many have you owned?
• How many do you still have?
• How many have you used recently?Thanks to Murielle C for sharing!

NYC in photos from 100 years ago
Now we see some NYC photos from long, long ago. Amazing to see. Thanks to Ken B for sharing!

Relentless = Success
We head to Vancouver this time for an article on improving writing (applies to photo) skills through relentlessness! Thanks, Daphne, for what you do!

Classic Cars in New Ads
Finally, we saw some fun adstargeting photos of classic cars. Fun! Thanks to Lois and Diane for sending us the links!

Friday’s Photographer Round-up
It’s Friday and that means we feature fun work of area photographers on our photo studio blog.

#929 – New Photo Classes – Basics and Waterfalls

Posted on April 2, 2013 by admin

New photo courses are coming up.
Some basics and something more advanced.

Want better photos?

Interested in just a few quick tips on exposure and/or composition?
We’re offering some quick & dirty basics in either exposure or compositional elements.
Join our Basics Seminar!

Basics photo class - Ottawa

Want something a little more challenging?
We’ve launched our Waterfall Photo Safari for those people looking for the next challenge.
Take the plunge – join Waterfalls!

Waterfall Photo Class

#919 “Photography for Communications Professionals” Photo Course

Posted on March 10, 2013 by admin

Many years ago we got asked to run a photo course for people in communications departments.

It seems many communications departments:
• need regular photos.
• don’t always have a budget to hire a photographer.
• end up with poor photos from well-meaning but inexperienced staff.

Photographing Events

This request turned into Photography for Communications Profressionals – a scheduled workshop in November and a Custom Course option for specific groups throughout the year, but especially in the spring!

Last week we ran a PCP course for a small group (and have another course lined up this week.) There were some nerves at the beginning but by the end of the day results and smiles glowed.

“Thanks again for your patience during the course. I learned a lot and am excited to practice the techniques!” PCP Partcipant

We offer a theoretical component in the morning with practical exercises (see below) in the afternoon that simulate the challenges of workplace photography! We also cover ‘challenges’ faced by ‘comms’ departments – consent forms, copyright, usage rights, archiving, etc.

On our photo course © M Savka - Harry teaches participants a traditional portrait technique - blurring the background: "Ok, see how the background gets blurred, bringing attention to your main subject?!"

See details of the PCP course (2013 dates have yet to be set for November) or info about the Custom Course.

#917 March’s Online Photo Challenge

Posted on March 5, 2013 by admin

Our online photo program brings a new course to your computer every month.

In March we bring members a creative challenge – capturing candid portraits without looking through the viewfinder or live-view screen.

“That’s crazy!”
Yes, it is – a little bit.

But there are good reasons and good results that come from this technique. This month we help members develop better candid portrait results.

Join the fun!

Candid portrait - from last summer's wedding season - shot without the viewfinder.

#916 Online Photo Program Special Offer!!

Posted on March 3, 2013 by admin

Our Online Photo Program is maturing. We’ve run it for almost a year and have been listening to (and implementing) member’s ideas

As an enticement to try the photo challenge (and a thanks to existing members) we are offering a 6 month membership at 30% off for the month of March, 2013.

For the month of March you can sign up for 6 months of ongoing contact, photo lessons & notes, challenges, group discussion and video critique…

… all for $125 instead of the regular $180.
• For photographers curious about the program this is an easy way to test our monthly challenges!
• Existing members can take advantage – adding the block onto their current membership.

Online Photo Challenge - Simple Studio Lighting - © Jeffrey Furry

What’s the online program all about?
Think of it as a new photo class every month with:
• a video lesson
• course notes
• weekly email check-in with tips, encouragement and news
• ongoing group support through a private Facebook group for Members only
• and a compreshensive video critique of member’s photos at the end of the month.

Recent comments:
“I’m happy to see that we don’t have to spend an arm and a leg in order to take good pictures. As always, I look forward to hearing your critique!”

“I questioned the cost before joining. But now that I have completed 3 months I believe that it is an excellent value.” (… and that was at full price!)

“Wow, was this fun! My dining room was a disaster for days (SImple Studio Lighting Challenge!), but boy, was it FUN! 🙂”

Online Photo Challenge - Simple Studio Lighting - © Maisie Ismail

Special Deal offered during March 2013
Six months of Online Photo Programming for $125.
That works out to a month’s worth of photo programming for $20.83 per month – that’s a special deal only until the end of March.
The normal price is $180 or $30 per month.

That means SIX online courses for just over $20 each!

Register NOW!

February’s Photo Challenge
Last month’s challenge on the Online Photo Program at HarryNowell.com was called “Simple Studio Lighting.”

Member’s learned to explore the world of studio lighting using only equipment they had at home.

Result’s were stunning…

Online Photo Challenge - Simple Studio Lighting - © Christa Rumleskie